What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedThe Name of the Rose
Umberto Eco · Book · 1984
If you loved The Name of the Rose, start with The Name of the Rose (Jean-Jacques Annaud, 1986) — a film from the same story. Below: 4 films, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to The Name of the Rose across media.
What hooked you in The Name of the Rose was the way intellectual inquiry unearths dark, deeply buried institutional secrets.
Start with the source
Adaptation
The Name of the Rose
Jean-Jacques Annaud · Film · 1986
Films on the same thread
The Wicker Man
Robin Hardy · Film · 1973
Explores: Religious Conflict, Isolation, Loss of Innocence.
Just as The Name of the Rose explores the collision of faith and fanaticism, this film pits a rigid outsider against a community hiding its secrets behind religious tradition.
Call Me by Your Name
Film · 2017
Explores: First love, Self-discovery, Summer romance.
While The Name of the Rose uses a monastic setting for intellectual discovery, this film captures a similar scholarly intensity and atmospheric immersion within a sophisticated, historically rich Italian landscape.
Pulp Fiction
Quentin Tarantino · Film · 1994
Explores: Moral ambiguity, Redemption, Fate.
Much like the philosophical debates that ground the investigations in The Name of the Rose, this film features characters whose witty, erudite dialogue masks the underlying violence of their world.
Vertigo
Alfred Hitchcock · Film · 1958
Explores: Obsession, Identity, Acrophobia.
The Name of the Rose thrives on the obsession with hidden truths, a theme mirrored perfectly in this film as a detective’s internal guilt drives his descent into a complex mystery.
Series on the same thread
True Detective
Nic Pizzolatto · Series · 2014
Explores: Moral Ambiguity, Existentialism, Corruption.
This series shares the grim, investigative rigor of The Name of the Rose, where probing into systemic corruption and professional secrets inevitably exposes the fractured morality of the lead investigators.
Twin Peaks
Mark Frost · Series · 1990
Explores: Small Town Secrets, Doppelgangers, Good vs Evil.
Like the isolated abbey in The Name of the Rose, this town serves as a closed ecosystem where a singular death forces an outsider to confront a web of conspiracy.
Murder, She Wrote
Richard Levinson · Series · 1984
Explores: Small Town Secrets, Justice for the Victim, Community Investigation.
If you appreciated the clever sleuthing of Brother William in The Name of the Rose, you will find this series’ focus on analytical deduction and solving complex homicides equally satisfying.
Father Brown
Tahsin Guner · Series · 2013
Explores: Faith and Doubt, Small Town Secrets, Justice vs. Forgiveness.
This series mirrors the core dynamic of The Name of the Rose by placing a Catholic priest at the center of criminal investigations where faith often clashes with human transgression.
Podcasts on the same thread
The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe
The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe · Podcast · 2026
Explores: untold historical anecdotes, curiosity-driven learning, American cultural history.
The Name of the Rose celebrates the power of knowledge, and this podcast echoes that curiosity-driven spirit by uncovering the obscure, often mysterious historical anecdotes hidden within our cultural past.
Rosario
Podcast
Explores: Catholicism, Prayer, Spirituality.
For those captivated by the religious atmosphere and spiritual weight of The Name of the Rose, this podcast offers a focused exploration of the mysteries inherent in Catholic tradition.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is The Name of the Rose based on a book?
Yes, The Name of the Rose is based on the 1984 novel written by Umberto Eco. The story follows Brother William of Baskerville as he investigates a series of bizarre deaths occurring at an Italian abbey in 1327 while navigating suspicions of heresy among the Franciscans.
What is the plot of The Name of the Rose?
The Name of the Rose follows Brother William of Baskerville, who arrives at a wealthy Italian abbey in 1327 to investigate heresy. His mission is interrupted by seven mysterious deaths that occur over seven days, requiring him to act as a detective to solve the crimes.
Is there a movie version of The Name of the Rose?
Yes, The Name of the Rose was adapted into a movie released in 1986. This film adaptation depicts the events of the 1984 novel, where Brother William of Baskerville investigates a series of strange deaths at an Italian abbey during the 14th century.
When does The Name of the Rose take place?
The Name of the Rose is set in the year 1327. The story centers on a group of Franciscans at a wealthy Italian abbey who are suspected of heresy, while Brother William of Baskerville works to solve seven bizarre deaths that occur during his visit.