What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedIdentity
James Mangold · Film · 2003
If you loved Identity, start with The Crowded Room (Akiva Goldsman, 2023) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Identity across media.
What hooked you in Identity was the unsettling way reality fractures when you are trapped with people hiding their true selves.
Books on the same thread
Psycho
Robert Bloch · Book · 1959
Explores: Obsession, Mental Illness, Isolation.
If the isolated, rain-soaked tension of Identity kept you on edge, this foundational text masterfully explores the dangerous intersection of mental illness and hidden identity within a remote setting.
The Talented Mr. Ripley
Patricia Highsmith · Book · 1992
Shares a thread with Identity: Psychological Thriller.
The psychological games found in Identity mirror the moral ambiguity and shifting personas present here, as you watch a character construct a complex facade to escape their own reality.
Ten Little Indians
Agatha Christie · Book · 1983
Shares 2 threads with Identity: Survival, Psychological Thriller.
This classic mystery captures the same claustrophobic dread as Identity, forcing a group of strangers into a confined space where they must confront their pasts and impending violent ends.
Annihilation
Jeff VanderMeer · Book · 2014
Shares a thread with Identity: Psychological Thriller.
Like Identity, this story uses an isolated setting to peel back layers of memory and identity, creating a surreal atmosphere where you can no longer trust what is real.
Series on the same thread
Severance
Dan Erickson · Series · 2022
Shares 2 threads with Identity: Memory Manipulation, Psychological Thriller.
This series expands on the memory manipulation and existential crisis seen in Identity, forcing you to question the nature of the self when your consciousness is split into pieces.
Lost
Jeffrey Lieber · Series · 2004
Shares a thread with Identity: Survival.
Just as the characters in Identity struggle to survive while secrets unravel, this show strands you on an island where every discovery further complicates the mystery of the survivors.
The Crowded Room
Akiva Goldsman · Series · 2023
Shares 2 threads with Identity: Multiple Personality Disorder, Psychological Thriller.
The exploration of trauma and fractured identity in this crime drama echoes the central psychological twists of Identity, challenging you to piece together the truth behind a shocking crime.
Dexter
James Manos Jr. · Series · 2006
Shares a thread with Identity: Psychological Thriller.
If you appreciated the blurred lines of morality in Identity, you will find this deep dive into a double life and hidden serial killer tendencies equally gripping and intellectually challenging.
Podcasts on the same thread
Small Town Murder
James Pietragallo, Jimmie Whisman · Podcast · 2026
Explores: provincial life, tragic irony, forensic breakdown.
This podcast digs into the dark secrets of isolated environments, much like the motel in Identity, providing a forensic breakdown of the tragedies that occur when communities are exposed.
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
Exactly Right and iHeartPodcasts · Podcast · 2026
Explores: mental health awareness, female friendship, coping mechanisms.
Much like the unsettling revelations in Identity, this show explores the darker side of human behavior and mental health, keeping you engaged with conversational storytelling centered on gripping true crimes.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Identity a slasher movie about strangers at a motel?
Yes, Identity follows a group of complete strangers who become stranded at a remote desert motel during a raging storm. They quickly become targets of a deranged murderer and must figure out who the killer is before their numbers thin out further.
How does the plot of Identity unfold?
In Identity, the travelers are trapped by a storm at a remote motel. As a murderer targets them, the group members begin to turn on each other. The tension increases as they attempt to identify the killer among them while their group size decreases.
What is the primary setting of the film Identity?
The primary setting of Identity is a remote desert motel. The characters are trapped at this location by a raging storm, which prevents them from leaving as they are hunted by a deranged murderer.
Does Identity feature a mystery involving a killer?
Yes, Identity centers on a mystery where strangers at a motel are hunted by a deranged murderer. The survivors must navigate suspicion and paranoia as they try to uncover the identity of the killer while the group continues to shrink.