What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedX
Film · 2022
If you loved X, start with Cell (Stephen King, 2022) — a book on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to X across media.
What hooked you in X was the claustrophobic tension of being trapped by dangerous, unpredictable hosts in a remote, isolated setting.
Books on the same thread
Psycho
Robert Bloch · Book · 1959
Shares 2 threads with X: Isolation, Slasher.
Like X, this classic explores the terrifying intersection of obsession and isolation, trapping characters within a confined space where the hosts are far more dangerous than they initially appear.
Cell
Stephen King · Book · 2022
Explores: Cell phones, Mind control, Survival.
If the desperate survival stakes of X kept you watching, this narrative offers a similarly frantic struggle against an encroaching threat that forces ordinary people into brutal, life-or-death situations.
Misery
Stephen King · Book · 1987
Shares 2 threads with X: Isolation, Psychological Thriller.
You will recognize the suffocating power dynamics from X in this story of a captive protagonist forced to navigate the volatile whims of a dangerous, possessive fan in isolation.
The Exorcist
William Peter Blatty · Book · 1971
Explores: Good vs. Evil, Demonic Possession, Loss of Innocence.
Much like the unsettling atmosphere found in X, this novel masterfully builds dread through a domestic setting that is slowly corrupted by forces beyond the characters' control and understanding.
Series on the same thread
The Terror
David Kajganich · Series · 2018
Shares 2 threads with X: Isolation, Psychological Thriller.
If the isolation of rural Texas in X gripped you, you will appreciate how this series uses an unforgiving environment to push its characters toward madness and desperate survival.
American Horror Story
Ryan Murphy · Series · 2011
Explores: Trauma, Social Commentary, Identity.
This anthology series echoes the character-driven horror of X, exploring how identity, trauma, and power dynamics manifest when people are forced into dangerous, inescapable locations together.
FROM
John Griffin · Series · 2022
Shares a thread with X: Survival horror.
Similar to the trapped filmmakers in X, the residents of this mysterious town must maintain their sanity while surviving nightly threats that turn their environment into a lethal cage.
Yellowjackets
Ashley Lyle · Series · 2021
Shares 2 threads with X: Survival Horror, Psychological Thriller.
This story mirrors the survival horror of X, focusing on how group dynamics and moral decay unravel when individuals are isolated from society and forced to fight for life.
Podcasts on the same thread
The Truth
The Truth · Podcast · 2026
Explores: human condition, experimental storytelling, moral ambiguity.
These cinematic audio stories capture the same sharp, suspenseful tone found in X, delivering intense, self-contained narratives that explore the darker edges of human behavior in unexpected situations.
The Magnus Archives
Podcast
Explores: Esoteric Research, The Weird, Paranormal Investigation.
Fans of the eerie, research-focused tone in X will enjoy this delve into the weird, where the focus on esoteric investigation mirrors the film's fascination with hidden, dangerous secrets.
Common questions
Is X set in a modern time period?
No, X is not set in a modern time period. The film takes place in 1979, following a group of young filmmakers who travel to rural Texas to produce an adult film, only to face a deadly confrontation with their elderly hosts.
What is the primary conflict in X?
The primary conflict in X occurs when the group of young filmmakers is caught by their reclusive, elderly hosts while filming an adult movie. This discovery leads to a desperate fight for survival as the hosts turn against their guests.
Where does the story in X take place?
The story in X is set in rural Texas. The plot follows a group of young filmmakers who arrive at a remote property to shoot an adult film, where they encounter hostile, elderly hosts who force them to fight for their lives.
Who are the antagonists in X?
The antagonists in X are the reclusive, elderly hosts of the property where the young filmmakers are staying. After catching the cast in the act of making an adult film, the hosts become the primary threat to the group's survival.