What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedWhere the Wild Things Are
Maurice Sendak · Book · 2009
If you loved Where the Wild Things Are, start with Where the Wild Things Are (Spike Jonze, 2009) — a film from the same story. Below: 4 films, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Where the Wild Things Are across media.
If Where the Wild Things Are captured your imagination, you will love these stories about navigating internal emotional landscapes.
Start with the source
Adaptation
Where the Wild Things Are
Spike Jonze · Film · 2009
Films on the same thread
The Wizard of Oz
Victor Fleming · Film · 1939
Explores: Good vs Evil, The power of belief, There's no place like home.
Much like Max in Where the Wild Things Are, Dorothy embarks on a transformative journey through a fantastical world that mirrors her own search for belonging and self-discovery.
Spirited Away
Hayao Miyazaki · Film · 2001
Explores: environmentalism, loss of innocence, identity.
Chihiro’s passage into a spirit realm parallels the surreal, transformative travel Max experiences in Where the Wild Things Are, as both stories explore the complexities of growing up.
How to Train Your Dragon
Dean DeBlois · Film · 2025
Explores: Bridging the Divide, Acceptance of the Other, Challenging Tradition.
Hiccup’s bond with Toothless echoes the way Max finds kinship with the monsters in Where the Wild Things Are, proving that friendship can bridge even the widest divides.
Mad Max: Fury Road
George Miller · Film · 2015
Explores: Female Empowerment, Redemption, Hope in a Wasteland.
The defiant spirit and raw, untamed landscapes in this film reflect the same sense of powerful, cathartic rebellion found within the pages of Where the Wild Things Are.
Series on the same thread
Stranger Things
Ross Duffer · Series · 2016
Shares a thread with Where the Wild Things Are: Monsters.
This series captures the same intersection of childhood wonder and dark, supernatural danger that defines the journey Max undertakes in Where the Wild Things Are.
Over the Garden Wall
Patrick McHale · Series · 2014
Explores: Brotherhood, Lost in the Woods, Nostalgia.
Just as Max wanders into a strange land to process his emotions, Wirt and Greg navigate the Unknown, capturing the same fable-like feeling present in Where the Wild Things Are.
Adventure Time
Pendleton Ward · Series · 2010
Shares a thread with Where the Wild Things Are: Coming of Age.
The surreal, adventurous friendship between Finn and Jake mirrors the way Max finds companionship in a mystical world, channeling the imaginative energy of Where the Wild Things Are.
Sesame Street
Lloyd Morrisett · Series · 1969
Explores: Early Childhood Education, Social Skills, Community.
This show provides the foundational emotional education that helps children navigate the tempestuous feelings and social growth that Max experiences throughout Where the Wild Things Are.
Podcasts on the same thread
We Can Do Hard Things
Treat Media and Glennon Doyle · Podcast · 2026
Explores: Vulnerability, Personal growth, Emotional support.
This podcast offers the adult version of the vulnerability found in Where the Wild Things Are, providing a support system for the messy, difficult work of growing up.
Story Pirates
Story Pirates · Podcast · 2026
Explores: Childhood imagination, Collaborative storytelling, Humor.
These stories turn childhood imagination into reality, much like the way Where the Wild Things Are validates the wild, creative power of a young child’s inner life.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Where the Wild Things Are based on a book?
Yes, the 2009 movie Where the Wild Things Are is an adaptation of the 2009 children's book written by Maurice Sendak. The story follows a boy named Max who is sent to bed without supper and sails to a land where he becomes king of the wild things.
What is the plot of Where the Wild Things Are?
Where the Wild Things Are tells the story of a naughty boy named Max. After being sent to bed without his supper, he sails to the land of the wild things. There, he experiences a passage through the tempestuous aspects of life and eventually becomes their king.
Should I read the book before watching Where the Wild Things Are?
You can enjoy either version independently. The 2009 movie Where the Wild Things Are is a direct adaptation of the 2009 book by Maurice Sendak. Both versions detail the journey of Max as he leaves home to become the king of the wild things after a difficult evening.
How does Where the Wild Things Are portray the life of Max?
Where the Wild Things Are depicts Max as a naughty boy who faces a passage through the tempestuous aspects of life. His journey begins when he is sent to bed without his supper, leading him to sail away to the land of the wild things to become their king.