If you loved
Shoplifters
Hirokazu Kore-eda · Film · 2018
What hooked you in Shoplifters is the way it examines how marginalized people build resilient, non-traditional families to survive.
Books on the same thread
And the Mountains Echoed
Khaled Hosseini · Book · 2013
Like Shoplifters, this story explores the profound sacrifices made within family units and the lasting emotional resonance of choices made under the pressure of poverty and displacement.
The Book Thief
Markus Zusak · Book · 2013
This narrative mirrors the heart of Shoplifters by focusing on how found family and shared humanity provide light and survival in the face of overwhelming historical hardship.
The Limits of the World
Jennifer Acker · Book · 2020
Much like the characters in Shoplifters, this family navigates the complexities of secrets and identity, showing how intergenerational bonds are tested when cultural expectations collide with personal reality.
The Goldfinch
Donna Tartt · Book · 2013
This novel captures the same intimacy found in Shoplifters, focusing on a grieving protagonist who finds a sense of belonging within an unconventional group of social outcasts.
Series on the same thread
Anne with an E
Moira Walley-Beckett · Series · 2017
You will recognize the spirit of Shoplifters in this story of an orphan finding her place, highlighting how love and acceptance are forged outside traditional biological boundaries.
The Bear
Christopher Storer · Series · 2022
This kitchen drama echoes the dynamic of Shoplifters by showing how a ragtag group of individuals becomes a chosen family while struggling through working-class life and grief.
Moving
Park In-je · Series · 2023
Sharing the focus on hidden identities seen in Shoplifters, this series examines how families protect their secrets and each other while living on the margins of society.
Your Honor
Peter Moffat · Series · 2020
This thriller probes the same moral ambiguity present in Shoplifters, forcing you to question how far you would go to protect your family when justice and morality collide.
Podcasts on the same thread
To Live and Die in LA
Tenderfoot TV & Audacy · Podcast · 2023
This investigation mirrors the investigative tension of Shoplifters, as it pulls back the curtain on the personal stakes and hidden realities within a family facing a crisis.
Criminal
Vox Media Podcast Network · Podcast · 2026
This podcast shares the core interest of Shoplifters in human behavior and moral ambiguity, highlighting the stories of those who exist in the gray areas of society.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Shoplifters based on a true story?
The description of Shoplifters does not state that the film is based on a true story. It portrays a fictional, close-knit group living on the fringes of society in the outskirts of Tokyo who survive through shoplifting and odd jobs.
What is the central conflict in Shoplifters?
The central conflict in Shoplifters begins when Osamu and his son take in a neglected young girl. As the family grows attached to her, their fragile existence unravels and buried secrets surface, forcing them to confront the true meaning of love, belonging, and family.
Does Shoplifters focus on the lives of people living in Tokyo?
Yes, Shoplifters is set in the outskirts of Tokyo. The story follows a poor but close-knit group of people living on the fringes of society who rely on shoplifting and odd jobs to survive in their environment.
How does the plot of Shoplifters explore the concept of family?
Shoplifters explores the meaning of family by showing how a group living on the fringes of society survives together. When they take in a neglected girl, the arrival of this new member forces the characters to confront secrets and redefine what belonging and family actually mean.