What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedNikita
Luc Besson · Film · 1990
If you loved Nikita, start with Point of No Return (John Badham, 1993) — a film from the same story. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Nikita across media.
What hooked you in Nikita was the way the state forces individuals into brutal, morally compromised lives of lethal deception.
Start with the source
Adaptation
Point of No Return
John Badham · Film · 1993
Adaptation
La Femme Nikita
Joel Surnow · Series · 1997
Adaptation
Nikita
Craig Silverstein · Series · 2010
Books on the same thread
Shibumi
Trevanian · Book · 1983
Shares a thread with Nikita: Espionage Thriller.
Like Nikita, this story explores the life of a highly trained assassin navigating international intrigue, forced into a dangerous existence where their identity is merely a tool for others.
"A" is for Alibi
Sue Grafton · Book · 2005
Explores: Wrongful Conviction, Exoneration, Female Detective.
If the wrongful conviction and second-chance struggle of Nikita resonated with you, this narrative of a woman navigating the legal aftermath of a murder conviction offers a compelling parallel.
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (Millennium Trilogy)
Stieg Larsson · Book · 2010
Shares a thread with Nikita: redemption.
Fans of the conspiracy and corruption themes in Nikita will appreciate this dark, gritty exploration of systemic abuse and the dangerous fight for justice against powerful, hidden forces.
Assata
Assata Shakur · Book
Explores: Systemic Oppression, Resistance, Injustice.
This memoir mirrors the real-world stakes of Nikita by detailing the life of a woman targeted by government power, forced to resist systemic oppression and reclaim her own autonomy.
Series on the same thread
Prime Suspect
Lynda La Plante · Series · 1991
Shares a thread with Nikita: Moral Ambiguity.
Much like the intense pressure faced by the protagonist of Nikita, this series focuses on a woman maneuvering through a hostile, male-dominated professional world to prove her worth.
My Name
Kim Jin-min · Series · 2021
Shares a thread with Nikita: Moral Ambiguity.
This show captures the exact identity crisis found in Nikita, as a woman infiltrates an organization under false pretenses, blurring the lines between criminal loyalty and personal vengeance.
Killing Eve
Phoebe Waller-Bridge · Series · 2018
Shares a thread with Nikita: Moral ambiguity.
If you enjoyed the lethal, cat-and-mouse dynamic of Nikita, this series delivers a similarly obsessive relationship between an assassin and the forces trying to control or capture them.
The Bureau
Éric Rochant · Series · 2015
Shares 2 threads with Nikita: Moral Ambiguity, Espionage Thriller.
Those drawn to the government-mandated espionage in Nikita will find this series essential, as it dives deep into the moral ambiguity and psychological cost of living as a clandestine operative.
Podcasts on the same thread
Nark
Podcast
Explores: wrongful conviction, prison system, witness testimony.
The themes of systemic injustice and the fallibility of the legal system that underpin the premise of Nikita are explored with gripping, investigative precision in this true crime podcast.
Criminal
Podcast
Shares a thread with Nikita: Redemption.
Just as Nikita questions the morality of state-sanctioned violence, this series examines the complex intersection of human behavior and justice, highlighting the stories of those caught in the system.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Point of No Return a remake of Nikita?
Yes, Point of No Return is the 1993 American film adaptation of the 1990 French movie Nikita. Both films follow the same core premise of a female felon who is transformed into a government-controlled assassin after being sentenced to life in prison for killing a police officer.
Should I watch the 1997 or 2010 version of La Femme Nikita?
Both the 1997 series La Femme Nikita and the 2010 Nikita series are adaptations based on the original 1990 film. You can choose either based on your preference for the era of production, as both series explore the narrative of a woman forced into life as a secret assassin.
How does the plot of the original Nikita compare to the 1993 remake?
The 1993 film Point of No Return maintains the same plot as the 1990 movie Nikita. In both versions, a young woman convicted of murdering a policeman is given a choice between execution and training as a government assassin, eventually transitioning into her new life as an operative.
Is the 2010 Nikita series a direct sequel to the movie?
No, the 2010 show Nikita is an adaptation rather than a direct sequel to the 1990 movie. While it shares the central premise of a woman recruited by the government to become an assassin after a criminal conviction, it functions as a standalone series within the franchise.