What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedThe Night Watchman
Louise Erdrich · Book · 2021
If you loved The Night Watchman, start with The Night Of (Richard Price, 2016) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 films, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to The Night Watchman across media.
You were drawn to The Night Watchman by its depiction of individuals navigating the weight of systemic injustice and government overreach.
Films on the same thread
Nomadland
Chloé Zhao · Film · 2021
Explores: Economic hardship, Resilience, Loss and grief.
Much like the resilient figures in The Night Watchman, this story captures the quiet strength of those discarded by economic policy as they navigate a changing American landscape.
Watchmen
Zack Snyder · Film · 2009
Explores: Moral ambiguity, Nihilism, Conspiracy.
If the political tension in The Night Watchman resonated with you, this look at government corruption and the moral cost of policy provides a similarly gritty, cynical investigation.
Killers of the Flower Moon
Film · 2023
Explores: Systemic Racism, Greed, Betrayal.
This narrative mirrors the historical gravity of The Night Watchman by exposing how systemic greed and colonialism threaten the sovereignty and lives of Indigenous communities across the country.
Good Night, and Good Luck.
George Clooney · Film · 2005
Explores: Journalistic Integrity, Political Courage, Abuse of Power.
The struggle for integrity against a powerful political machine that defined The Night Watchman finds a direct parallel in this account of a journalist standing against McCarthyism.
Series on the same thread
The Night Of
Richard Price · Series · 2016
Explores: Wrongful Accusation, Criminal Justice System, Moral Ambiguity.
The feeling of being caught in the gears of an unforgiving justice system, a central anxiety for the characters in The Night Watchman, drives this tense legal drama.
Reservation Dogs
Taika Waititi · Series · 2021
Explores: Indigenous identity, small-town life, teenage friendship.
For a contemporary look at the Indigenous identity and small-town struggles explored in The Night Watchman, this series offers a poignant, character-driven perspective on life within a reservation.
The Night Manager
David Farr · Series · 2016
Explores: Undercover Operation, Moral Ambiguity, International Intrigue.
If you valued the high-stakes political maneuvering in The Night Watchman, you will appreciate how this story pulls back the curtain on the dangerous intersection of power and policy.
The Night Agent
Shawn Ryan · Series · 2023
Explores: Political Intrigue, Government Conspiracy, Undercover Agent.
This thriller captures the same sense of urgency found in The Night Watchman, as individuals are forced to confront shadowy government conspiracies that threaten their fundamental safety.
Podcasts on the same thread
Rachel Maddow Presents: Ultra
Rachel Maddow, MS NOW · Podcast · 2026
Explores: Authoritarianism, Domestic Espionage, Threats to Democracy.
The historical focus on political corruption and the fight against authoritarianism in The Night Watchman is echoed in this investigative deep dive into past threats to American democracy.
1619
The New York Times · Podcast · 2019
Explores: systemic racism, national identity, legacy of slavery.
This series provides the broader historical context of the systemic racism that Thomas Wazhushk fights against in The Night Watchman, grounding the narrative in the realities of American history.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is The Night Watchman based on a true story?
The Night Watchman is a 2021 novel by Louise Erdrich that follows Thomas Wazhushk, a Chippewa Council member, in 1953. While set against the historical backdrop of a US government emancipation bill affecting the Turtle Mountain Reservation, the narrative is a work of fiction rather than a biography.
What is the primary conflict in The Night Watchman?
The primary conflict in The Night Watchman centers on Thomas Wazhushk, a night watchman at a factory near the Turtle Mountain Reservation. He must navigate the political challenges posed by a 1953 congressional bill described by the US government as an emancipation bill, which threatens the Chippewa community.
Did The Night Watchman win any literary awards?
Yes, The Night Watchman is a New York Times bestseller and the winner of the 2021 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction. The novel explores the struggles of the Turtle Mountain Reservation community during the mid-twentieth century as they confront federal legislative threats to their sovereignty and way of life.
When does the story in The Night Watchman take place?
The story in The Night Watchman takes place in 1953. The narrative follows Thomas Wazhushk, a Chippewa Council member and night watchman, as he works to protect his community from the impacts of a proposed federal emancipation bill introduced to the United States Congress during that year.