What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedThe Traitor
Marco Bellocchio · Film · 2019
If you loved The Traitor, start with Vincenzo (2021) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to The Traitor across media.
What hooked you in The Traitor was the way a high-stakes life of crime forces an impossible, soul-defining moral reckoning.
Books on the same thread
The Godfather
Mario Puzo · Book · 1969
Shares a thread with The Traitor: Betrayal.
Just as The Traitor explores the internal costs of organized crime, this classic examines the heavy burden of loyalty and family dynamics within the shifting power of the Mafia.
The Confession: A Novel
John Grisham · Book · 2010
Shares 2 threads with The Traitor: Justice System, Redemption.
If the courtroom tension in The Traitor captivated you, you will appreciate this story where an individual faces a life-altering decision to finally speak the truth against impossible odds.
Cosa Nostra: A History of the Sicilian Mafia
John Dickie · Book · 2015
Shares a thread with The Traitor: Organized Crime.
To deepen your understanding of the real-world context behind The Traitor, this historical account strips away the mythology to reveal the cold, brutal mechanisms of the Sicilian Mafia.
Loyalty
Lisa Scottoline · Book
Shares a thread with The Traitor: organized crime.
The Traitor captures the personal toll of Mafia warfare, a theme that resonates in this saga as diverse lives intersect amidst the rise of the criminal underworld in Sicily.
Series on the same thread
Vincenzo
Series · 2021
Shares 2 threads with The Traitor: Organized Crime, Mafia Drama.
The Traitor highlights the clash between Italian criminal structures and personal survival, a transition mirrored here as a former Mafia consigliere navigates new territory through revenge and dark humor.
Gomorrah
Roberto Saviano · Series · 2014
Shares 3 threads with The Traitor: organized crime, betrayal, Mafia Drama.
Much like the gritty, authentic portrayal of criminal organizations in The Traitor, this series offers an unflinching look at the power struggles and betrayals defining the Camorra in Italy.
The Sopranos
David Chase · Series · 1999
Explores: Moral Ambiguity, Existential Crisis, Family Dynamics.
The Traitor centers on the psychological weight of a life in crime, mirroring how this series explores the moral ambiguity and existential crises of a modern mob boss.
El marginal
Sebastián Ortega · Series · 2016
Explores: Infiltration, False Identity, Kidnapping Investigation.
The Traitor thrives on the tension of living a double life, a dynamic central to this thriller where an undercover cop navigates the corruption within a dangerous prison network.
Podcasts on the same thread
Rachel Maddow Presents: Ultra
Rachel Maddow, MS NOW · Podcast · 2026
Explores: Authoritarianism, Domestic Espionage, Threats to Democracy.
The Traitor examines the severe consequences of being labeled a traitor, a concept this investigation expands upon by analyzing the high-stakes fallout of political betrayal and authoritarianism in history.
Criminal
Vox Media Podcast Network · Podcast · 2026
Explores: moral ambiguity, social justice, human behavior.
If you were drawn to the complex moral ambiguity of the characters in The Traitor, you will find similar fascination in these stories of people caught in the legal system.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is The Traitor based on real events in Sicily?
Yes, The Traitor is set in 1980s Palermo, Sicily. It depicts the life of Mafia member Tommaso Buscetta as he flees to Brazil and eventually returns to Italy to make a decision that alters the destiny of the criminal organization known as Cosa Nostra.
Does The Traitor follow Tommaso Buscetta's life in Brazil?
The Traitor follows Tommaso Buscetta as he initially moves to Brazil with his family to escape the internal war between Mafia clans. The narrative shifts when he experiences misfortunes and is forced to return to Italy, triggering the central conflict of the film.
What is the main conflict driving the plot of The Traitor?
The primary conflict in The Traitor is the violent war between different clans within the Cosa Nostra criminal organization. This ongoing war forces Tommaso Buscetta to flee Sicily and later drives his life-changing decision upon his eventual return to Italy.
Is The Traitor about the history of Cosa Nostra?
The Traitor focuses on the personal journey of Mafia member Tommaso Buscetta. His actions, taken after his return to Italy from Brazil, are portrayed as having a direct and lasting impact on the destiny of the Cosa Nostra organization.