What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedThe Underground Railroad
Colson Whitehead · Book · 2018
If you loved The Underground Railroad, start with The Underground Railroad (Barry Jenkins, 2021) — a series from the same story. Below: 4 films, 4 series and 1 podcast, each matched to The Underground Railroad across media.
What hooked you in The Underground Railroad is how it forces you to confront the visceral, haunting legacy of American slavery.
Start with the source
Adaptation
The Underground Railroad
Barry Jenkins · Series · 2021
Films on the same thread
12 Years a Slave
Steve McQueen · Film · 2013
Shares a thread with The Underground Railroad: Survival.
Like The Underground Railroad, this film unflinchingly depicts the brutal reality of the antebellum South and the relentless, deeply personal struggle to maintain dignity while fighting for one's freedom.
American Fiction
Cord Jefferson · Film · 2023
Shares a thread with The Underground Railroad: Identity.
If you appreciated how The Underground Railroad challenged historical narratives, this biting satire will resonate as it exposes the hypocrisy and systemic exploitation inherent in modern depictions of Black identity.
Gone with the Wind
Victor Fleming · Film · 1939
Shares a thread with The Underground Railroad: Survival.
While distinct in tone from The Underground Railroad, this classic offers a polarized perspective on the Reconstruction era that highlights the intense, era-defining survival instincts of those living through conflict.
Nickel Boys
RaMell Ross · Film · 2024
Shares a thread with The Underground Railroad: Racial Injustice.
This story mirrors the harrowing, systemic oppression found in The Underground Railroad, focusing on the profound strength of friendship and survival while navigating the crushing weight of institutionalized racial injustice.
Series on the same thread
Roots
Alex Haley · Series · 1977
Explores: Family Saga, Cultural Identity, Oppression and Resistance.
Just as The Underground Railroad examines the multigenerational toll of bondage, this epic saga provides a definitive look at the endurance of the human spirit amidst centuries of enforced servitude.
The Good Lord Bird
Mark Richard · Series · 2020
Explores: Abolitionism, Racial Identity, Religious Fanaticism.
This series shares the speculative, historical spirit of The Underground Railroad, using a unique lens to explore the complexities of abolitionism and the search for identity before the Civil War.
The Book of Negroes
Clement Virgo · Series · 2015
Shares 3 threads with The Underground Railroad: Survival, Identity, Freedom.
If the desperate, globe-trotting journey for liberation in The Underground Railroad moved you, this narrative of a woman navigating treacherous borders to secure her freedom provides a powerful, similar resonance.
The Gilded Age
Julian Fellowes · Series · 2022
Explores: Social Class, New Money vs. Old Money, American Dream.
This drama complements the historical scope of The Underground Railroad by examining the intersection of social class and race in a country still grappling with the shadows of its past.
Podcasts on the same thread
1619
The New York Times · Podcast · 2019
Explores: systemic racism, national identity, legacy of slavery.
This podcast serves as the essential documentary companion to The Underground Railroad, grounding the fictionalized trauma of the novel in the documented, systemic reality that shaped the American national identity.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is The Underground Railroad based on a true story?
The Underground Railroad is a work of fiction written by Colson Whitehead. While it depicts the historical context of the antebellum South, the narrative is an imaginative masterpiece rather than a direct historical account. It earned the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award for its storytelling.
Is there a TV adaptation of The Underground Railroad?
Yes, The Underground Railroad was adapted into a television series released in 2021. This adaptation is based on the 2018 novel by Colson Whitehead, which chronicles a young slave's desperate bid for freedom and is recognized as one of the best books of the 21st century.
What awards has The Underground Railroad won?
The Underground Railroad is a critically acclaimed work that received both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. It is also recognized as a number one New York Times bestseller and has been named one of the best books of the 21st century by The New York Times.
Should I read the book The Underground Railroad before watching the show?
Reading the 2018 novel The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead provides the original context for the 2021 television adaptation. As a Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winner, the book offers the foundational narrative of the protagonist's journey through the antebellum South that the series explores.