What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedLungs
Duncan Macmillan · Book · 2019
If you loved Lungs, start with State of the Union (Nick Hornby, 2019) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 films, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Lungs across media.
What hooked you in Lungs is the way you navigate the overwhelming weight of global uncertainty through a deeply intimate, fragile partnership.
Films on the same thread
Children of Men
Alfonso Cuarón · Film · 2006
Explores: Infertility, Societal Collapse, Hope in Darkness.
Just as Lungs explores the moral weight of bringing a child into a precarious world, this film centers on the desperate search for hope amid societal collapse and infertility.
Scenes from a Marriage
Film · 1974
Explores: Marital dissolution, Infidelity, Emotional intimacy.
If the raw, dialogue-heavy examination of relationship dissolution in Lungs resonated with you, you will find this masterpiece equally uncompromising in its dissection of long-term emotional intimacy and marital breakdown.
The Drama
Kristoffer Borgli · Film · 2026
Explores: Cold feet, Social anxiety, Modern relationship dynamics.
Like the characters in Lungs, this couple finds their relationship tested by an unexpected chaotic event, forcing them to confront the fragility of their bond under extreme external pressure.
The Last Sunrise
Carlson Young · Film · 2026
Explores: Living with chronic illness, Family secrets, Carpe diem.
This story mirrors the existential urgency of Lungs by focusing on a young person grappling with their future while navigating the intense, fleeting nature of personal connection and life.
Series on the same thread
State of the Union
Nick Hornby · Series · 2019
Explores: Marital Issues, Communication Breakdown, Relationship Therapy.
This series captures the same sharp, conversational intimacy found in Lungs, using therapy sessions to peel back the layers of a relationship built on history, resentment, and evolving shared values.
This Is Going to Hurt
Adam Kay · Series · 2022
Explores: Healthcare System, Burnout, Work-Life Balance.
The relentless pressure of the medical world in this series echoes the high-stakes, stressful environment that characters in Lungs must navigate while attempting to maintain their personal, private lives.
His Dark Materials
Jack Thorne · Series · 2019
Explores: Orphan Protagonist, Moral Ambiguity, Interdimensional Travel.
Much like Lungs, this narrative places characters in a world where moral ambiguity is the norm, forcing them to make difficult choices about protection, children, and their own survival.
Years and Years
Series · 2019
Explores: Political extremism, Social commentary, Technological singularity.
This family saga expands on the climate and political anxieties of Lungs, tracking how global instability inevitably shapes the private, everyday decisions of a family over many turbulent years.
Podcasts on the same thread
Sh**ged Married Annoyed
Chris & Rosie Ramsey · Podcast · 2026
Explores: domestic life, modern marriage, parenthood struggles.
If you appreciated the frank, relatable dialogue about the struggles of modern parenthood in Lungs, you will find this podcast a candid reflection on the realities of domestic life.
Climate Curious
TEDxLondon · Podcast
Explores: climate emergency, environmental solutions, sustainability.
This podcast addresses the specific climate anxiety that haunts the couple in Lungs, providing a grounded, practical way to engage with the environmental fears that inform their existential crisis.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Lungs a lighthearted story about starting a family?
Lungs is a smart and funny drama that explores the complex lifecycle of a relationship. While it touches on the desire to have a child, it also focuses on the serious challenges of betrayal, change, and the pain inherent in loving others.
What themes does Lungs explore regarding the world?
Lungs addresses the couple's relationship against the backdrop of a world experiencing rising temperatures and international unrest. It examines how these global pressures and environmental anxieties influence the personal, difficult decision of whether or not to bring a child into the world.
Does Lungs focus on a specific time period in a relationship?
Lungs follows a couple through the entire lifecycle of their relationship. The narrative examines how the partners navigate various stages of life together while grappling with happenstance, hope, and the consequences of their actions on one another over time.
Is Lungs only about the environmental crisis?
No, Lungs is primarily a drama about a couple. While the world is getting hotter and there is unrest overseas, these factors serve as the context for the characters as they weigh the personal implications of family, betrayal, and the complexities of long-term commitment.