What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedEvil Genius
Series · 2018
If you loved Evil Genius, start with Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (Joe Berlinger, 2019) — a film on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 films and 2 podcasts, each matched to Evil Genius across media.
If Evil Genius hooked you, you will appreciate these stories where bizarre, multi-layered criminal conspiracies unravel through obsessive, high-stakes investigative work.
Books on the same thread
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI
David Grann · Book · 2018
Explores: Racial injustice, Corruption, Greed.
Like the sprawling investigation in Evil Genius, this account uncovers a massive, systemic conspiracy of greed and murder that reveals how deep corruption can truly permeate a society.
Killers of the Flower Moon
David Grann · Book · 2018
Explores: systemic corruption, colonial exploitation, conspiracy.
You will recognize the same chilling sense of discovery found in Evil Genius as this narrative exposes a cold-blooded conspiracy built on systemic corruption and deadly human greed.
Under the Banner of Heaven
Jon Krakauer · Book
Explores: Religious extremism, Fundamentalist violence, Institutional secrecy.
The unsettling focus on extremist motivations in this investigation mirrors the way Evil Genius forces you to confront the dark, twisted logic behind seemingly inexplicable criminal acts.
Gomorrah
Roberto Saviano · Book · 2007
Explores: Mafia, Corruption, Crime.
This deep dive into organized corruption offers the same grit found in Evil Genius, exposing how powerful criminal networks operate beneath the surface of everyday life and society.
Films on the same thread
Bad Genius
Nattawut Poonpiriya · Film · 2017
Explores: Cheating, Social Inequality, Academic Pressure.
If the criminal mastermind aspect of Evil Genius fascinated you, this story of elaborate exam cheating showcases a similar level of meticulous planning and high-pressure moral conflict.
The Thin Blue Line
Errol Morris · Film · 1988
Shares a thread with Evil Genius: True Crime Documentary.
This documentary shares the investigative intensity of Evil Genius, using a singular, baffling crime to expose how systemic failures and subjective truths can derail the pursuit of justice.
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile
Joe Berlinger · Film · 2019
Explores: Gaslighting, Denial, Manipulation.
This exploration of manipulation and denial provides a psychological portrait of a criminal that complements the complex, elusive nature of the suspects featured in Evil Genius.
Gone Girl
David Fincher · Film · 2014
Explores: Marriage Breakdown, Media Manipulation, False Accusation.
The way this story uses media manipulation and public perception to obscure the truth reflects the same disorienting, tangled plot developments that defined the mystery in Evil Genius.
Podcasts on the same thread
Criminal
Vox Media Podcast Network · Podcast · 2026
Explores: moral ambiguity, social justice, human behavior.
This podcast captures the same human interest in the morally ambiguous and the bizarre that made Evil Genius such a compelling look at the fringes of criminal behavior.
Forensic Files
Podcast
Explores: crime scene investigation, scientific analysis, evidence-based analysis.
If you enjoyed the forensic detail that eventually unraveled the case in Evil Genius, this series provides a similarly scientific look at how evidence exposes the truth behind crimes.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Evil Genius based on a true story?
Yes, Evil Genius is a true crime documentary series. It explores the factual and bizarre events surrounding the death of a pizza delivery man who robbed a bank while wearing a bomb around his neck.
What is the premise of Evil Genius?
Evil Genius focuses on a baffling true crime case that begins with a pizza delivery driver robbing a bank with a bomb locked to his neck. The series documents how this grim event unfolds into an increasingly strange and complex criminal investigation.
How does Evil Genius describe its central crime?
Evil Genius describes the central crime as a grisly death involving a pizza man who robs a bank with a bomb around his neck. The series follows the investigation as the case gets progressively weirder throughout the episodes.
Should I watch Evil Genius if I enjoy true crime?
If you enjoy true crime, Evil Genius provides a detailed look at a specific, baffling case. It examines the events starting from the death of a pizza man during a bank robbery and explores the strange developments that follow the initial incident.