What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedThe Night Before the Exams
Fausto Brizzi · Film · 2006
If you loved The Night Before the Exams, start with Merlí (Héctor Lozano, 2015) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to The Night Before the Exams across media.
What hooked you in The Night Before the Exams was the way complicated authority figures and high-stakes romantic tension define youth.
Books on the same thread
The Briefcase
Hiromi Kawakami · Book · 2012
Explores: age gap relationship, loneliness, intergenerational friendship.
Just as in The Night Before the Exams, you will appreciate this delicate exploration of an unconventional relationship between a student and a teacher navigating life outside the classroom.
Problematic Summer Romance
Ali Hazelwood · Book
Shares a thread with The Night Before the Exams: Romantic comedy.
This story mirrors the academic pressure and messy power dynamics found in The Night Before the Exams, focusing on the inevitable complications that arise when professional and personal lives collide.
The Reader
Bernhard Schlink · Book · 2012
Explores: Guilt, Post-War Germany, Love and Power Dynamics.
If the illicit and morally ambiguous teacher-student dynamic of The Night Before the Exams captured your interest, this intense narrative offers a much deeper, more somber look at that connection.
Tonight Is Already Tomorrow
Lia Levi · Book · 2021
Explores: World War II, The Holocaust, Refugees.
While more somber, this historical piece captures the same Italian cultural atmosphere found in The Night Before the Exams, grounding personal growth within a specific, challenging moment in national history.
Series on the same thread
Merlí
Héctor Lozano · Series · 2015
Explores: Inspirational teacher, Student-teacher relationship, Nonconformity.
You will recognize the quintessential inspirational teacher trope from The Night Before the Exams here, as a nonconformist educator profoundly influences his students' perspectives on life and their own futures.
Friday Night Lights
Brian Grazer · Series · 2006
Explores: Coming-of-age, Community, Pressure.
If you enjoyed the small-town, high-pressure environment of The Night Before the Exams, this drama provides a similar look at how students navigate ambition and community during their final years.
Sex Education
Laurie Nunn · Series · 2019
Explores: Sexual Awakening, Teenage Angst, Social Awkwardness.
Like The Night Before the Exams, this show perfectly balances the awkwardness of teenage romance with the humor inherent in navigating complex social dynamics and authority figures during high school.
Freaks and Geeks
Paul Feig · Series · 1999
Explores: Social Outcasts, High School Angst, Identity Crisis.
You will find the same authentic coming-of-age spirit here that made The Night Before the Exams so relatable, capturing the struggle of defining oneself against the backdrop of high school.
Podcasts on the same thread
The Esnyr Podclass
Podcast
Explores: High school memories, First love, School life.
This podcast taps directly into the nostalgic high school memories and the specific archetype of the terror teacher that defined the charm of The Night Before the Exams.
Stugotz and Company
iHeartPodcasts · Podcast · 2026
Explores: absurdism, unfiltered opinion, camaraderie.
If The Night Before the Exams hit, Stugotz and Company shares the thread.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is The Night Before the Exams set in a specific time period?
The Night Before the Exams is set in Rome during 1989. The plot follows a student named Luca as he navigates his final high school examinations during this specific summer period.
What is the central conflict Luca faces in The Night Before the Exams?
In The Night Before the Exams, Luca insults his literature teacher, Martinelli, only to discover that Martinelli is the head of his final examination board. This creates a difficult situation for Luca as he attempts to study for his finals while unknowingly falling for Martinelli's daughter.
Does Luca know who the girl he meets is in The Night Before the Exams?
No, Luca is initially unaware of the girl's identity in The Night Before the Exams. Although he falls in love with her after meeting at a party, he does not realize that she is actually the daughter of his literature teacher, Martinelli.
Does Martinelli help Luca prepare for his finals in The Night Before the Exams?
Yes, despite their past conflict, Martinelli offers to help Luca prepare for his final exams in The Night Before the Exams. This offer occurs during the same summer that Luca is unknowingly pursuing a romantic relationship with Martinelli's daughter.