What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedThe Tourist
Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck · Film · 2010
If you loved The Tourist, start with The Little Drummer Girl (2018) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to The Tourist across media.
If you loved The Tourist, you crave the disorienting tension found when international espionage and romantic mystery collide.
Books on the same thread
The Girl on the Train
Paula Hawkins · Book · 2015
Explores: Unreliable Narrator, Alcoholism, Infidelity.
Like The Tourist, this narrative traps you in a web of uncertainty where you cannot trust the intentions of those you meet during your daily commute.
The Innocent
Ian McEwan · Book · 1998
Explores: Cold War, Espionage, Loss of Innocence.
This story mirrors the Cold War stakes of The Tourist, placing an ordinary individual into a dangerous world of surveillance where everyone hides a secret identity.
Death in Venice
Thomas Mann · Book · 1986
Explores: Obsession, Mortality, Beauty.
The Tourist captures the specific allure of Venice as a backdrop for obsession, a theme that anchors this classic tale of beauty and longing in Italy.
The Scarlet Pimpernel
Baroness Orczy · Book · 2002
Explores: Secret Identity, Heroism, French Revolution.
The Tourist delights in the concept of hidden personas, an element this classic adventure elevates through its protagonist who masterfully disguises his true intentions from everyone.
Series on the same thread
The Night Manager
David Farr · Series · 2016
Shares 2 threads with The Tourist: Undercover Operation, International Intrigue.
If you enjoyed the high-stakes undercover operations in The Tourist, you will appreciate how this series immerses you in the dangerous, deceptive world of international arms dealing.
The Little Drummer Girl
Series · 2018
Shares a thread with The Tourist: Undercover Operation.
This series echoes the romantic deception of The Tourist, showing how an innocent holiday encounter can quickly spiral into a complex, high-stakes game of professional espionage.
Person of Interest
Jonathan Nolan · Series · 2011
Explores: Artificial Intelligence, Surveillance State, Moral Ambiguity.
The Tourist features characters operating in the shadows of the law, a premise this series expands upon through its focus on covert agents seeking elusive justice.
The Bureau
Éric Rochant · Series · 2015
Shares 2 threads with The Tourist: International Intrigue, Espionage Thriller.
Much like the clandestine atmosphere of The Tourist, this show explores the psychological toll of deep-cover operations where identity is the most valuable and fragile currency.
Podcasts on the same thread
The Truth
The Truth · Podcast · 2026
Explores: human condition, experimental storytelling, moral ambiguity.
These cinematic audio dramas deliver the same suspenseful, short-form storytelling found in The Tourist, keeping you guessing with every new character and world you encounter.
Passenger List
Passenger List and Radiotopia · Podcast · 2025
The Tourist thrives on the mystery of a sudden disappearance, a tension you will find here as a determined protagonist uncovers the truth behind a vanished flight.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is The Tourist a film about an American traveler?
Yes, The Tourist follows an American man named Frank who meets a mysterious British woman named Elise while traveling on a train to Venice. Their encounter leads to a complex situation where Elise is not exactly who she appears to be to Frank.
Where does the story in The Tourist take place?
The story in The Tourist is set in Venice. The plot begins when Frank and Elise meet on a train headed toward the Italian city, where the subsequent events of their romantic and mysterious encounter unfold.
Who directed The Tourist?
The Tourist is a 2010 film directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck. It centers on the developing relationship between an American tourist and a woman he meets on a train to Venice who is hiding a secret.
Is The Tourist a mystery film?
The Tourist is a film involving a mysterious British woman named Elise who encounters an American tourist on a train to Venice. The plot focuses on the budding romance between the two characters and the realization that there is more to Elise than meets the eye.