What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedThe Florida Project
Film · 2017
If you loved The Florida Project, start with Maid (Molly Smith Metzler, 2021) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to The Florida Project across media.
You were drawn to The Florida Project by the raw, intimate tension between childhood wonder and the harsh realities of systemic poverty.
Books on the same thread
The House on Mango Street
Sandra Cisneros · Book · 1991
Shares a thread with The Florida Project: Poverty.
Much like The Florida Project, this story captures the specific, poignant experience of a young girl navigating the boundaries between her vibrant imagination and the limitations of her impoverished environment.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
J. K. Rowling · Book · 1997
Explores: Good vs. Evil, Orphanhood, Friendship.
If you connected with the way The Florida Project finds magic amidst neglect, you will appreciate how this narrative balances a young boy's sense of wonder against his difficult upbringing.
The Little Prince
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry · Book · 1943
Shares a thread with The Florida Project: Loss of innocence.
The Florida Project masterfully juxtaposes innocence with adult struggle, a thematic core shared by this fable that highlights how imagination persists even when the world feels cold and indifferent.
The Road
Cormac McCarthy · Book · 2007
Explores: Parent-child bond, Moral ambiguity, Existential dread.
This novel mirrors the intense parent-child bond at the heart of The Florida Project, focusing on the desperate, protective love required to survive within an unforgiving and desolate landscape.
Series on the same thread
Euphoria
Sam Levinson · Series · 2019
Explores: Drug Addiction, Mental Health, Teenage Angst.
This series explores the collision of youth and trauma found in The Florida Project, diving deep into the messy, unfiltered lives of young people struggling to define their own identities.
Maid
Molly Smith Metzler · Series · 2021
Shares a thread with The Florida Project: Social Realism.
Fans of The Florida Project will recognize the harrowing yet resilient journey of a mother fighting to provide a stable life for her child despite overwhelming social and economic pressures.
Shameless
Paul Abbott · Series · 2011
Shares a thread with The Florida Project: Poverty.
This show captures the same chaotic, dysfunctional energy of the families in The Florida Project, focusing on how children find ways to be independent while their parents struggle to cope.
Better Things
Pamela Adlon · Series · 2016
Explores: single motherhood, female perspective, raising teenagers.
If the parental struggle in The Florida Project resonated with you, this series offers a grounded look at the daily, unfiltered realities of a single mother raising her children.
Podcasts on the same thread
The Truth
The Truth · Podcast · 2026
Explores: human condition, experimental storytelling, moral ambiguity.
These cinematic stories echo the observational, slice-of-life approach of The Florida Project, using human-centered narratives to explore the moral ambiguity and complex conditions of everyday life and survival.
The Orphans
The Light and Tragic Company · Podcast · 2025
This audio drama mirrors the struggle for survival in a hostile environment found in The Florida Project, focusing on the intimate bonds formed when facing an uncertain, difficult future.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is The Florida Project about a group of children?
Yes, The Florida Project follows a precocious six-year-old and her ragtag group of friends. The film focuses on their summer break, which is filled with childhood wonder and a sense of adventure, even as the adults around them struggle with hard times.
Does The Florida Project depict the lives of adults as well as children?
Yes, The Florida Project balances the perspectives of its young characters with the experiences of the adults surrounding them. While the children experience a summer of adventure and possibility, the narrative also portrays the adults as they navigate their own difficult struggles.
What is the primary theme of The Florida Project?
The Florida Project centers on the contrast between the innocence of childhood and the reality of hardship. It explores how a group of children find wonder and possibility during their summer break while the adults in their lives face significant personal and financial challenges.
Is The Florida Project focused on the summer season?
Yes, the narrative of The Florida Project takes place during a summer break. This timeframe serves as the backdrop for the children to explore their world and find a sense of adventure, contrasting with the ongoing struggles faced by the adults in their community.