What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedThe Lazarus Project
John Glenn · Film · 2008
If you loved The Lazarus Project, start with The Lazarus Project (Joe Barton, 2022) — a series from the same story. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to The Lazarus Project across media.
You were drawn to The Lazarus Project because it forces you to confront the unsettling fragility of identity when trapped within systems.
Start with the source
Adaptation
The Lazarus Project
Joe Barton · Series · 2022
Books on the same thread
The Confession: A Novel
John Grisham · Book · 2010
Shares 2 threads with The Lazarus Project: Moral Dilemma, Redemption.
If the moral weight of death row in The Lazarus Project gripped you, this story of a man fighting to correct a lethal injustice offers a similar, haunting intensity.
The Guardians: A Novel
John Grisham · Book · 2019
Shares a thread with The Lazarus Project: Redemption.
Much like the protagonist of The Lazarus Project, you will find yourself questioning the integrity of the justice system and the heavy cost of seeking personal redemption.
Dark Matter
Blake Crouch · Book · 2016
Shares a thread with The Lazarus Project: Psychological Thriller.
The Lazarus Project explores the questioning of reality, and this novel mirrors that disorientation by forcing you to grapple with the loss of everything you once knew.
The River Is Waiting
Wally Lamb · Book
Explores: institutionalization, moral ambiguity, human resilience.
This story captures the same sense of isolation found in The Lazarus Project, focusing on how institutional environments test a person's resolve and their capacity for change.
Series on the same thread
Rectify
Ray McKinnon · Series · 2013
Explores: wrongful conviction, life after prison, small town secrets.
Fans of The Lazarus Project will appreciate this exploration of life after death row, where the struggle to reclaim one's humanity feels just as fragile and uncertain.
Prison Break
Paul T. Scheuring · Series · 2005
Shares 2 threads with The Lazarus Project: Redemption, Conspiracy Thriller.
The Lazarus Project explores the desperate lengths one goes to for family, and this series echoes that intensity through its high-stakes conspiracy and fight for survival.
The Prisoner
Patrick McGoohan · Series · 1967
Shares 2 threads with The Lazarus Project: Questioning Reality, Psychological Thriller.
The eerie psychiatric ward of The Lazarus Project finds its spiritual ancestor here, trapping you in a surreal, Kafkaesque world where your freedom is constantly under surveillance.
Person of Interest
Jonathan Nolan · Series · 2011
Shares a thread with The Lazarus Project: Redemption.
If the moral ambiguity of The Lazarus Project hooked you, you will connect with this story of individuals operating outside the law to achieve a personal justice.
Podcasts on the same thread
The Truth
The Truth · Podcast · 2026
Explores: human condition, experimental storytelling, moral ambiguity.
These short, cinematic stories mirror the way The Lazarus Project constantly shifts your perspective, keeping you off balance with their focus on the complexities of human choices.
48 Hours
Podcast
Explores: Criminal Justice, Wrongful Conviction, Exoneration.
The Lazarus Project uses the shadow of execution to drive its narrative, and this investigative series provides a grounded look at the real-life failures of that system.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is the 2008 movie The Lazarus Project related to the 2022 TV show of the same name?
No, the 2008 film The Lazarus Project and the 2022 television series The Lazarus Project are separate productions. They do not share the same plot, characters, or creative team, despite sharing an identical title.
What is the premise of the 2008 film The Lazarus Project?
The Lazarus Project follows Ben Garvey, a man sentenced to death by lethal injection for criminal activity. After his supposed execution, he wakes up at a psychiatric ward where he is hired as a groundskeeper, forcing him to confront his past and his dedication to his family.
Is the 2008 movie The Lazarus Project based on a book?
The 2008 film The Lazarus Project is not based on a book. It is an original movie written and directed by John Glenn that explores themes of redemption and second chances through the story of a man who survives his own execution.
Does The Lazarus Project feature a supernatural element?
The Lazarus Project centers on Ben Garvey regaining consciousness after his lethal injection and finding himself in an eerie psychiatric facility. The film focuses on the mystery of his survival and the status of his soul rather than traditional supernatural tropes.