What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedThe Turin Horse
Béla Tarr · Film · 2011
If you loved The Turin Horse, start with BoJack Horseman (Raphael Bob-Waksberg, 2014) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to The Turin Horse across media.
What hooked you in The Turin Horse was the way the crushing weight of existence manifests through repetitive, inescapable daily rituals.
Books on the same thread
The Sickness Unto Death
Søren Kierkegaard · Book · 2013
Shares 3 threads with The Turin Horse: Despair, Mortality, Existentialism.
If The Turin Horse left you contemplating the void, this philosophical exploration of despair provides the intellectual framework for the existential stagnation depicted in the film's bleak landscape.
The Road
Cormac McCarthy · Book · 2007
Explores: Parent-child bond, Moral ambiguity, Existential dread.
The Turin Horse captures the slow decay of the world, and this novel mirrors that dread through the lens of a father and son traversing a similarly indifferent, dying landscape.
All the Pretty Horses
Cormac McCarthy · Book · 2010
Explores: loss of innocence, masculinity, the American West.
While The Turin Horse focuses on the stillness of rural life, this story captures the same somber gravity of the human condition against the backdrop of an unforgiving, vast wilderness.
The Stranger (L'Étranger)
Albert Camus · Book · 1942
Explores: Absurdity of Life, Alienation, Indifference.
The Turin Horse presents a world stripped of meaning, much like this novel which examines the chilling indifference of the universe through the eyes of an alienated, detached protagonist.
Series on the same thread
BoJack Horseman
Raphael Bob-Waksberg · Series · 2014
Shares a thread with The Turin Horse: Existentialism.
Beneath the humor, this series tackles the same profound existential loneliness found in The Turin Horse, focusing on the self-destructive patterns that define a life devoid of genuine purpose.
The Bear
Christopher Storer · Series · 2022
Explores: Grief, Family Business, Working Class.
The Turin Horse highlights the grueling nature of survival, a theme that resonates here as characters navigate the relentless, repetitive pressures of a high-stress kitchen environment and personal grief.
Mare of Easttown
Brad Ingelsby · Series · 2021
Explores: Grief, Trauma, Family Dysfunction.
Just as The Turin Horse explores the isolation of a small, stifling life, this series examines how deep-seated trauma and grief can erode the fabric of a small community.
Slow Horses
Series · 2022
Explores: Underdog Story, Bureaucratic Incompetence, Redemption.
While the tone differs, this show captures the same sense of bureaucratic decay and cynical hopelessness that characterizes the bleak, trapped atmosphere found within The Turin Horse.
Podcasts on the same thread
Desinteligencia Artificial
Podcast
Shares a thread with The Turin Horse: Existentialism.
This podcast mirrors the critical, apocalyptic outlook of The Turin Horse by dissecting the modern human condition and the systemic decline of our contemporary, technology-driven society.
The Archers
Podcast
Explores: family life, community, farming.
The Turin Horse portrays the harsh reality of rural existence, a theme explored here through the lens of community life and the quiet, persistent struggles of agricultural daily routines.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is The Turin Horse based on a book?
The Turin Horse is not an adaptation of a book. The film is an original work directed by Béla Tarr in 2011, focusing on the lives of a poor farmer and his daughter as they endure a monumental windstorm and the refusal of their horse to work.
What is the primary conflict in The Turin Horse?
The primary conflict in The Turin Horse revolves around a poor farmer and his daughter facing the onset of the end of their world. This decline is signaled by a persistent, monumental windstorm and the inexplicable refusal of their abused horse to eat or perform any work.
Who directed The Turin Horse?
The Turin Horse was directed by Béla Tarr. Released in 2011, the film depicts the final days of a farmer and his daughter as they struggle against a relentless windstorm and the deteriorating condition of their horse, which serves as a catalyst for the film's narrative.
Does The Turin Horse feature a horse as a central character?
Yes, an abused horse is central to The Turin Horse. Its refusal to work or eat serves as a key signal of the impending end for the farmer and his daughter, marking the beginning of the film's bleak exploration of their final days during a monumental windstorm.