What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedThe Good Place
Michael Schur · Series · 2016
If you loved The Good Place, start with How to Be Perfect (Michael Schur, Todd May, 2022) — a book on the same thread. Below: 2 books, 4 films and 2 podcasts, each matched to The Good Place across media.
If you loved The Good Place, you crave stories that blend existential moral quandaries with witty, heartfelt journeys toward personal redemption.
Books on the same thread
How to Be Perfect
Michael Schur · Book
Explores: moral decision-making, virtue ethics, utilitarianism.
Since you enjoyed the philosophical depth of The Good Place, this book offers an accessible, humorous deep dive into the same ethical frameworks that guided Eleanor Shellstrop’s moral development.
How to Be Perfect
Michael Schur, Todd May · Book · 2022
Explores: Moral decision-making, Virtue ethics, Practical living.
Just as The Good Place used humor to explore complex morality, this guide by the show’s creator provides a practical, entertaining path to understanding the ethics behind your favorite characters.
Films on the same thread
Good Fortune
Film · 2025
Shares a thread with The Good Place: Redemption.
Much like the afterlife antics in The Good Place, this film utilizes divine intervention and celestial bureaucracy to examine the lives of flawed individuals seeking meaningful redemption and moral clarity.
Groundhog Day
Harold Ramis · Film · 1993
Shares 3 threads with The Good Place: Redemption, Existentialism, The Meaning of Life.
The Good Place shares a spiritual DNA with this time-loop classic, as both stories focus on a cynical protagonist forced to pursue self-improvement and genuine growth through repetitive, surreal experiences.
A Dog's Will
Film · 2000
Shares a thread with The Good Place: Redemption.
This folk comedy mirrors the afterlife judgment seen in The Good Place, using satire and wit to challenge the morality of its characters as they face a divine, cosmic final assessment.
Poor Things
Yorgos Lanthimos · Film · 2023
Shares a thread with The Good Place: Existentialism.
Fans of The Good Place will appreciate this story of a woman navigating a strange new existence, as both center on the existential awakening and liberation of a protagonist finding purpose.
Podcasts on the same thread
The Truth
The Truth · Podcast · 2026
Explores: human condition, experimental storytelling, moral ambiguity.
The Good Place masterfully balanced high-concept storytelling with moral ambiguity, a combination you will find reflected in these cinematic, thought-provoking audio dramas that explore the complexities of the human condition.
The Wood From The Trees
Podcast
Shares a thread with The Good Place: personal growth.
If the personal growth arcs in The Good Place resonated with you, this podcast provides an introspective, practical space to continue your own journey toward mindfulness and improved self-awareness.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is The Good Place about a person trying to improve their behavior?
Yes, The Good Place follows Eleanor Shellstrop, who realizes she has not been a good person after entering the afterlife. With the help of a wise mentor, she attempts to shed her old way of living to discover the good person within herself.
What is the premise of The Good Place?
The Good Place centers on Eleanor Shellstrop, an ordinary woman who experiences an extraordinary series of events leading her to the afterlife. She discovers she was not a good person during her life and works to improve her character with the guidance of an afterlife mentor.
Does The Good Place feature a mentor character?
Yes, The Good Place includes a wise afterlife mentor who assists Eleanor Shellstrop. After Eleanor arrives in the afterlife and realizes she has not been a good person, this mentor helps her in her determination to change her ways and become a better individual.
Is The Good Place focused on the afterlife?
Yes, The Good Place is set in the afterlife. The story begins when Eleanor Shellstrop enters this realm following an extraordinary string of events, which prompts her to reflect on her past behavior and strive to become a better person with the help of a mentor.