What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedThe OA
Brit Marling · Series · 2016
If you loved The OA, start with Everything Everywhere All at Once (Daniel Scheinert, 2022) — a film on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 films and 2 podcasts, each matched to The OA across media.
What hooked you in The OA is the way grand, metaphysical mysteries ultimately hinge on the fragile, intimate connections between people.
Books on the same thread
Arrival
Ted Chiang · Book · 2016
Explores: Alien Contact, Linguistics, Time Perception.
Like The OA, this collection explores how transcending our standard perception of time and language can fundamentally reshape how we process personal grief and the loss of those we love.
Binti
Nnedi Okorafor · Book · 2015
Explores: Cultural Identity, Alien Contact, Xenophobia.
You will recognize the journey of a young woman leaving home to encounter the unknown, mirroring the way The OA centers on the transformative power of navigating alien environments.
The Ocean at the End of the Lane
Neil Gaiman · Book · 2013
Explores: Memory, Childhood, Loss of Innocence.
This novel captures the same eerie, liminal space between childhood wonder and adult trauma that defined The OA, using memory and hidden secrets to reveal deeper, darker truths about reality.
Binti: The Complete Trilogy
Nnedi Okorafor · Book · 2020
Explores: Cultural Identity, Intercultural Relations, Mathematics.
Much like the protagonist of The OA, Binti must reconcile her unique, unfolding identity with the vast, challenging universe she enters, turning her personal journey into a profound metaphysical quest.
Films on the same thread
Everything Everywhere All at Once
Daniel Scheinert · Film · 2022
Explores: Existentialism, Intergenerational trauma, Immigrant experience.
This film echoes the multiverse exploration found in The OA, grounding its high-concept sci-fi premise in the raw, messy reality of family relationships and the desperate need to connect.
Arrival
Denis Villeneuve · Film · 2016
Explores: Linguistics, Communication, Existentialism.
The OA fans will appreciate how this film uses the mystery of first contact to explore existential questions, centering on a woman whose specialized perception alters her entire reality.
Okja
Bong Joon Ho · Film · 2017
Explores: Animal Rights, Corporate Greed, Friendship.
Mirroring the protective, outsider bonds formed in The OA, this story follows a girl who risks everything to save a companion, highlighting the intensity of unconventional, deeply felt friendships.
The Witch: Part 1. The Subversion
Park Hoon-jung · Film · 2018
Explores: Memory Loss, Government Conspiracy, Child Soldiers.
If you were drawn to the mystery of hidden abilities in The OA, this story of a girl uncovering her suppressed past will resonate with its focus on identity.
Podcasts on the same thread
The Truth
The Truth · Podcast · 2026
Explores: human condition, experimental storytelling, moral ambiguity.
These stories mirror the anthology-like wonder of The OA, using speculative fiction to examine the human condition and moral ambiguity through short, deeply immersive and cinematic narrative experiences.
The Realignment
The Realignment · Podcast · 2026
Explores: institutional change, populism, technological disruption.
While different in format, this podcast shares the intellectual curiosity of The OA, questioning the institutional realities of our world and how we might realign our own perceptions.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is The OA based on a book?
The OA is not an adaptation of a book or other source material. It was created by Brit Marling in 2016 and follows an original story about a young woman who returns home after vanishing for seven years with mysterious new abilities.
What is the premise of The OA?
The OA follows a young woman who returns home seven years after she originally vanished. Upon her return, she possesses mysterious new abilities and begins to recruit five strangers to assist her in a secret mission, which serves as the central narrative focus of the series.
Who created The OA?
The OA was created by Brit Marling. The series premiered in 2016 and centers on a young woman who returns to her home after being missing for seven years, bringing with her a set of mysterious new abilities and a secret mission for five strangers.
Does The OA involve a secret mission?
Yes, a secret mission is a core element of The OA. After returning home following a seven-year disappearance, the main character uses her mysterious new abilities to recruit five strangers to help her carry out this mission, which drives the plot of the 2016 series.