What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedPlay Nice
Rachel Harrison · Book
If you loved Play Nice, start with The Haunting of Hill House (Mike Flanagan, 2018) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 films, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Play Nice across media.
If Play Nice captured your imagination, you will love these stories about the dark, inescapable gravity of inherited family trauma.
Films on the same thread
Is God Is
Aleshea Harris · Film · 2026
Explores: generational trauma, blood feud, retribution.
Like the sisters in Play Nice, these siblings are bound by a charged family history, trading the haunted house setting for a visceral quest fueled by deep-seated generational trauma.
Bring Her Back
Film · 2025
Shares 3 threads with Play Nice: Grief, Family Secrets, Gothic Horror.
Much like the protagonists of Play Nice, these orphans face a terrifying domestic threat that mirrors the suffocating grief and hidden secrets left behind by their deceased parents.
Other Mommy
Film · 2026
Explores: demonic entity, vulnerability, family trauma.
If you were unsettled by the demonic possession in Play Nice, this story deepens that dread by focusing on the psychological vulnerability of a family under a supernatural siege.
The Housemaid
Paul Feig · Film · 2025
Explores: Class Conflict, Gaslighting, Identity Theft.
This domestic thriller mirrors the claustrophobic tension of Play Nice, replacing supernatural entities with human secrets and power dynamics that threaten to destroy a character's fragile sense of safety.
Series on the same thread
The Haunting of Hill House
Mike Flanagan · Series · 2018
Shares 3 threads with Play Nice: Family Secrets, Grief, Gothic Horror.
This series serves as the definitive exploration of the themes found in Play Nice, dissecting how a fractured family is permanently shaped by the haunting memories of their past.
The Haunting of Bly Manor
Mike Flanagan · Series · 2020
Shares a thread with Play Nice: Gothic Horror.
Just as the house acts as a character in Play Nice, this gothic tale uses a decaying estate to mirror the internal grief and unresolved trauma of its inhabitants.
Ghosts
Mathew Baynton · Series · 2019
Shares a thread with Play Nice: Haunted House.
While more comedic, this story shares the core premise of Play Nice: the unexpected and unsettling inheritance of a property that brings its new owners face-to-face with the past.
Sharp Objects
Marti Noxon · Series · 2018
Explores: Trauma, Small Town Secrets, Dysfunctional Family.
This narrative echoes the way Play Nice uses a homecoming to force a confrontation with psychological demons, proving that the most dangerous monsters are often the ones within.
Podcasts on the same thread
Ghost Huns
Podcast
Explores: Haunted Houses, Supernatural, Spooky Stories.
If you enjoy the spooky atmosphere of Play Nice, these discussions provide a lighter look at the same haunted house tropes and supernatural mysteries that define the genre.
Rachel Maddow Presents: Ultra
Rachel Maddow, MS NOW · Podcast · 2026
Explores: Authoritarianism, Domestic Espionage, Threats to Democracy.
While rooted in history rather than horror, this investigation mirrors the sense of pervasive, systemic rot and inherited danger that makes the central mystery of Play Nice so compelling.
Keep exploring
Common questions
What is the central premise of Play Nice?
Play Nice follows the story of Clio and her sisters who inherit a house after their mother passes away. Upon receiving the property, they discover they have inherited a home that was previously occupied by a demon.
Is Play Nice a story about siblings?
Yes, Play Nice centers on the experiences of Clio and her sisters. The narrative focuses on the family dynamic and the challenges they face after inheriting a house that is rumored to be occupied by a demon.
Does Play Nice involve a haunted house?
The plot of Play Nice revolves around a house that Clio and her sisters inherit following their mother's death. The sisters are told that this specific property is occupied by a demon, which serves as the primary conflict of the book.
What triggers the events in Play Nice?
The events in Play Nice are triggered by the death of Clio and her sisters' mother. Following this loss, the sisters inherit a house that they are told is occupied by a demon, setting the stage for the story.