What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedIf It Bleeds
Stephen King · Book · 2021
If you loved If It Bleeds, start with Mr. Harrigan's Phone (2022) — a film on the same thread. Below: 4 films, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to If It Bleeds across media.
What hooked you in If It Bleeds was the way King balances intimate, intergenerational connections against the unsettling intrusion of supernatural horror.
Films on the same thread
The Life of Chuck
Mike Flanagan · Film · 2025
Shares a thread with If It Bleeds: Mortality.
If you appreciated the existential reflections found in If It Bleeds, you will find this adaptation captures the same profound exploration of how ordinary people contain multitudes of life.
Mr. Harrigan's Phone
Film · 2022
Explores: Grief and Loss, Technology and Connection, Friendship across Generations.
This story mirrors the unsettling intergenerational friendship from If It Bleeds, grounding its supernatural mystery in the genuine emotional bond between a young boy and an older mentor.
It
Andy Muschietti · Film · 2017
Shares 2 threads with If It Bleeds: Good vs Evil, Supernatural Horror.
If the small-town dread within If It Bleeds gripped you, this film perfectly captures the specific brand of childhood trauma and fear manifestation central to King's storytelling style.
Doctor Sleep
Mike Flanagan · Film · 2019
Shares 3 threads with If It Bleeds: Good vs Evil, Supernatural Horror, Psychological Horror.
Fans of the psychological depth in If It Bleeds will recognize the familiar struggle with trauma and the supernatural weight of the past that defines this compelling King adaptation.
Series on the same thread
IT: Welcome to Derry
Andy Muschietti · Series · 2025
Explores: Childhood Trauma, Ancient Evil, Group of Friends.
This series expands on the atmospheric small-town secrets found in If It Bleeds, focusing on how a group of friends confronts an ancient, lurking evil beneath their quiet surface.
Only Murders in the Building
Steve Martin · Series · 2021
Shares a thread with If It Bleeds: Intergenerational Friendship.
If you enjoyed the unique, intergenerational detective dynamic featured in If It Bleeds, you will appreciate how this series uses an unlikely trio to navigate mystery and true crime.
Stranger Things
Ross Duffer · Series · 2016
Shares a thread with If It Bleeds: Supernatural Horror.
This series echoes the blend of supernatural mystery and youthful camaraderie present in If It Bleeds, showing how a small-town disappearance uncovers deep, hidden layers of terrifying reality.
Evil
Michelle King · Series · 2019
Explores: Skepticism vs. Faith, Good vs. Evil, The Nature of Belief.
Those who enjoyed the investigation of the extraordinary in If It Bleeds will find this series a perfect match for its focus on psychological mystery and the nature of belief.
Podcasts on the same thread
This American Life
This American Life · Podcast · 2026
Explores: The human condition, Personal narrative, Social observation.
If you loved the way If It Bleeds functions as a collection of human stories, you will appreciate how these narratives capture the nuances of the human condition daily.
Bear Brook
NHPR · Podcast · 2026
Much like the investigative grit found in If It Bleeds, this podcast explores the lasting, haunting impact of cold cases through a lens of meticulous and gripping narrative discovery.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is If It Bleeds a standalone book or part of a series?
If It Bleeds is a collection of four novellas. While the title story features Holly Gibney, a character from the Bill Hodges trilogy and The Outsider, the other three stories—Mr. Harrigan's Phone, The Life of Chuck, and Rat—are independent narratives that do not require prior series knowledge.
What is the title story If It Bleeds about?
In the titular story of If It Bleeds, Holly Gibney must face her fears and a potential outsider on her own. This novella continues the development of Holly Gibney, a character previously established in the Bill Hodges trilogy and The Outsider, as she confronts a new supernatural threat.
Do I need to read the Bill Hodges trilogy before starting If It Bleeds?
You do not need to read the Bill Hodges trilogy to understand the novellas in If It Bleeds. Although the title story features Holly Gibney, who appeared in those books and The Outsider, the story is written so she faces this specific threat on her own terms.
Does If It Bleeds contain only one story?
No, If It Bleeds is a collection containing four distinct novellas. These include the title story featuring Holly Gibney, as well as Mr. Harrigan's Phone, which depicts a disturbing afterlife, The Life of Chuck, which explores human multitudes, and Rat, which examines the darker side of a writer's ambition.