In his first two books, Tom Zaniello proved himself a reliable and thoughtful guide to films about labor and working-class people. With The Cinema of the Precariat, he turns his gaze to precarity, tracing the history of media narratives about how economic uncertainty affects workers and their families. He recommends and provides context for a variety of films – from different eras and countries -- that can help us understand why we should be concerned about the growth of the gig economy in the U.S. and around the world. Zaniello offers a catalogue for interested viewers and a thoughtful guide to help us think about how precarity works and how we look at it -- on screens large and small.

Sherry Lee Linkon, Professor of English and American Studies, Georgetown University, USA

As insecurity grows, so does the precariat. They are often ignored, taken for granted, and invisible. Tom Zaniello has set out to change that, encouraging us to turn to films for insight into how economic insecurity affects the lives of working-class people. Along with recommendations of what to watch, he offers thoughtful essays about how these films and a few video games capture the experience and politics of precarity.

John Russo, Kalmanovitz Initiative for Labor and Working Poor, Georgetown University, USA