What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedWildland
Evan Osnos · Book · 2021
If you loved Wildland, start with The Realignment (The Realignment, 2026) — a podcast on the same thread. Below: 3 films, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Wildland across media.
If Wildland captivated you, these selections mirror its deep-dive exploration of the fractured, often invisible forces shaping modern American identity.
Films on the same thread
Nomadland
Chloé Zhao · Film · 2021
Explores: Economic hardship, Resilience, Loss and grief.
Like the subjects in Wildland, the protagonist here navigates the harsh realities of economic displacement, offering a poignant, grounded look at the human cost of contemporary American decline.
Civil War
Alex Garland · Film · 2024
Shares a thread with Wildland: American Decline.
This film accelerates the political polarization documented in Wildland to its logical, terrifying conclusion, following journalists who attempt to make sense of a crumbling, divided national landscape.
Winter's Bone
Debra Granik · Film · 2010
Explores: Poverty, Family Loyalty, Female Protagonist.
You will appreciate how this film captures the same grit and rural isolation found in Wildland, highlighting family survival against the backdrop of systemic poverty and local indifference.
Series on the same thread
Landman
Taylor Sheridan · Series · 2024
Explores: Oil Industry, Class Conflict, Environmental Impact.
Much like the socioeconomic analysis in Wildland, this series examines the volatile intersection of industry, wealth, and power, revealing how resource extraction fundamentally alters the American social fabric.
Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends
Louis Theroux · Series · 1998
Explores: American Subcultures, Cultural Immersion, Social Outcasts.
If you valued the immersive investigative style of Wildland, you will find this series a compelling study of the eccentric and often overlooked subcultures operating within American society.
Yellowstone
Taylor Sheridan · Series · 2018
Explores: Land Disputes, Family Loyalty, Wealth and Power.
This series mirrors the themes of land and legacy explored in Wildland, focusing on the high-stakes power struggles that define the vast and often misunderstood American interior landscape.
Wild Wild Country
Series · 2018
Explores: Cults, Religious Extremism, Utopian Communities.
This documentary captures the same friction between utopian ideals and reality that informs Wildland, showcasing how extreme belief systems can lead to intense conflict within local American communities.
Podcasts on the same thread
The Realignment
The Realignment · Podcast · 2026
Explores: institutional change, populism, technological disruption.
This podcast serves as a direct extension of the political sociology found in Wildland, providing a platform for analyzing the major institutional changes currently reshaping our national trajectory.
The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe
The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe · Podcast · 2026
Explores: untold historical anecdotes, curiosity-driven learning, American cultural history.
If the narrative journalism of Wildland resonated with you, you will appreciate this show's commitment to uncovering the obscure, human-centric stories that constitute the history of the American experience.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Wildland a new book?
Wildland was published in 2021 by Evan Osnos. It serves as a collection of reporting that examines the state of the United States, with portions of the book appearing previously in The New Yorker in different forms.
What is the origin of the material in Wildland?
According to the title page verso of Wildland, portions of the book originally appeared in The New Yorker magazine. Evan Osnos adapted these pieces into the 2021 book to provide a broader look at the American landscape.
Did Evan Osnos write Wildland for The New Yorker?
Evan Osnos wrote portions of Wildland for The New Yorker, where they appeared in different forms. The 2021 book compiles and expands upon this reporting to present a comprehensive study of the country.
Is Wildland based on previously published articles?
Yes, Wildland is based on reporting that was originally published in The New Yorker. The 2021 book presents this material in a different form than how the individual pieces appeared in the magazine.