What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedWhat Women Want
Nancy Meyers · Film · 2000
If you loved What Women Want, start with What Men Want (Adam Shankman, 2019) — a film from the same story. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to What Women Want across media.
If What Women Want hooked you with its high-concept premise of navigating hidden desires, you will enjoy these explorations of communication and identity.
Start with the source
Adaptation
What Men Want
Adam Shankman · Film · 2019
Books on the same thread
Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus
John Gray · Book · 1992
Explores: Gender Differences, Communication in Relationships, Relationship Improvement.
Like Nick Marshall in What Women Want, you are fascinated by the friction between genders; this book provides the foundational framework for decoding those complex interpersonal communication gaps.
The Women's Room
Marilyn French · Book · 1977
Shares a thread with What Women Want: Gender Roles.
While What Women Want uses fantasy to bridge the gender divide, this novel offers a grounded, poignant look at the internal lives of women navigating societal expectations.
The Female Persuasion
Meg Wolitzer · Book · 2018
Explores: Mentorship, Feminism, Ambition.
The power dynamics between mentor and mentee here mirror the professional tensions in What Women Want, exploring how ambition and influence shape our personal and career trajectories.
Women in Love
D. H. Lawrence · Book · 1987
Explores: Human Relationships, Passion and Destruction, War and Society.
If you enjoyed the psychological curiosity found in What Women Want, this modernist classic delves deeper into the complex, often volatile nature of human connection and romantic passion.
Series on the same thread
Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist
Austin Winsberg · Series · 2020
Shares a thread with What Women Want: Fantasy Comedy.
This show shares the exact supernatural premise of What Women Want, using a sudden, life-changing ability to grant the protagonist intimate access to the private thoughts of others.
30 Rock
Tina Fey · Series · 2006
Explores: Corporate Culture, Absurd Humor, New York City.
The chaotic workplace dynamics and sharp dialogue in this series capture the same fast-paced, high-stakes corporate energy that defined Nick Marshall's world in What Women Want.
Coffee Prince
Series · 2007
Shares 2 threads with What Women Want: Romantic Comedy, Workplace Romance.
This story echoes the gender-bending professional intrigue of What Women Want, focusing on how mistaken identities and workplace proximity force characters to reevaluate their assumptions about others.
Moonlighting
Glenn Gordon Caron · Series · 1985
Explores: Will They/Won't They, Sexual Tension, Quirky Characters.
The crackling chemistry and competitive banter between the leads mirror the central relationship in What Women Want, proving that professional partnerships often spark the most compelling romantic tension.
Podcasts on the same thread
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
Exactly Right and iHeartPodcasts · Podcast · 2026
Explores: mental health awareness, female friendship, coping mechanisms.
Much like the internal monologues revealed in What Women Want, this podcast prioritizes the authentic, unfiltered voices of women, creating a space where hidden stories and feelings emerge.
The Shrink Next Door
Audible | Bloomberg · Podcast · 2026
Explores: manipulation, boundary violation, power dynamics.
If the manipulative office politics in What Women Want kept you hooked, this investigative look at power dynamics and boundary violations offers a darker, real-world psychological study.
Common questions
Is What Men Want a direct sequel to What Women Want?
What Men Want is not a direct sequel to the 2000 film What Women Want. It serves as a modern adaptation that flips the premise, following a woman who gains the ability to hear men's thoughts rather than a man hearing women's thoughts.
What is the main premise of What Women Want?
In What Women Want, advertising executive Nick Marshall gains the ability to hear women's thoughts following an accident. He uses this newfound talent to gain an advantage over his new boss, Darcy, after being passed over for a promotion at his agency.
Should I watch What Men Want if I enjoyed What Women Want?
If you enjoyed the concept of What Women Want, you may appreciate What Men Want. Both films explore the comedic consequences of hearing the internal thoughts of the opposite gender, though they feature different characters and updated settings for their respective eras.
How does the plot of What Women Want involve Nick Marshall?
Nick Marshall is a chauvinistic advertising executive in What Women Want who finds his life transformed after an accident. He must navigate his professional relationship with his boss, Darcy, while dealing with the unexpected ability to hear exactly what the women around him are thinking.