What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedShiva Baby
Emma Seligman · Film · 2021
If you loved Shiva Baby, start with Insecure (Issa Rae, 2016) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Shiva Baby across media.
What hooked you in Shiva Baby was the suffocating, hilarious intersection of personal secrets and intense, inescapable social expectations.
Books on the same thread
Fun Home
Alison Bechdel · Book · 2007
Shares a thread with Shiva Baby: Sexual Identity.
Much like Shiva Baby, this graphic memoir dissects the complex, often painful tension between sexual identity and family secrets within a deeply dysfunctional domestic setting.
Such a Fun Age
Kiley Reid · Book · 2020
Explores: Racial dynamics, Performative allyship, Class privilege.
If the social claustrophobia of Shiva Baby resonated with you, this satire offers a similar, sharp-eyed look at the performative nature of modern relationships and class privilege.
Anxious People
Fredrik Backman · Book · 2021
Shares a thread with Shiva Baby: Anxiety.
You will recognize the frantic, anxiety-fueled energy of Shiva Baby in this story, where a high-pressure situation forces a group of strangers to confront their shared vulnerabilities.
The New Girl
Cassandra Calin · Book
Explores: cultural assimilation, social anxiety, identity formation.
This graphic novel captures the same feeling of social displacement found in Shiva Baby as a young woman navigates the overwhelming pressure of identity formation and assimilation.
Series on the same thread
Insecure
Issa Rae · Series · 2016
Explores: Black female friendship, modern dating, career struggles.
Fans of Shiva Baby will appreciate how this series leans into the awkward, messy reality of modern dating and the navigation of career struggles during one's twenties.
Sex Education
Laurie Nunn · Series · 2019
Explores: Sexual Awakening, Teenage Angst, Social Awkwardness.
This show mirrors the cringe comedy and sexual awakening explored in Shiva Baby, focusing on the social fallout that occurs when private matters collide with high school life.
Margo's Got Money Troubles
David E. Kelley · Series · 2026
Explores: Young motherhood, Class struggle, Financial precarity.
The financial precarity and intergenerational tension present here match the high-stakes stress of Shiva Baby, tracking a young woman attempting to manage a chaotic, changing life.
Derry Girls
Lisa McGee · Series · 2018
Shares a thread with Shiva Baby: Coming-of-age comedy.
The adolescent awkwardness and sharp, fast-paced dialogue in this sitcom provide the same comedic relief found in Shiva Baby when dealing with intense family and social environments.
Podcasts on the same thread
Call Her Daddy
Alex Cooper · Podcast · 2026
Explores: female empowerment, sexual autonomy, brutal honesty.
If you enjoyed the brutal honesty regarding sexual autonomy in Shiva Baby, this podcast offers that same unapologetic, bold exploration of modern dating and female empowerment.
boomer and zoomer
Podcast
Shares a thread with Shiva Baby: family dynamics.
This podcast explores the same complex family dynamics and age-gap tensions that define the uncomfortable, yet deeply relatable, interpersonal relationships at the center of Shiva Baby.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Shiva Baby a feature-length film?
Shiva Baby is a 2021 movie directed by Emma Seligman. It follows the story of a college student named Danielle who encounters her sugar daddy at a shiva while her parents, ex-girlfriend, and family friends are also present.
What is the premise of Shiva Baby?
In Shiva Baby, college student Danielle must cover her tracks when she unexpectedly runs into her sugar daddy at a shiva. The situation becomes complicated because her parents, ex-girlfriend, and family friends are all in attendance at the same gathering.
Who directed Shiva Baby?
Shiva Baby is a 2021 film directed by Emma Seligman. The movie focuses on Danielle, a college student navigating an awkward social situation involving her sugar daddy, her parents, and her ex-girlfriend at a shiva.
Does Shiva Baby feature Danielle's family?
Yes, Shiva Baby centers on Danielle, a college student who must manage her secret sugar daddy relationship while attending a shiva. Her parents, ex-girlfriend, and family friends are all present at the event, which forces her to attempt to cover her tracks.