What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedS-Town
Serial Productions · Podcast · 2024
If you loved S-Town, start with The Lowdown (Sterlin Harjo, 2025) — a series on the same thread. Below: 2 books, 4 films and 4 series, each matched to S-Town across media.
If S-Town captivated you, it is because you are drawn to the unsettling intersection of eccentric personalities and small-town decay.
Books on the same thread
Southtown
Rick Riordan · Book · 2004
Explores: Reluctant investigator, Small-town corruption, Past trauma.
Like S-Town, this mystery explores the grit of a southern setting where a reluctant investigator uncovers deep-seated corruption and the heavy weight of past local trauma.
Sharp Objects
Gillian Flynn · Book · 2018
Explores: Dysfunctional Family, Small Town Secrets, Trauma.
The claustrophobic atmosphere of this story mirrors S-Town, as both works delve into the dark, generational secrets hidden behind the facade of a troubled small town.
Films on the same thread
Se7en
David Fincher · Film · 1995
Explores: Moral Decay, Urban Decay, Good vs Evil.
You will recognize the same sense of moral decay and obsession found in S-Town within this intense pursuit of a killer who embodies societal darkness.
Knives Out
Rian Johnson · Film · 2019
Explores: Family Secrets, Wealth and Privilege, Inheritance.
This story uses a death to peel back layers of family dysfunction and privilege, capturing the same intricate social dissection that made S-Town so compelling.
undertone
Ian Tuason · Film · 2026
Explores: auditory hallucinations, paranormal investigation, obsession.
The descent into obsession through auditory investigation in this film echoes the path Brian Reed took in S-Town, blurring lines between truth and personal unraveling.
Bad Day at Black Rock
John Sturges · Film · 1955
Explores: Outsider Investigates, Post-War Disillusionment, Small Town Corruption.
This film captures the same tension of an outsider arriving to expose the hidden, rotting secrets of a quiet town that feels eerily reminiscent of S-Town.
Series on the same thread
Mare of Easttown
Brad Ingelsby · Series · 2021
Explores: Grief, Trauma, Family Dysfunction.
Just as S-Town focused on the personal lives impacted by a local mystery, this procedural highlights the grief and dysfunction inherent in a closed community.
The Lowdown
Sterlin Harjo · Series · 2025
Explores: Citizen Journalism, Truth vs. Perception, Local Corruption.
This series mirrors the investigative journalism style of S-Town, focusing on a truth-seeker whose obsession with exposing local rot leads to complex, messy real-world consequences.
Only Murders in the Building
Steve Martin · Series · 2021
Explores: True Crime Obsession, New York City, Intergenerational Friendship.
If the meta-narrative of S-Town hooked you, this show provides a humorous look at the true crime obsession that drives people to investigate their own surroundings.
FROM
John Griffin · Series · 2022
Explores: Trapped in a mysterious town, Monsters in the woods, Survival horror.
The feeling of being trapped in a decaying, mysterious location is central to both S-Town and this series, emphasizing the psychological toll of such isolation.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is S-Town produced by Serial Productions?
Yes, S-Town is a podcast produced by Serial Productions, which is a New York Times company. The series is hosted by Brian Reed and follows an investigation into a man named John and the secrets within his Alabama town.
What is the premise of S-Town?
S-Town follows a man named John who dislikes his Alabama town and asks host Brian Reed to investigate a wealthy family's son accused of murder. The investigation eventually shifts after another death occurs, leading to a complex feud and a search for the truth.
Who hosts the podcast S-Town?
The podcast S-Town is hosted by Brian Reed. He is tasked by a man named John to look into allegations regarding a wealthy family in Alabama, which eventually sets off a series of events involving a death and a local feud.
Is S-Town based on a true investigation?
S-Town is a podcast from Serial Productions that documents an investigation into a man named John and his claims about a wealthy family in Alabama. The story tracks how a request to investigate a murder allegation evolves into a deeper search for the truth.