What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedThis Must Be the Place
Paolo Sorrentino · Film · 2011
If you loved This Must Be the Place, start with The Young Pope (Paolo Sorrentino, 2016) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to This Must Be the Place across media.
What hooked you in This Must Be the Place was the way an eccentric protagonist navigates their profound identity crisis through a surreal journey.
Books on the same thread
The Road
Cormac McCarthy · Book · 2007
Explores: Parent-child bond, Moral ambiguity, Existential dread.
Like the somber quest in This Must Be the Place, this novel explores the heavy burden of the past and the existential dread that accompanies a search for meaning.
The Sun Also Rises
Ernest Hemingway · Book · 2006
Explores: Post-War Disillusionment, Masculinity, Expatriates.
The disillusioned expatriates navigating their fractured lives in this classic mirror the same sense of post-war displacement and aimless searching found in This Must Be the Place.
A Visit from the Goon Squad
Jennifer Egan · Book · 2011
Explores: non-linear narratives, passage of time, redemption and regret.
This exploration of an aging rocker reconciling with his past directly echoes the themes of musical history and personal regret that define the journey in This Must Be the Place.
Death in Venice
Thomas Mann · Book · 1986
Explores: Obsession, Mortality, Beauty.
The focus on an aging artist confronting his own mortality and obsession provides the same meditative, character-driven psychological depth that anchors the narrative of This Must Be the Place.
Series on the same thread
The Young Pope
Paolo Sorrentino · Series · 2016
Explores: faith and doubt, power dynamics, corruption.
Directed by the same visionary, this series captures the distinctive visual style and spiritual crisis of This Must Be the Place while exploring a complex, isolated protagonist in power.
The Good Place
Michael Schur · Series · 2016
Shares a thread with This Must Be the Place: Redemption.
If you valued the redemptive arc of This Must Be the Place, you will appreciate how this series uses philosophical humor to tackle the necessity of moral self-improvement.
The Sopranos
David Chase · Series · 1999
Explores: Moral Ambiguity, Existential Crisis, Family Dynamics.
The deep dive into the existential dilemmas and family burdens of a complex man provides the same psychological intensity that makes This Must Be the Place so compelling.
Monster
Series · 2004
Shares a thread with This Must Be the Place: Redemption.
This story of a man whose life is upended by a dark, mysterious figure reflects the same moral gravity and quest for redemption found in This Must Be the Place.
Podcasts on the same thread
This American Life
This American Life · Podcast · 2026
Explores: The human condition, Personal narrative, Social observation.
The focus on intimate, human-centric storytelling captures the same emotional curiosity about the human condition that drives the character-focused narrative of This Must Be the Place.
Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend
Team Coco & Earwolf · Podcast · 2026
Explores: parasocial relationships, professional intimacy, self-deprecating humor.
The candid exploration of professional isolation and the search for authentic connection mirrors the same vulnerability and loneliness experienced by the retired star in This Must Be the Place.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is This Must Be the Place based on a true story?
This Must Be the Place is a fictional film directed by Paolo Sorrentino. It follows the story of a retired rock star who embarks on a journey to locate his father's former tormentor, a Nazi war criminal hiding in the United States.
What is the main plot of This Must Be the Place?
The plot of This Must Be the Place centers on a bored, retired rock star. He decides to leave his life of retirement to track down a Nazi war criminal who tormented his father and is currently living as a refugee in the United States.
Who directed This Must Be the Place?
This Must Be the Place was directed by Paolo Sorrentino. Released in 2011, the film tells the story of a former rock musician who travels across the United States to find an ex-Nazi war criminal who once tormented his father.
What happens to the protagonist in This Must Be the Place?
In This Must Be the Place, the protagonist is a bored, retired rock star. He sets out on a quest to find his father's tormentor, an ex-Nazi war criminal residing in the United States, which serves as the primary conflict and journey of the film.