What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedWhat's in a Name
Alexandre de La Patellière · Film · 2012
If you loved What's in a Name, start with Friday Night Dinner (Robert Popper, 2011) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to What's in a Name across media.
If you loved What's in a Name, you will enjoy these stories that transform intimate domestic settings into explosive arenas for intellectual and ideological warfare.
Books on the same thread
The Name of the Rose
Umberto Eco · Book · 1984
Explores: Religious Heresy, Medieval Philosophy, Secrets and Conspiracy.
Like the dinner party in What's in a Name, this narrative uses a confined setting to force characters into intense intellectual debates that reveal deep-seated ideological secrets.
Bouvard and Pecuchet
Gustave Flaubert · Book · 2005
Explores: The Absurdity of Knowledge, Failed Intellectualism, Critique of Bourgeois Society.
This work mirrors the intellectual satire found in What's in a Name by exposing the absurdity of pretentious characters who attempt to navigate life through rigid, misguided belief systems.
White Noise
Don DeLillo · Book · 1999
Explores: Existential dread, Consumer culture critique, Fear of death.
Much like the volatile dinner conversation in What's in a Name, this book masterfully skewers the pretensions of the educated class through sharp, dark, and deeply observant social commentary.
Fathers and Sons
Иван Сергеевич Тургенев · Book · 1994
Explores: generational conflict, nihilism, social change.
The ideological clash between generations in this novel captures the same combustible energy found in What's in a Name, where differing worldviews turn personal relationships into battlegrounds for belief.
Series on the same thread
Friday Night Dinner
Robert Popper · Series · 2011
Explores: Family Dynamics, Dysfunctional Family, Jewish Family.
You will recognize the claustrophobic family tension of What's in a Name here, as these weekly rituals consistently unravel into chaotic arguments that test the patience of every attendee.
All in the Family
Johnny Speight · Series · 1971
Explores: Generation Gap, Social Issues, Family Conflict.
This show shares the DNA of What's in a Name by utilizing the dinner table as a stage for characters to aggressively debate politics, class, and their conflicting values.
Family Ties
Gary David Goldberg · Series · 1982
Explores: Generational Conflict, Political Differences, Family Values.
Similar to the central conflict in What's in a Name, this sitcom thrives on the friction between family members with fundamentally opposed political identities and deep-seated generational divides.
Veep
Armando Iannucci · Series · 2012
Shares a thread with What's in a Name: Dark Comedy.
If you enjoyed the biting, dialogue-driven insults in What's in a Name, you will appreciate how this series uses rapid-fire verbal sparring to highlight the incompetence of its ambitious characters.
Podcasts on the same thread
SmartLess
Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, Will Arnett · Podcast · 2026
Explores: camaraderie, spontaneity, shared life experiences.
The organic banter and spontaneous friction between friends in this podcast echo the dynamic interplay between the characters in What's in a Name, offering a similar sense of intimacy.
The Deca Tapes
Lex Noteboom · Podcast · 2025
Explores: social isolation, paranoia, confinement.
Just as the confined space of the dinner party in What's in a Name forces truths to the surface, this story uses extreme isolation to reveal the volatile hidden motives.
Common questions
Is What's in a Name a film set in Paris?
Yes, What's in a Name is a 2012 film set in Paris. The story centers on a dinner party hosted by Elizabeth and Peter, who are professors living in the city, where they are joined by Vincent and his childhood friend Claude.
What is the primary conflict in What's in a Name?
The primary conflict in What's in a Name revolves around a dinner party where Vincent shares the name chosen for his unborn son. This revelation causes significant offense among the other guests, leading to a heated argument regarding the naming choice and other underlying tensions.
Who are the main characters attending the dinner in What's in a Name?
The characters present at the dinner in What's in a Name include Vincent, a wealthy real estate agent; his sister Elizabeth and her husband Peter, who are both professors; and Claude, a childhood friend who works as a trombonist in a symphony orchestra.
Who directed the 2012 film What's in a Name?
The 2012 film What's in a Name was directed by Alexandre de La Patellière. The movie explores the interpersonal dynamics and social frictions that arise between a group of friends and family members during a single evening spent together at a dinner party.