What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedThe Descendants
Alexander Payne · Film · 2011
If you loved The Descendants, start with The Affair (Sarah Treem, 2014) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to The Descendants across media.
You were drawn to The Descendants because of how it navigates the messy, complicated intersection of family legacy, grief, and betrayal.
Books on the same thread
Fun Home
Alison Bechdel · Book · 2007
Shares 3 threads with The Descendants: Father-Daughter Relationship, Family Secrets, Grief.
Like The Descendants, this graphic novel digs into the painful reality of family secrets and the difficult, often distant relationship between a parent and their child during transition.
The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald · Book · 2004
Explores: American Dream, Social Class, Love and Loss.
If The Descendants captured your interest through its examination of loss and the weight of personal history, this classic explores similar themes of love, tragedy, and social status.
The Optimist's Daughter
Eudora Welty · Book · 2011
Shares a thread with The Descendants: Grief.
This novel mirrors the emotional landscape of The Descendants by focusing on a daughter returning home to reconcile with her father's memory amidst the complexities of family grief.
King Lear
William Shakespeare · Book · 2009
Explores: familial betrayal, descent into madness, filial ingratitude.
The Descendants explores the burden of legacy, a theme mirrored in this tragedy where a father's decision to divide his kingdom shatters the bonds of his family.
Series on the same thread
The Affair
Sarah Treem · Series · 2014
Shares a thread with The Descendants: Infidelity.
Since you appreciated how The Descendants handled the fallout of infidelity, you will find this series equally compelling for its raw, character-driven look at the aftermath of betrayal.
Descendants of the Sun
Baek Sang-Hoon · Series · 2016
Explores: Forbidden Love, Duty vs. Love, Star-Crossed Lovers.
While broader in scope than The Descendants, this drama shares the focus on navigating difficult personal choices and the obstacles that arise when personal desires clash with duty.
Succession
Jesse Armstrong · Series · 2018
Explores: Wealth and Power, Dysfunctional Family, Corporate Intrigue.
Much like the family dynamic in The Descendants, this series portrays a fractured household grappling with the impending absence of a powerful patriarch and the resulting power struggle.
Mildred Pierce
Series · 2011
Explores: mother-daughter relationship, unrequited love, social climbing.
This melodrama echoes the domestic tensions of The Descendants by centering on a parent attempting to maintain family stability while navigating personal romantic complications and difficult children.
Podcasts on the same thread
boomer and zoomer
Podcast
Shares a thread with The Descendants: father-daughter relationship.
If the father-daughter dynamic was the highlight of The Descendants for you, this podcast offers an intimate, real-world look at the complexities of that specific intergenerational relationship.
The Archers
Podcast
Explores: family life, community, farming.
This serialized drama provides the same focus on the slow, evolving nature of family life and community secrets that grounded the narrative of The Descendants throughout its run.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is The Descendants about a family in Hawaii?
Yes, The Descendants follows Matt King, a Hawaiian land baron who takes his two daughters on a trip from Oahu to Kauai. The story centers on the family dealing with the aftermath of a tragic boating accident involving his wife, Elizabeth.
What is the primary conflict in The Descendants?
The primary conflict in The Descendants involves Matt King discovering that his wife, Elizabeth, was having an affair with a real estate broker before she was placed on life support. Matt subsequently takes his daughters to confront the man while managing his family responsibilities.
Who is the main character in The Descendants?
The main character in The Descendants is Matt King, a land baron living in Hawaii. The narrative focuses on his journey to Kauai with his daughters to address the personal betrayal he uncovers while his wife remains on life support following an accident.
Does The Descendants involve a trip to Kauai?
Yes, The Descendants features a journey from Oahu to Kauai. Matt King travels to the island with his daughters to confront the real estate broker who was involved in an affair with his wife, Elizabeth, prior to her boating accident.