What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedThis Is 40
Judd Apatow · Film · 2012
If you loved This Is 40, start with Togetherness (Jay Duplass, 2015) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 3 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to This Is 40 across media.
If This Is 40 hooked you, you will appreciate these stories that find humor in the relentless friction of domestic life.
Books on the same thread
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
and Jeff Kinney · Book
Explores: Middle school struggles, Adolescent awkwardness, Social hierarchy.
If This Is 40 hit, Diary of a Wimpy Kid shares the thread.
The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine
Michael Lewis · Book · 2010
Explores: Financial Crisis of 2008, Wall Street Corruption, Mortgage-Backed Securities.
If This Is 40 hit, The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine shares the thread.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Jeff Kinney · Book · 2007
Explores: social awkwardness, sibling rivalry, middle school survival.
If This Is 40 hit, Diary of a Wimpy Kid shares the thread.
The Twilight Years
有吉佐和子 · Book · 1984
Explores: Aging Parents, Elder Care, Family Conflict.
Just as This Is 40 explores the crushing weight of family obligations, this novel examines the intergenerational struggle of caring for aging parents under immense domestic pressure.
Series on the same thread
Togetherness
Jay Duplass · Series · 2015
Shares a thread with This Is 40: Marriage problems.
If you enjoyed the midlife crisis portrayed in This Is 40, you will recognize the same raw tension as four adults navigate failing dreams and complex marriage problems.
The Middle
Eileen Heisler · Series · 2009
Explores: Working-Class Family, Dysfunctional Family, Small Town Life.
Like the suburban chaos seen in This Is 40, this series masterfully captures the daily mishaps and relentless exhaustion of raising a family in middle America.
Love
Judd Apatow · Series · 2016
Explores: Modern Relationships, Dating in LA, Personal Growth.
Created by the same mind behind This Is 40, this series mirrors the honest, messy exploration of modern relationships and the self-destructive behavior that threatens personal growth.
Podcasts on the same thread
Thirty-Forty
Podcast
Explores: age differences, cultural comparison, life transitions.
Much like the conversational honesty in This Is 40, this podcast captures the specific anxieties of life transitions and the shifting perspectives that come with aging into forty.
Sh**ged Married Annoyed
Chris & Rosie Ramsey · Podcast · 2026
Explores: domestic life, modern marriage, parenthood struggles.
Fans of the marital bickering in This Is 40 will find a familiar comedic rhythm in this podcast as the hosts dissect the realities of modern parenthood.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is This Is 40 a movie about a midlife crisis?
Yes, This Is 40 focuses on Pete and Debbie as they both approach their fortieth birthdays. The film depicts the couple dealing with significant stress as their businesses fail, their children clash, and their relationship struggles to remain intact while they face the potential loss of their home.
What is the primary conflict in This Is 40?
The primary conflict in This Is 40 involves Pete and Debbie navigating a series of personal and professional crises. As they turn forty, they must contend with failing businesses, financial instability that threatens their house, and a marriage that is beginning to fall apart under the pressure.
Does This Is 40 feature a family struggling with their children?
Yes, family dynamics are a central theme in This Is 40. The plot highlights the ongoing tension between Pete and Debbie's children, who are shown to hate each other, adding another layer of difficulty to the couple's already strained domestic life and crumbling financial situation.
Is This Is 40 directed by Judd Apatow?
Yes, This Is 40 is a 2012 film directed by Judd Apatow. The story follows Pete and Debbie, a couple facing the challenges of turning forty, including failing businesses, the threat of losing their home, and the strain placed on their relationship by these mounting life pressures.