What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedFive
Igor Gotesman · Film · 2016
If you loved Five, start with High Maintenance (Katja Blichfeld, 2016) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Five across media.
What hooked you in Five was the way deep-seated friendship is tested when ordinary people face absurd, high-stakes financial trouble.
Books on the same thread
A Moveable Feast
Ernest Hemingway · Book · 1996
Explores: Creative Struggle, Bohemian Lifestyle, Expatriation.
Much like the characters in Five, you will appreciate this look at the messy reality behind creative ambition and the struggle to maintain a lifestyle while living in Paris.
Nicholas in Trouble
René Goscinny, Jean-Jacques Sempé · Book · 2008
Explores: Childhood, School Life, Mischief.
If the comedic mishaps in Five resonated with you, you will enjoy this lighter take on how a group of friends navigates trouble and social expectations together.
A Little Life
Hanya Yanagihara · Book · 2016
Explores: childhood trauma, enduring friendship, emotional endurance.
While tonally darker, this story mirrors the central bond in Five, exploring how long-term friendships are strained and transformed by the weight of personal secrets and external pressures.
My Friends
Fredrik Backman · Book · 2025
Explores: Friendship, Aging, Memory.
You will recognize the same spirit of camaraderie found in Five, focusing on how a formative friendship provides a necessary anchor during the turbulent transition into adulthood.
Series on the same thread
High Maintenance
Katja Blichfeld · Series · 2016
Shares a thread with Five: Stoner Comedy.
This series captures the same urban atmosphere and illicit trade culture seen in Five, centering on the interconnected lives of people caught up in the drug delivery world.
Friends
Marta Kauffman · Series · 1994
Explores: Friendship, Relationships, Coming of Age.
Like the group dynamic in Five, this show highlights how relying on your closest friends is the most effective way to survive the financial and personal pressures of adulthood.
DAVE
Jeff Schaffer · Series · 2020
Shares a thread with Five: Coming-of-Age Comedy.
This series reflects the neurotic, ambitious energy of the protagonists in Five, showcasing how a group of friends must constantly rally to support a singular, misguided dream.
Weeds
Jenji Kohan · Series · 2005
Explores: Single Motherhood, Moral Ambiguity, Criminal Enterprise.
This narrative mirrors the core premise of Five, where an ordinary person turns to the drug trade out of economic necessity, leading to dangerous and morally compromising situations.
Podcasts on the same thread
Prends Un Break
Podcast
Explores: Humor, Brotherhood, Friendship.
If the genuine, improvised chemistry between the friends in Five was your favorite element, this podcast captures that same authentic spirit of brotherhood and comedic banter.
Spender Bender
Podcast · 2026
Explores: financial irresponsibility, impulse buying, consumerism.
This podcast explores the same themes of financial irresponsibility and poor decision-making that drive the plot of Five, framed through the lens of a close, conversational friendship.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Five based on a true story?
The film Five is a 2016 production directed by Igor Gotesman. It follows a fictional narrative about a young man who begins selling marijuana to cover rent for his friends, leading him into a dangerous criminal underworld. There is no indication that the plot is based on actual events.
What is the main conflict in Five?
The central conflict in Five involves a young man struggling to pay rent for himself and his lifelong friends. After resorting to selling marijuana to solve his financial problems, he finds himself trapped in the dangerous world of drug trafficking, which jeopardizes his safety and his relationships.
Who directed the movie Five?
The movie Five was directed by Igor Gotesman and released in 2016. The story centers on a young man who enters the drug trade to support his friends after becoming flat-broke, eventually facing the severe consequences of his involvement in the illicit drug industry.
Does Five focus on a group of friends?
Yes, Five focuses on a young man who is responsible for paying the rent for himself and his lifelong friends. The plot is driven by his desperate financial situation and the risky decisions he makes to provide for the group, ultimately pulling them into a dangerous criminal situation.