What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedOnce Upon a Time in America
Film · 1984
If you loved Once Upon a Time in America, start with Boardwalk Empire (Terence Winter, 2010) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Once Upon a Time in America across media.
You were drawn to the haunting way Once Upon a Time in America explores how personal history and regret define lives.
Books on the same thread
The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald · Book · 2004
Shares a thread with Once Upon a Time in America: Nostalgia.
Like Once Upon a Time in America, this classic captures the tragic intersection of the American Dream and the inability to escape the ghosts of one's romanticized past.
F. Scott Fitzgerald: The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald · Book · 1991
Shares 2 threads with Once Upon a Time in America: The American Dream, Nostalgia.
This novel mirrors the atmospheric weight of Once Upon a Time in America, focusing on the inevitable violence and disillusionment that follows the pursuit of unreachable personal ideals.
In Our Time
Ernest Hemingway · Book · 1958
Explores: Post-War Disillusionment, Masculinity, Mortality.
These stories reflect the same sense of post-war disillusionment and lingering trauma found in Once Upon a Time in America, presented with a stark, unflinching, and laconic style.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Quentin Tarantino · Book · 2021
Shares a thread with Once Upon a Time in America: Nostalgia.
Tarantino echoes the deep nostalgia for a lost era seen in Once Upon a Time in America, examining how fame and time render once-powerful figures obsolete and forgotten.
Series on the same thread
Boardwalk Empire
Terence Winter · Series · 2010
Explores: Political Corruption, Organized Crime, American Dream.
This series captures the same Prohibition-era criminal landscape as Once Upon a Time in America, focusing on the moral ambiguity of men who build empires on corruption.
Miami Vice
Anthony Yerkovich · Series · 1984
Shares a thread with Once Upon a Time in America: Neo-noir.
The moral complexity and intense partnership dynamics in this series mirror the character-driven depth that defines the criminal relationships throughout Once Upon a Time in America.
The Americans
Joe Weisberg · Series · 2013
Explores: Identity, Deception, Moral Ambiguity.
Just as Once Upon a Time in America dissects the burden of a secret past, this story explores the heavy toll of living under a false identity.
Crime Story
Gustave Reininger · Series · 1986
Shares a thread with Once Upon a Time in America: Neo-noir.
The obsessive pursuit between cop and criminal here creates a tension-filled narrative that matches the relentless, regret-filled cat-and-mouse nature of Once Upon a Time in America.
Podcasts on the same thread
Criminal
Vox Media Podcast Network · Podcast · 2026
Explores: moral ambiguity, social justice, human behavior.
This podcast digs into the same gray areas of human behavior and moral failure that make the characters in Once Upon a Time in America so compellingly flawed.
This American Life
This American Life · Podcast · 2026
Explores: The human condition, Personal narrative, Social observation.
These stories capture the same focus on the human condition and personal narrative that makes the long, reflective journey of the protagonist in Once Upon a Time in America resonate.
Keep exploring
Common questions
How long is Once Upon a Time in America?
Once Upon a Time in America is a 1984 film that spans over three decades of a gangster's life. Due to its extensive scope covering the Prohibition era and the protagonist's return to Manhattan thirty years later, the film is known for its significant runtime.
Is Once Upon a Time in America focused on the Prohibition era?
Yes, Once Upon a Time in America centers on a former Jewish gangster who was active during the Prohibition era. The narrative follows his life during this period and his eventual return to the Lower East Side of Manhattan many years later.
What is the primary conflict in Once Upon a Time in America?
The primary conflict in Once Upon a Time in America involves the protagonist returning to the Lower East Side of Manhattan after thirty years. He must confront the ghosts and regrets of his past life as a Jewish gangster during the Prohibition era.
Does Once Upon a Time in America take place in New York?
Yes, Once Upon a Time in America is set in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. The story follows a former gangster who returns to this specific neighborhood decades after his time in the Prohibition-era underworld to face his past regrets.