What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedIdlewild
James Frankie Thomas · Book · 2023
If you loved Idlewild, start with Good Children — a podcast on the same thread. Below: 4 films, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Idlewild across media.
You loved the way Idlewild captures the messy, formative intensity of teenage friendship and the specific friction of queer coming-of-age.
Films on the same thread
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.
Kelly Fremon Craig · Film · 2023
Shares a thread with Idlewild: Coming-of-age.
Like Idlewild, this film masterfully captures the delicate transition into adolescence, focusing on the intimate bonds and evolving identities that define our early experiences of friendship and self-discovery.
The Holdovers
Alexander Payne · Film · 2023
Explores: Unlikely Friendships, Finding Connection, Grief and Loss.
The setting of a secluded prep school creates a similar pressure cooker for emotional growth, mirroring the intense, insular environment that shaped the characters in Idlewild.
Ghost World
Terry Zwigoff · Film · 2001
Shares a thread with Idlewild: Coming-of-Age.
This film mirrors the cynical, artsy, and outsider perspective found in Idlewild, perfectly capturing the specific ache of navigating shifting friendships during the confusing transition into adulthood.
Handsome Devil
Film · 2017
Shares a thread with Idlewild: Coming-of-age.
The exploration of non-conformity and the search for identity within a rigid school setting echoes the queer, trans, and outsider themes that drive the narrative of Idlewild.
Series on the same thread
Heartstopper
Alice Oseman · Series · 2022
Explores: First Love, Self-Discovery, High School.
Fans of Idlewild will recognize the tender, authentic portrayal of self-discovery and the way that burgeoning queer identities transform the landscape of high school friendships and young love.
Derry Girls
Lisa McGee · Series · 2018
Explores: Female friendship, Adolescent awkwardness, The Troubles in Northern Ireland.
The sharp humor and focus on the universal awkwardness of growing up within a distinct, insular school culture aligns with the darkly funny spirit of Idlewild.
Tales of the City
Armistead Maupin · Series · 1993
Shares a thread with Idlewild: Coming-of-age.
The focus on finding family and navigating the complexities of urban queer life mirrors the transformative and character-driven journey of the protagonists in Idlewild.
Overcompensating
Benito Skinner · Series · 2025
Explores: High school experience, Closeted identity, Finding your place.
This series captures the same desire to fit in while grappling with closeted identity, reflecting the high-stakes emotional landscape of friendship that defines the characters in Idlewild.
Podcasts on the same thread
Good Children
Podcast
Shares a thread with Idlewild: Queer Identity.
These personal, nostalgic reflections on growing up as a queer kid provide the same sense of intimacy and honest connection that anchors the characters in Idlewild.
Bein' Ian with Jordan
Podcast
Shares a thread with Idlewild: nostalgia.
The conversational, sleepover-style dynamic between the hosts mirrors the deep, exclusionary bond of the teenage friendship that serves as the central pillar of the story in Idlewild.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Idlewild based on a real school setting?
Idlewild is set in a tiny, artsy Quaker high school located in lower Manhattan. The school environment is defined by unique practices, such as calling teachers by their first names, the absence of traditional grades, and starting every day with twenty minutes of contemplative silence in the Meetinghouse.
What themes does the book Idlewild explore?
Idlewild explores the intense teenage friendship between two individuals as they look back on their past as adults. The narrative incorporates queer and trans perspectives while framing the story through the lens of an early-Internet era Manhattan prep school novel.
When was Idlewild published?
Idlewild was published in 2023. It is written by James Frankie Thomas and focuses on the complex dynamics of a formative friendship developed within the specific, contemplative culture of a Quaker high school in lower Manhattan during the early days of the Internet.
How is the tone of the book Idlewild described?
The tone of Idlewild is described as darkly funny. It follows two adults reflecting on their intense teenage years spent at a Quaker high school, blending personal history with a queer and trans narrative set against the backdrop of an early-Internet Manhattan prep school experience.