What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedThe Nice and the Good
Iris Murdoch · Book · 1978
If you loved The Nice and the Good, start with The Nice Guys (Shane Black, 2016) — a film on the same thread. Below: 4 films, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to The Nice and the Good across media.
What hooked you in The Nice and the Good was the way the facade of elite respectability masks deep, unsettling moral decay.
Films on the same thread
Death on the Nile
John Guillermin · Film · 1978
Explores: Jealousy, Betrayal, Hidden Motives.
Like The Nice and the Good, this story traps you within an insular, wealthy circle where the refined atmosphere hides dark, murderous intent and complex personal betrayals.
The Nice Guys
Shane Black · Film · 2016
Shares a thread with The Nice and the Good: Moral Ambiguity.
You will recognize the same blend of investigative urgency and moral ambiguity found in The Nice and the Good as a private eye stumbles into a treacherous conspiracy.
The Long Goodbye
Film · 1973
Shares a thread with The Nice and the Good: Moral ambiguity.
The Nice and the Good shares this film's cynical exploration of how personal connections and professional investigations collide against a backdrop of disillusioned, high-stakes societal decay.
The Housemaid
Paul Feig · Film · 2025
Shares a thread with The Nice and the Good: Psychological Thriller.
This domestic thriller mirrors the way The Nice and the Good peels back the layers of a seemingly perfect household to reveal a dangerous game of hidden secrets.
Series on the same thread
Midsomer Murders
Anthony Horowitz · Series · 1997
Explores: Small Town Secrets, Investigation, Rural Crime.
Much like the Dorset coast setting in The Nice and the Good, this series contrasts the facade of a peaceful community with the reality of violent, hidden crimes.
The Good Wife
Michelle King · Series · 2009
Shares a thread with The Nice and the Good: Moral Ambiguity.
The Nice and the Good captures the same tension between public reputation and private corruption that drives this drama about navigating scandal within the upper echelons of power.
Line of Duty
Jed Mercurio · Series · 2012
Shares a thread with The Nice and the Good: Moral Ambiguity.
Fans of the investigative focus in The Nice and the Good will appreciate this unflinching look at institutional corruption and the moral complexity of those tasked with oversight.
True Detective
Nic Pizzolatto · Series · 2014
Shares 2 threads with The Nice and the Good: Moral Ambiguity, Psychological Thriller.
This series echoes the dark, psychological weight of The Nice and the Good by unearthing the long-buried secrets that haunt both the investigators and the corrupt elite.
Podcasts on the same thread
Nice White Parents
Serial Productions & The New York Times · Podcast · 2022
Explores: systemic inequality, educational reform, privilege and power.
Just as The Nice and the Good examines the rot within established social structures, this series interrogates how privilege and power actively shape and sustain systemic institutional inequality.
S-Town
Serial Productions · Podcast · 2024
Explores: small-town isolation, eccentricity, social decay.
This investigative journey mirrors the way The Nice and the Good uses a singular mystery to expose the deep-seated isolation and decay lurking beneath a wealthy family's image.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is The Nice and the Good a murder mystery?
Yes, The Nice and the Good centers on a Whitehall civil servant named John Ducane who is tasked with investigating the suicide of a colleague. As he conducts his inquiry, he uncovers a web of murder, blackmail, and black magic that complicates the case.
What is the setting of The Nice and the Good?
The Nice and the Good is set in two primary locations. The story begins in a stagnant summer London, then shifts to the Dorset coast, where an adoring community led by Octavian and Kate Gray attempts to offer a refuge that is eventually tainted by violence.
Does The Nice and the Good involve supernatural elements?
The plot of The Nice and the Good involves themes of black magic alongside more grounded criminal activities. While John Ducane begins his investigation into a colleague's suicide, he discovers an underlying world of evil that encompasses blackmail and murder within his professional circle.
Who is the main investigator in The Nice and the Good?
John Ducane is the central character in The Nice and the Good. He is a respected civil servant working in Whitehall who becomes personally involved in uncovering the truth behind a colleague's suicide, leading him from London to the coast of Dorset.