If you loved
The OA
Brit Marling · Series · 2016
What hooked you in The OA was the way it blends metaphysical mystery with the fragile, transformative power of human connection.
Books on the same thread
Dark Matter
Blake Crouch · Book · 2016
Explores: Identity Crisis, Parallel Universes, Regret.
Like The OA, this story uses the concept of parallel universes to explore profound existential questions about identity and the haunting regret of paths not taken in our lives.
The Maze Runner (Book 1)
James Dashner · Book · 2014
Explores: Survival, Memory Loss, Conspiracy.
You will recognize the core drive of The OA here, as a group of strangers must rely on one another to survive an inexplicable environment and recover lost memories.
The Maid: A Novel
Nita Prose · Book · 2022
Explores: Neurodiversity, Social Awkwardness, Found Family.
While tonally distinct, this story captures the same sense of found family and the importance of understanding those who exist on the fringes of society seen in The OA.
All the Missing Girls
Megan Miranda · Book · 2017
Explores: Small Town Secrets, Missing Persons, Unreliable Narrator.
The OA relies on the tension of past trauma and secrets; this mystery mirrors that intensity by forcing a protagonist to confront the missing pieces of her own history.
Films on the same thread
Everything Everywhere All at Once
Daniel Scheinert · Film · 2022
Explores: Existentialism, Intergenerational trauma, Immigrant experience.
This film shares the mind-bending scope of The OA, utilizing the multiverse to examine how deep intergenerational trauma and personal relationships define our reality across different possible lives.
Arrival
Denis Villeneuve · Film · 2016
Explores: Linguistics, Communication, Existentialism.
Just as The OA explores non-linear experiences, this film centers on a protagonist whose perception of time is fundamentally altered by an encounter with the unknown and the metaphysical.
The Witch: Part 1. The Subversion
Park Hoon-jung · Film · 2018
Explores: Memory Loss, Government Conspiracy, Child Soldiers.
Much like the mysterious origins of the protagonist in The OA, this story follows a young woman unraveling the suppressed memories and government secrets tied to her own extraordinary abilities.
Her
Spike Jonze · Film · 2013
Explores: Artificial Intelligence, Existential Loneliness, Human-Computer Interaction.
The OA is deeply concerned with the loneliness of the human experience, a theme this film reflects through a poignant, unconventional connection that transcends the limits of physical reality.
Podcasts on the same thread
The Truth
The Truth · Podcast · 2026
The OA thrives on cinematic, character-driven storytelling that feels intimate yet vast; these short audio dramas offer that same immersive, high-concept narrative quality in every individual episode.
The Realignment
The Realignment · Podcast · 2026
Explores: institutional change, populism, technological disruption.
If you appreciated the way The OA examined the structure of our reality, this podcast offers a similar deep dive into the shifting institutions and technological forces shaping society.
Keep exploring
Common questions
What is the premise of The OA?
The OA follows a young woman who returns home after vanishing for seven years. She possesses mysterious new abilities and recruits five strangers to assist her with a secret mission. The series focuses on her journey and the group she assembles following her disappearance.
When did The OA premiere?
The OA was released in 2016. It was created by Brit Marling and follows the story of a woman who returns home seven years after she went missing, bringing with her new abilities and a plan involving five strangers she recruits for a secret mission.
Who created The OA?
The OA was created by Brit Marling. The series centers on a young woman who returns home seven years after disappearing, utilizing mysterious new abilities to recruit five strangers for a secret mission. It debuted in 2016 as a unique narrative project.
Is The OA about a woman who returns after seven years?
Yes, The OA tells the story of a young woman who returns home seven years after vanishing. Upon her return, she displays mysterious new abilities and begins recruiting five strangers to help her carry out a secret mission, which forms the core of the show.