What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedWhat a Beautiful Day
Gennaro Nunziante · Film · 2011
If you loved What a Beautiful Day, start with Reno 911! (Thomas Lennon, 2003) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to What a Beautiful Day across media.
You connected with the way What a Beautiful Day exposes the absurd incompetence hidden within the world's most serious institutions.
Books on the same thread
White Noise
Don DeLillo · Book · 1999
Explores: Existential dread, Consumer culture critique, Fear of death.
Just as What a Beautiful Day satirizes bureaucracy, this book uses absurdist fiction to expose the numbing, consumer-driven culture and existential dread that infiltrate the lives of ordinary citizens.
Accidental Death of an Anarchist
Dario Fo, Gavin Richards · Book · 1987
Explores: Police Corruption, Abuse of Power, Political Conspiracy.
If you enjoyed the way What a Beautiful Day mocks authority through farce, you will appreciate this play's biting political satire regarding police corruption and institutionalized social injustice.
Catch-22
Joseph Heller · Book · 1961
Explores: Bureaucratic absurdity, Existential dread, The insanity of war.
This classic shares the core DNA of What a Beautiful Day by framing the terrifying nature of war and authority through the lens of inescapable, soul-crushing bureaucratic absurdity.
Me Talk Pretty One Day
David Sedaris · Book · 2009
Explores: American in Paris, Learning a New Language, Family Dynamics.
The cultural clashes found in What a Beautiful Day find a lighter, more personal counterpart here as the author navigates the frustrations and humor of adapting to new environments.
Series on the same thread
Mr. Bean
Richard Curtis · Series · 1990
Shares 2 threads with What a Beautiful Day: Incompetence, Slapstick Comedy.
The slapstick brilliance that defined Checco in What a Beautiful Day is mirrored in this series, where a single character turns mundane, everyday situations into absolute, hilarious chaos.
The Thick of It
Armando Iannucci · Series · 2005
Shares a thread with What a Beautiful Day: Bureaucracy.
You will recognize the same spirit of government incompetence found in What a Beautiful Day, here amplified through the frantic, backstabbing world of high-stakes political spin and public relations.
Veep
Armando Iannucci · Series · 2012
Shares 2 threads with What a Beautiful Day: Incompetence, Bureaucracy.
This series captures the same feeling of watching unqualified individuals navigate high-pressure environments as seen in What a Beautiful Day, focusing on the hilarious dysfunction within American political power.
Reno 911!
Thomas Lennon · Series · 2003
Shares a thread with What a Beautiful Day: Parody.
If the police-themed parody in What a Beautiful Day kept you entertained, you will love this mockumentary that highlights the sheer incompetence of officers in a chaotic squad room.
Podcasts on the same thread
Illumina Show
Podcast
Explores: Humor, Satire, Italian Culture.
This podcast explores the regional identity and Italian cultural nuances that ground the humor in What a Beautiful Day, offering a satirical look at life through an Italian lens.
Capiamo
Podcast
Explores: Italian Culture, Italian Lifestyle, Current Events (Italy).
Building on the appreciation for Italian culture and lifestyle portrayed in What a Beautiful Day, this show provides a direct look at the current events and atmosphere of Italy.
Common questions
Is What a Beautiful Day about a police officer?
What a Beautiful Day follows Checco, a man who dreams of joining the police but fails his entrance exam three times. Instead of becoming an officer, he uses his connections to secure a position as a security agent at the Milan Cathedral.
Why did Checco fail his entrance exam in What a Beautiful Day?
Checco failed his entrance exam for What a Beautiful Day because he openly admitted during his oral examination that he wanted to join the police force specifically for the benefits in kind and the opportunity for cronyism.
Where is the protagonist of What a Beautiful Day from?
The protagonist of What a Beautiful Day is Checco, who is described as a self-satisfied and uneducated fellow from Milan. After failing his police exams, he eventually finds employment as a security agent at the Milan Cathedral.
Who directed What a Beautiful Day?
What a Beautiful Day is a 2011 film directed by Gennaro Nunziante. The story centers on a man named Checco who fails his police exams and subsequently takes a job as a security guard at the Milan Cathedral.