What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedLapvona
Ottessa Moshfegh · Book
If you loved Lapvona, start with Midnight Mass (Mike Flanagan, 2021) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 films, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Lapvona across media.
What hooked you in Lapvona was the way it unflinchingly explores the grotesque intersection of religious fervor, moral decay, and power.
Films on the same thread
Pan's Labyrinth
Guillermo del Toro · Film · 2006
Shares a thread with Lapvona: Dark Fantasy.
Like Lapvona, this film weaves a dark, fairy-tale atmosphere where innocence is violently stripped away by the brutal realities of a world governed by cruel, authoritative figures.
The Witch
Robert Eggers · Film · 2015
Explores: Religious Fanaticism, Puritanism, Isolation.
If the religious hypocrisy of Lapvona resonated with you, you will appreciate how this story depicts a family unraveling under the crushing weight of fanatical dogma and isolation.
Saltburn
Emerald Fennell · Film · 2023
Explores: Class Conflict, Privilege, Obsession.
Much like the depraved lord’s family in Lapvona, the aristocrats in this film invite a newcomer into a world of unchecked privilege, obsession, and eventual moral rot.
Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
Film · 2022
Shares a thread with Lapvona: Dark fantasy.
This story mirrors the themes of Lapvona by placing a vulnerable, magically touched boy within a historical period defined by rigid, heartless authority and failing father figures.
Series on the same thread
Gomorrah
Roberto Saviano · Series · 2014
Explores: organized crime, power struggles, betrayal.
The brutal, transactional nature of power in Lapvona is echoed here, as you witness a cold, calculated exploration of loyalty and betrayal within a ruthless criminal hierarchy.
Midnight Mass
Mike Flanagan · Series · 2021
Explores: Religious Fanaticism, Loss of Faith, Miracles and Deception.
This series captures the same unsettling religious fanaticism found in Lapvona, showing how a community’s desperation for faith can lead to terrifying and supernatural consequences.
Game of Thrones
David Benioff · Series · 2011
Explores: Power Struggles, Moral Ambiguity, War and Politics.
If the medieval power struggles in Lapvona kept you engaged, you will find a larger-scale depiction of moral ambiguity and the high cost of political ambition here.
Dororo
Osamu Tezuka · Series · 2019
Explores: Revenge, Body Horror, Loss of Humanity.
This narrative reflects the body horror and sacrifice present in Lapvona, centering on a son whose very existence is a casualty of his father’s desperate power plays.
Podcasts on the same thread
Old Gods of Appalachia
DeepNerd Media · Podcast · 2026
Like the dark, occult forces haunting the landscape of Lapvona, this series unearths the ancient, hungry horrors that dwell beneath the surface of a secluded, historical setting.
Rachel Maddow Presents: Ultra
Rachel Maddow, MS NOW · Podcast · 2026
Explores: Authoritarianism, Domestic Espionage, Threats to Democracy.
The exploration of authoritarianism and moral decay in Lapvona finds a modern echo here, documenting the dangerous intersection of political corruption and the rise of extremism.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Lapvona a historical account of medieval life?
Lapvona is a work of fiction that uses a medieval fief as the setting for its narrative. The story incorporates occult forces and violent interactions between a shepherd boy and a lord’s family to disrupt the established social order of the period.
What is the central conflict in Lapvona?
The central conflict in Lapvona arises when a motherless shepherd boy enters into violent proximity with a depraved lord’s family. This interaction triggers the arrival of occult forces that ultimately destabilize and upset the existing order within the medieval fief.
Does Lapvona focus on the life of a shepherd?
Yes, Lapvona follows the experiences of a motherless shepherd boy. His life changes significantly after he comes into violent contact with the family of a depraved lord, leading to a series of events involving occult forces that impact the entire medieval community.
Are occult themes prominent in Lapvona?
Occult forces are a primary driver of the plot in Lapvona. These forces emerge following the violent introduction of a shepherd boy to a depraved lord’s family, serving as the catalyst that disrupts the established order of the medieval fief described in the book.