What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedThe Strain
Guillermo del Toro · Series · 2014
If you loved The Strain, start with Contagion (Steven Soderbergh, 2011) — a film on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 films and 2 podcasts, each matched to The Strain across media.
What hooked you in The Strain was the chilling intersection of scientific investigation and the terrifying rapid collapse of society.
Books on the same thread
The Passage
Justin Cronin · Book · 2010
Explores: Government Conspiracy, Child Protagonist, Chosen One.
Just as The Strain blends medical horror with apocalyptic stakes, this novel features a government experiment gone wrong that forces survivors into a desperate battle for humanity's future.
The Fireman
Joe Hill · Book · 2016
Shares a thread with The Strain: Medical thriller.
If the medical thriller elements of The Strain kept you watching, you will appreciate how this story explores a global pandemic and the subsequent disintegration of social structures.
The Stand
Stephen King · Book · 1980
Explores: Good vs Evil, Plague, Survival.
This classic mirrors the epic scale of The Strain by pitting ordinary people against an ancient evil amidst a devastating plague that pushes civilization to its absolute breaking point.
Annihilation
Jeff VanderMeer · Book · 2014
Explores: Environmental Collapse, Exploration, Identity.
Fans of the atmospheric dread found in The Strain will connect with this exploration of mysterious, lethal phenomena that defy conventional scientific explanation and threaten the fabric of reality.
Films on the same thread
Contagion
Steven Soderbergh · Film · 2011
Shares 2 threads with The Strain: Viral Outbreak, Medical Thriller.
The Strain excels at depicting the frantic pace of an outbreak, a feeling mirrored here as scientists race against time to contain a lethal virus and prevent total panic.
The Andromeda Strain
Film · 1971
Shares a thread with The Strain: Medical Thriller.
This film shares the technical DNA of The Strain, focusing on the rigorous scientific investigation and containment protocols required when humanity faces an unknown and deadly biological threat.
The Flu
Kim Sung-soo · Film · 2013
Shares a thread with The Strain: Medical Thriller.
Similar to the containment struggle in The Strain, this film captures the harrowing government response and social breakdown that occurs when a local virus escalates into a pandemic.
Outbreak
Wolfgang Petersen · Film · 1995
Shares a thread with The Strain: Medical Thriller.
The Strain resonates with viewers who enjoy high-stakes biothrillers, and this film delivers a similar intensity regarding government conspiracy and the urgent need to quarantine a spreading, fatal pathogen.
Podcasts on the same thread
S-Town
Serial Productions · Podcast · 2024
Explores: small-town isolation, eccentricity, social decay.
While grounded in reality, this investigation mirrors the investigative obsession found in The Strain, as a single inquiry into a hidden world reveals deep-seated decay within a community.
This Podcast Will Kill You
Exactly Right and iHeartPodcasts · Podcast · 2026
Explores: pathogen history, public health awareness, scientific curiosity.
If you enjoyed the medical foundation of The Strain, this podcast offers a deep dive into the history and epidemiology of diseases that mirror the real-world threats Ephraim Goodweather faces.
Common questions
Is The Strain a supernatural series or a medical thriller?
The Strain is a high concept thriller that blends medical investigation with supernatural elements. It follows Dr. Ephraim Goodweather and the CDC Canary Team as they investigate a viral outbreak that reveals an ancient and evil strain of vampirism threatening the fate of humanity.
Does The Strain follow a specific team during the outbreak?
Yes, the story centers on Dr. Ephraim Goodweather and his team from the Center for Disease Control Canary Team. As the viral outbreak spreads through New York City, they join forces with an assembly of everyday New Yorkers to wage war against the ancient evil.
What is the primary conflict in The Strain?
The primary conflict in The Strain involves the CDC Canary Team attempting to contain a mysterious viral outbreak. They soon discover the virus is actually an ancient and evil strain of vampirism that forces them into a war to protect the fate of humanity itself.
How does the plot of The Strain begin?
The Strain begins when the CDC Canary Team is called to investigate a mysterious viral outbreak in New York City. Led by Dr. Ephraim Goodweather, the team discovers the illness possesses the hallmarks of an ancient and evil strain of vampirism that begins to spread rapidly.