What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedHacks
Lucia Aniello · Series · 2021
If you loved Hacks, start with Late Night (2019) — a film on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 2 films and 2 podcasts, each matched to Hacks across media.
If you loved Hacks, you are likely drawn to the volatile, transformative power of complex mentorships between women across generations.
Books on the same thread
The Other Black Girl
Zakiya Dalila Harris · Book · 2021
Explores: Microaggressions, Code-switching, Workplace Politics.
Much like the power struggles in Hacks, this story navigates the toxic undercurrents of professional mentorship, focusing on the friction between established veterans and ambitious, overlooked newcomers.
Pieces of Her
Karin Slaughter · Book
Explores: hidden past, maternal secrets, identity crisis.
Fans of Hacks will recognize the central tension of uncovering a mentor's carefully constructed past, as this narrative digs into the dangerous secrets hidden beneath a polished public persona.
The Lies I Tell
Julie Clark · Book
Explores: con artists, unreliable narrator, obsession.
If the sharp, manipulative wit of Deborah Vance appealed to you in Hacks, you will appreciate this exploration of obsession and the blurred lines between teacher and con artist.
Half His Age
Jennette McCurdy · Book
Explores: forbidden attraction, mentor-student dynamics, adolescent longing.
This pick mirrors the intense, boundary-pushing dynamic found in Hacks, focusing on the complicated psychological pull of a mentor-student relationship that challenges professional and personal norms.
Films on the same thread
Late Night
Film · 2019
Shares 2 threads with Hacks: Mentorship, Workplace Comedy.
This film is the closest spiritual successor to Hacks, capturing the exact same generational clash and workplace comedy that erupts when a legend is forced to mentor a newcomer.
The Devil Wears Prada
Film · 2006
Shares a thread with Hacks: Mentorship.
The foundation of Hacks is built on the same hierarchical comedy found here, where an entitled assistant must navigate the demands of a notoriously difficult and iconic professional leader.
Podcasts on the same thread
Unleashed
Podcast · 2026
Explores: humor, midlife, women's issues.
If you enjoyed the midlife perspective and sharp observational humor of Deborah Vance in Hacks, this podcast offers that same authentic Gen X voice and comedic sensibility.
Girls Rewatch
Podcast
Explores: navigating your 20s, New York City life, female friendship.
This podcast captures the same spirit of young women navigating their careers and identities that made the Ava Daniels character arc in Hacks so resonant and compelling to watch.
Keep exploring
Common questions
What is the central relationship in Hacks?
Hacks explores a dark mentorship between Deborah Vance, a legendary Las Vegas comedian, and an entitled, outcast 25-year-old. The series focuses on the complex professional and personal dynamics that form between these two women as they navigate the comedy industry.
Is Hacks based on a book?
Hacks is not an adaptation of a book or existing source material. It is a television series created by Lucia Aniello in 2021 that follows an original story about a legendary comedian and her young assistant.
Who created the television series Hacks?
The television series Hacks was created by Lucia Aniello and premiered in 2021. The show centers on the evolving professional relationship between an established Las Vegas comedian and a 25-year-old writer struggling to find her place.
What is the premise of the show Hacks?
Hacks follows the story of a legendary Las Vegas comedian named Deborah Vance. The plot centers on the dark mentorship that develops when she is paired with an entitled, outcast 25-year-old to help update her comedy material.