What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedThe Union
Julian Farino · Film · 2024
If you loved The Union, start with The Agency: Central Intelligence (Jez Butterworth, 2024) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 3 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to The Union across media.
What hooked you in The Union was the thrill of watching an ordinary person thrust into a high-stakes, secret world.
Books on the same thread
The Tuxedo Society
Paul Rudnick · Book · 2026
If you enjoyed the fast-paced, irreverent energy of The Union, this queer 007 caper delivers the same blend of high-octane action and sharp, character-driven comedy you crave.
Spy x Family, Vol. 1
Tatsuya Endo · Book · 2020
Shares 2 threads with The Union: secret identity, Action comedy.
Much like the dynamic in The Union, this story centers on the tension of maintaining a secret identity while navigating the absurdities of an unexpected, high-stakes mission.
Spy School
Stuart Gibbs · Book
Explores: imposter syndrome, competence porn, underdog hero.
This story mirrors the fish-out-of-water experience found in The Union, following a regular person who is suddenly recruited into a world of espionage and covert operations.
Remain
Nicholas Sparks with M. Night Shyamalan · Book
Explores: unsettling secrets, new beginnings, emotional ambiguity.
While more grounded than The Union, this narrative captures the same underlying sense of unsettling secrets and new beginnings that occur when a regular life is suddenly disrupted.
Series on the same thread
The Agency: Central Intelligence
Jez Butterworth · Series · 2024
Shares a thread with The Union: Secret Identity.
Fans of the romantic complications in The Union will appreciate how this espionage thriller balances international intrigue with the intense, rekindled connection between two former flames.
SPY x FAMILY
Series · 2022
Shares 3 threads with The Union: Secret Identity, Fish Out of Water, Action Comedy.
This series captures the same fish-out-of-water humor and secret identity stakes that defined The Union, focusing on the chaotic collision between normal life and professional espionage work.
A Man on the Inside
Michael Schur · Series · 2024
Shares a thread with The Union: Fish Out of Water.
Just as in The Union, a seemingly ordinary person is pulled into a dangerous undercover investigation, proving that a fresh perspective is the best tool for the job.
Podcasts on the same thread
The Truth
The Truth · Podcast · 2026
Explores: human condition, experimental storytelling, moral ambiguity.
If you enjoyed the cinematic, unpredictable nature of The Union, these short, suspenseful stories provide a similar thrill by placing ordinary characters into extraordinary, high-stakes situations every time.
Stugotz and Company
iHeartPodcasts · Podcast · 2026
Explores: absurdism, unfiltered opinion, camaraderie.
If the comedic, unfiltered camaraderie was the highlight of The Union for you, this podcast offers that same sense of unpredictable, irreverent energy in a conversational format.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is The Union based on a book or other source material?
The Union is not based on any existing source material or book. It is a standalone 2024 film directed by Julian Farino that follows a New Jersey construction worker recruited for an espionage mission by his high school sweetheart.
Who directed the 2024 film The Union?
The Union was directed by Julian Farino. The film depicts the story of a regular construction worker from New Jersey who is pulled into a high-stakes espionage mission by a former high school sweetheart.
What is the premise of The Union?
The Union focuses on a New Jersey construction worker who transitions into an aspiring spy. His journey begins when a long-lost high school sweetheart recruits him to participate in a dangerous espionage mission.
Is The Union a standalone movie?
Yes, The Union is a standalone film released in 2024. There are no other versions or source-material adaptations of this story, as the plot centers entirely on the original narrative of a construction worker turned spy.