What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedOzark
Bill Dubuque · Series · 2017
If you loved Ozark, start with The Wizard of Lies (Barry Levinson, 2017) — a film on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 films and 2 podcasts, each matched to Ozark across media.
What hooked you in Ozark was the way ordinary people are slowly consumed by the suffocating weight of their own criminal choices.
Books on the same thread
Gomorrah
Roberto Saviano · Book · 2007
Explores: Mafia, Corruption, Crime.
If the systemic rot and dangerous criminal underworlds of Ozark kept you watching, this investigative look at the real-world influence of the Italian Mafia will provide a chilling, grounded perspective.
Nash Falls
David Baldacci · Book
Explores: undercover operation, corporate corruption, reluctant hero.
Fans of Ozark will appreciate this descent into the world of financial crime, where a reluctant protagonist is forced to navigate high-stakes corporate corruption just like Marty Byrde.
Crook Manifesto
Colson Whitehead · Book
Shares a thread with Ozark: criminal underworld.
The way Ozark explores how criminal enterprises infect family life is mirrored here, as urban business owners in 1970s Harlem are pushed into dangerous conflicts with violent, systemic forces.
Sharp Objects
Gillian Flynn · Book · 2018
Explores: Dysfunctional Family, Small Town Secrets, Trauma.
Those who enjoyed the claustrophobic family dysfunction in Ozark will find a similar intensity in this story, which pairs deep-seated trauma with the dark secrets of a small town.
Films on the same thread
Winter's Bone
Debra Granik · Film · 2010
Explores: Poverty, Family Loyalty, Female Protagonist.
This film provides the atmospheric rural crime roots that Ozark built upon, focusing on a young woman fighting to protect her family against the backdrop of a dangerous, isolated landscape.
The Wizard of Lies
Barry Levinson · Film · 2017
Shares a thread with Ozark: Moral decay.
The devastating personal cost of financial deception seen in Ozark is central to this biographical drama, which examines how a massive Ponzi scheme destroys both families and public trust.
Zodiac
David Fincher · Film · 2007
Shares a thread with Ozark: Neo-Noir.
If the paranoid, slow-burn obsession with uncovering the truth in Ozark captivated you, this procedural thriller captures that same relentless pursuit of a criminal enigma despite the mounting personal risks.
No Country for Old Men
Joel Coen · Film · 2007
Explores: Moral Ambiguity, Fate vs. Free Will, Existentialism.
Just as Ozark depicts the irreversible consequences of a single bad decision, this film follows the brutal, existential fallout that occurs when one person stumbles upon illicit drug money.
Podcasts on the same thread
Criminal
Vox Media Podcast Network · Podcast · 2026
Explores: moral ambiguity, social justice, human behavior.
This podcast explores the same moral ambiguity that defines Ozark, highlighting the complex lives of those caught in the middle of legal and criminal conflicts with compelling, human-centered storytelling.
The Archers
Podcast
Explores: family life, community, farming.
If you were drawn to the rural community dynamics and long-form family drama within Ozark, you will find a similar focus on the complex, evolving relationships of a small setting.
Keep exploring
Common questions
What is the premise of Ozark?
Ozark follows a financial adviser who relocates his family from Chicago to the Missouri Ozarks. He is forced to launder 500 million dollars over a five-year period to satisfy the demands of a dangerous drug boss.
How much money does the lead character need to launder in Ozark?
In the series Ozark, the financial adviser is tasked with laundering a total of 500 million dollars. He must complete this operation within a timeframe of five years to appease the drug boss he works for.
Where does the family move to in Ozark?
The family in Ozark moves from Chicago to the Missouri Ozarks. This relocation is the primary setting for the series, where the financial adviser must carry out his money laundering scheme to satisfy a drug boss.
Is Ozark about a financial adviser?
Yes, Ozark centers on a financial adviser who moves his family to the Missouri Ozarks. His primary objective throughout the series is to successfully launder 500 million dollars within five years to appease a drug boss.