What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedThe King of Staten Island
Film · 2020
If you loved The King of Staten Island, start with The King of Queens (Michael J. Weithorn, 1998) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to The King of Staten Island across media.
What hooked you in The King of Staten Island was the messy, relatable collision of lingering grief, aimless arrested development, and the painful process of finally growing up.
Books on the same thread
Joyland (Hard Case Crime)
Stephen King · Book · 2013
Shares a thread with The King of Staten Island: Coming-of-Age.
Much like the protagonist of The King of Staten Island, Devin navigates the transition into adulthood while processing personal grief in a quiet, transformative setting that forces emotional growth.
The Boy in the Black Suit
Jason Reynolds · Book · 2015
Shares a thread with The King of Staten Island: Coming-of-Age.
If you resonated with the way Scott handles his father's death in The King of Staten Island, you will appreciate how Matt finds purpose and maturity through his own loss.
The Stand
Stephen King · Book · 1980
Explores: Good vs Evil, Plague, Survival.
While the scale differs, the exploration of how ordinary people confront life-altering trauma and define their morality mirrors the fundamental character struggles found in The King of Staten Island.
Shuggie Bain
Douglas Stuart · Book · 2020
Shares a thread with The King of Staten Island: Coming-of-Age.
This story offers a deeper, more harrowing look at the complex parent-child relationship and the weight of poverty that anchors the emotional stakes of The King of Staten Island.
Series on the same thread
The King of Queens
Michael J. Weithorn · Series · 1998
Explores: In-laws, Marriage, Suburban Life.
The King of Staten Island highlights the tensions of family life, and this series provides a lighter, sitcom-style perspective on the difficulties of living with challenging, dysfunctional relatives.
Arrested Development
Mitchell Hurwitz · Series · 2003
Explores: Dysfunctional Family, Wealth and Privilege, Family Business.
You will recognize the familiar theme of a man trying to manage his chaotic, dysfunctional family while dealing with the repercussions of loss seen in The King of Staten Island.
DAVE
Jeff Schaffer · Series · 2020
Explores: Fame and Ambition, Self-Delusion, Male Friendship.
Dave’s neurotic ambition and his reliance on a close-knit group of friends perfectly mirror the aimless, dreamer energy that defined Scott’s journey throughout The King of Staten Island.
Mare of Easttown
Brad Ingelsby · Series · 2021
Explores: Grief, Trauma, Family Dysfunction.
This series captures the same heavy atmosphere of grief and family dysfunction present in The King of Staten Island, focusing on how personal trauma impacts one's role in the community.
Podcasts on the same thread
S-Town
Serial Productions · Podcast · 2024
Explores: small-town isolation, eccentricity, social decay.
The focus on eccentric characters stuck in a specific, isolating environment echoes the small-town, suffocating feeling of arrested development that Scott struggles to escape in The King of Staten Island.
Small Town Murder
James Pietragallo, Jimmie Whisman · Podcast · 2026
Explores: provincial life, tragic irony, forensic breakdown.
If you enjoyed the blend of humor and tragedy in The King of Staten Island, you will appreciate how these hosts use comedy to process the harsh realities of life.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is The King of Staten Island about a character struggling to grow up?
Yes, The King of Staten Island follows Scott, a man in his mid-20s experiencing arrested development. Since his father died when he was seven, he has struggled to move forward, living with his mother while chasing an unlikely dream of becoming a tattoo artist.
Does the main character in The King of Staten Island have a job?
The protagonist of The King of Staten Island does not have a formal career. He spends his days smoking weed and hanging out with friends while attempting to pursue a dream of becoming a tattoo artist, which remains largely out of his reach throughout the story.
What is the family situation for the main character in The King of Staten Island?
In The King of Staten Island, Scott lives with his mother, who works as an exhausted ER nurse. His younger sister is portrayed as ambitious and eventually leaves home to head off to college, highlighting the contrast with Scott's lack of progress in his mid-20s.
How does the father's death affect the protagonist of The King of Staten Island?
The death of his firefighter father when he was seven is a central event in The King of Staten Island. This loss is identified as the primary reason Scott has suffered from arrested development and remained stuck in his current lifestyle well into his mid-20s.