If you loved
Roma
Alfonso Cuarón · Film · 2018
What hooked you in Roma was the way it anchors sweeping historical shifts within the quiet, intimate struggles of domestic life.
Books on the same thread
Pedro Páramo
Juan Rulfo, Josephine Sacabo, Margaret Sayers Peden · Book · 2002
Explores: ghostly hauntings, generational trauma, rural decay.
Much like Roma, this book uses the haunting echoes of the past to ground its narrative in the decaying landscapes of Mexico where memory and reality blur together.
The Road
Cormac McCarthy · Book · 2007
Explores: Parent-child bond, Moral ambiguity, Existential dread.
If the survivalist struggle in Roma resonated with you, this novel offers a similarly stark, stripped-down look at the profound bond between parent and child amidst overwhelming adversity.
One Hundred Years of Solitude
Gabriel García Márquez · Book · 1967
Explores: generational trauma, incest, fate vs free will.
This epic mirrors the generational scope found in Roma, tracing the intricate web of family dynamics and fate that define the history of a single, mythical place.
Fun Home
Alison Bechdel · Book · 2007
Explores: Father-Daughter Relationship, Sexual Identity, Family Secrets.
You will recognize the delicate, painful exploration of family secrets and distant parental figures that defined the coming-of-age journey you witnessed in the characters of Roma.
Series on the same thread
Rome
Bruno Heller · Series · 2005
Shares a thread with Roma: Historical Drama.
While Roma captures the domestic sphere, this series provides a grounded, human-scale perspective on the political upheaval and daily lives of individuals caught within a massive historical empire.
Maid
Molly Smith Metzler · Series · 2021
Shares a thread with Roma: Social Realism.
This series echoes the social realism of Roma by focusing on the resilience of a woman navigating the complexities of domestic labor and the fight for independence.
The House of Flowers
Manolo Caro · Series · 2018
Explores: Family Secrets, Social Class, Wealth and Privilege.
This show explores the facade of wealth and family secrets in Mexico, offering a thematic companion to the class divide and domestic tensions presented throughout Roma.
El Chavo del Ocho
Roberto Gómez Bolaños · Series · 1973
Explores: Orphanhood, Poverty, Childhood.
This classic sitcom captures the childhood experience and communal life of a village, echoing the sense of place and social observation that anchors the world of Roma.
Podcasts on the same thread
1619
The New York Times · Podcast · 2019
Explores: systemic racism, national identity, legacy of slavery.
This documentary series deepens your understanding of the systemic forces that shape national identity, much like how Roma frames its narrative within the political unrest of 1970s Mexico.
Nice White Parents
Serial Productions & The New York Times · Podcast · 2022
Explores: systemic inequality, educational reform, privilege and power.
Just as Roma highlights the quiet power dynamics of a household, this investigative series exposes the structural inequalities and privilege embedded within our most fundamental societal institutions.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Roma based on a true story?
The film Roma is a 2018 production by Alfonso Cuarón set in 1970s Mexico City. It depicts the lives of two domestic workers helping a mother of four while her husband is away, drawing on the director's own personal history and upbringing during that specific era.
What is the primary setting of Roma?
Roma is set in 1970s Mexico City. The narrative focuses on the domestic environment of a household where two workers provide essential support to a mother of four children during a period when her husband is away from the home for an extended length of time.
How long is the runtime of Roma?
The film Roma, directed by Alfonso Cuarón, has a total runtime of approximately 135 minutes. It explores the daily lives of two domestic workers and a mother of four in 1970s Mexico City while the family patriarch is away for an extended period.
What is the central plot of Roma?
In Roma, the story follows two domestic workers who support a mother of four in 1970s Mexico City. The narrative centers on their experiences and responsibilities within the household while the husband remains away for an extended period of time throughout the film.