What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedThe Secret History
Donna Tartt · Book · 1993
If you loved The Secret History, start with Saltburn (Emerald Fennell, 2023) — a film on the same thread. Below: 4 films, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to The Secret History across media.
If you loved The Secret History, you are likely drawn to the intoxicating allure of elite circles harboring dark, life-altering secrets.
Films on the same thread
Eyes Wide Shut
Stanley Kubrick · Film · 1999
Explores: Marital Dissolution, Sexual Obsession, Loss of Identity.
Just as The Secret History explores the psychological unraveling of an inner circle, this film mirrors that descent into obsession and the hidden, unsettling realities of social elites.
Shadow of a Doubt
Alfred Hitchcock · Film · 1943
Explores: Loss of Innocence, Hidden Identity, Small Town Secrets.
You will recognize the chilling suspicion that builds in The Secret History, as this classic captures the same dread of discovering a loved one’s capacity for terrible secrets.
Saltburn
Emerald Fennell · Film · 2023
Explores: Class Conflict, Privilege, Obsession.
This film echoes the social climbing and moral corruption found in The Secret History, placing a vulnerable student at the center of an aristocratic, obsessive, and dangerous world.
Donnie Darko
Richard Kelly · Film · 2001
Explores: Existentialism, Time Travel, Mental Illness.
Much like the existential weight carried by the characters in The Secret History, this story features a troubled youth navigating a reality defined by isolation and prophetic mental strain.
Series on the same thread
Gossip Girl
Stephanie Savage · Series · 2007
Shares a thread with The Secret History: Secrets.
Fans of the insular, high-stakes social dynamics of The Secret History will appreciate this portrayal of an exclusive group of students whose lives revolve around private, destructive secrets.
Twin Peaks
Mark Frost · Series · 1990
Explores: Small Town Secrets, Doppelgangers, Good vs Evil.
If you were captivated by the atmospheric dread in The Secret History, you will find a similar sense of existential mystery as a small community hides dark, ancient truths.
How to Get Away with Murder
Peter Nowalk · Series · 2014
Shares 2 threads with The Secret History: Moral Ambiguity, Guilt.
This series captures the academic pressure and moral ambiguity that defines The Secret History, following a group of ambitious students who become irrevocably bound by a shared crime.
Dark
Baran bo Odar · Series · 2017
Explores: Time Paradox, Family Secrets, Existential Crisis.
The intricate web of family secrets and existential crisis in this series mirrors the way the characters in The Secret History are haunted by their past and predestined choices.
Podcasts on the same thread
Dark History
Audioboom Studios · Podcast · 2026
Explores: untold narratives, institutional corruption, societal taboos.
For those fascinated by the dark, institutional corruption underpinning The Secret History, this exploration of societal taboos and hidden narratives provides a similar, intellectually rigorous look at human darkness.
1619
The New York Times · Podcast · 2019
Explores: systemic racism, national identity, legacy of slavery.
Much like the way The Secret History examines the foundational lies of its characters, this series uncovers the uncomfortable, systemic truths that shaped national identity and continue to haunt society.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is The Secret History a fast-paced novel?
Yes, The Secret History is described by The New York Times as a ferociously well-paced entertainment. The narrative follows Richard Papen as he is drawn into an elite circle of students at Hampden College, leading to a story that is both powerful and enthralling throughout the reading experience.
What is the primary setting of The Secret History?
The Secret History is set at Hampden College in New England. The plot centers on Richard Papen, who arrives at the school and becomes involved with an elite group of five students who are all Greek scholars and appear worldly and unapproachable to others on campus.
Who are the central characters in The Secret History?
The Secret History focuses on Richard Papen and an elite, unapproachable group of five students at Hampden College. These students are all Greek scholars who eventually bind themselves together through a terrifying secret that Richard discovers after being drawn into their inner circle.
When was The Secret History first published?
The Secret History, written by Donna Tartt, was published in 1993. The book follows the story of Richard Papen as he navigates his relationship with a group of Greek scholars at Hampden College and uncovers the dark secret that connects them.