What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedThe Riot Club
Lone Scherfig · Film · 2014
If you loved The Riot Club, start with The Club (Ellery Lloyd, 2022) — a book on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to The Riot Club across media.
If The Riot Club captivated you, it is because you are fascinated by the destructive power of elite social circles and privilege.
Books on the same thread
The Secret History
Donna Tartt · Book · 1993
Explores: Secrets, Guilt, Moral Ambiguity.
Just like the characters in The Riot Club, these students use their intellectual superiority and elite status to justify moral decay and dangerous, life-altering secrets within their exclusive circle.
The Club
Ellery Lloyd · Book · 2022
Explores: wealth disparity, toxic celebrity culture, hidden secrets.
This story mirrors the toxic celebrity culture seen in The Riot Club, exposing the dark, hidden underbelly of exclusive spaces where the wealthy believe they are above all consequences.
The Academy
Elin Hilderbrand and Shelby Cunningham · Book
Shares a thread with The Riot Club: Prep School Drama.
The intense focus on reputation management and social hierarchy at this boarding school echoes the desperate pressure to maintain status found among the members of The Riot Club.
Society of Lies
Lauren Ling Brown · Book · 2025
Shares a thread with The Riot Club: Secret Societies.
You will find the same exploration of class dynamics and obsession with secret societies that defined The Riot Club, here framed through the complex, dark lens of elite collegiate life.
Series on the same thread
The White Lotus
Mike White · Series · 2021
Shares 2 threads with The Riot Club: Privilege, Class Conflict.
This series offers a biting, satirical look at the same themes of privilege and class conflict that drive the hedonistic and destructive behavior of the characters in The Riot Club.
The O.C.
Josh Schwartz · Series · 2003
Shares a thread with The Riot Club: Privilege.
This drama explores the friction between social classes and the impact of extreme privilege on identity, much like the way class tension disrupts the world of The Riot Club.
Gossip Girl
Stephanie Savage · Series · 2007
Shares 2 threads with The Riot Club: Privilege, Coming-of-Age.
The obsession with social status and the power of secrets among the ultra-wealthy elite in this series mirrors the high-stakes reputation games played by members of The Riot Club.
Euphoria
Sam Levinson · Series · 2019
Shares a thread with The Riot Club: Coming-of-Age.
The raw, unfiltered look at the destructive behaviors and identity crises of youth parallels the darker, more hedonistic moments of self-destruction depicted in the lives of The Riot Club.
Podcasts on the same thread
To Be A Boy
Podcast
Shares a thread with The Riot Club: toxic masculinity.
This podcast digs into the roots of toxic masculinity, providing a real-world perspective on the same harmful social constructs that fuel the entitlement of the men in The Riot Club.
Nice White Parents
Serial Productions & The New York Times · Podcast · 2022
Explores: systemic inequality, educational reform, privilege and power.
This investigative series exposes how privilege and systemic inequality shape our institutions, offering a deeper look at the societal structures that allow groups like The Riot Club to exist.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is The Riot Club based on a true story?
The Riot Club is a 2014 film directed by Lone Scherfig. While it depicts two first-year Oxford students joining a secret society where their reputations are at stake, the film is a fictional narrative rather than a documentary about specific historical events at the university.
What is the central conflict in The Riot Club?
The central conflict in The Riot Club revolves around the high-stakes environment of an elite secret society at Oxford University. Over the course of a single evening, the two primary characters discover how quickly their social standing and reputations can be permanently destroyed by their actions.
Who directed The Riot Club?
The Riot Club was directed by Lone Scherfig. Released in 2014, the film focuses on the intense psychological and social pressure experienced by two first-year students who become members of a prestigious and secretive club during their time at Oxford University.
Does The Riot Club take place at Oxford University?
Yes, The Riot Club is set at Oxford University. The plot follows two first-year students who join a secret society, leading to a transformative evening where their reputations are tested and potentially ruined by the intense expectations and behaviors associated with the group.