What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedThe Mother
Niki Caro · Film · 2023
If you loved The Mother, start with American Primeval (Mark L. Smith, 2025) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to The Mother across media.
What hooked you in The Mother was the fierce, visceral desperation of a parent protecting their child at any cost.
Books on the same thread
Pieces of Her
Karin Slaughter · Book
Explores: hidden past, maternal secrets, identity crisis.
Just as the protagonist in The Mother must confront her lethal history to save her daughter, Andrea Oliver unearths dangerous maternal secrets that force her to protect her family.
Shibumi
Trevanian · Book · 1983
Shares 2 threads with The Mother: Assassins, Action Thriller.
If the high-stakes assassin lifestyle of The Mother kept you engaged, you will appreciate how this story blends international intrigue with the tactical precision of a master killer.
The House of My Mother
Shari Franke · Book
Explores: familial abuse, cult-like dynamics, survivor testimony.
While The Mother explores the protective instinct, this memoir provides a harrowing, real-world look at the trauma of familial abuse and the difficult path toward reclaiming one's own life.
Reminders of Him
Colleen Hoover · Book · 2022
Explores: Mother-daughter reconciliation, Social stigma, Forgiveness.
This story mirrors the emotional core of The Mother by focusing on a woman attempting to earn redemption and reconcile with the daughter she was forced to leave behind.
Series on the same thread
Moving
Park In-je · Series · 2023
Explores: Superpowers, Hidden Identity, Family Secrets.
You will recognize the same protective tension found in The Mother, as parents with dangerous pasts go to extreme lengths to shield their children from imminent, life-altering threats.
American Primeval
Mark L. Smith · Series · 2025
Shares a thread with The Mother: Redemption.
This western captures the same raw survivalist energy as The Mother, following a parent and child navigating a hostile environment while reckoning with the ghosts of their past.
Maid
Molly Smith Metzler · Series · 2021
Explores: Single Motherhood, Breaking the Cycle of Abuse, Resilience.
This drama echoes the grit of The Mother, depicting a mother fleeing a dangerous situation and fighting with everything she has to secure a future for her child.
Lioness
Taylor Sheridan · Series · 2023
Explores: Undercover Operations, Female Empowerment, Moral Ambiguity.
The intense, female-led tactical operations seen in The Mother are front and center here, focusing on the high-pressure mentorship and moral complexity of women working in dangerous fields.
Podcasts on the same thread
Criminal
Podcast
Shares a thread with The Mother: Redemption.
If The Mother hit, Criminal shares the thread.
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
Exactly Right and iHeartPodcasts · Podcast · 2026
Explores: mental health awareness, female friendship, coping mechanisms.
Much like the dark reality faced by the lead in The Mother, this show explores the gravity of true crime while providing a necessary space for processing heavy themes.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is The Mother a story about an assassin protecting her child?
Yes, The Mother follows a deadly female assassin who emerges from hiding to protect the daughter she gave up years prior while being pursued by dangerous men.
Does The Mother involve a parent-child reunion plot?
The Mother centers on the relationship between a mother and the daughter she was forced to give up, as the assassin must navigate her past to ensure the safety of her child.
Is The Mother focused on the protagonist running from enemies?
The Mother depicts a deadly assassin on the run from dangerous men while simultaneously attempting to protect the daughter she previously gave up.
Who directed the 2023 movie The Mother?
The Mother is a 2023 film directed by Niki Caro that follows a deadly female assassin who comes out of hiding to protect the daughter she gave up years before.