Based on...
Books and films are two closely-related forms of art and entertainment. Since the science of film was first established in the late 1800s filmmakers have been using it to tell stories, and they soon began utilising the existing narratives and characters of novels. These films have succeeded (or not) to varying degrees in the transition, some accurately portraying the writer's intention, some building on it and some disappointing the original readers. No matter how well the adaptation is done however, it is still nice to be reminded that yes, happily, there is more to read than Harry Potter.
For screen translations of Charles Dickens, Agatha Christie, Stephen King and many other notable authors click their links under this category, left. For adaptations of plays and Shakespeare, use the 'Alice's Playhouse' link.
Right: Kubrick's adaptation of Thackeray's novel 'Barry Lyndon'.
Jesus' Son (1999)
7/10
Director: Alison Maclean
Starring: Billy Crudup, Samantha Morton, Denis Leary, Holly Hunter, Dennis Hopper, Jack Bl...
Billy Crudup plays a well-meaning but drug-addled young man whose trip across the back roads of 70's America with fellow addict and girlfriend Samanth... Read more
Mysterious Skin (2004)
7.7/10
Director: Gregg Araki
Starring: Bill Sage, Elisabeth Shue, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michelle Trachtenberg, Brady Co...
Based on Scott Heim's novel, Gregg Araki's powerful drama sees two young men uncover a shared secret from their past. Brian (Brady Corbet) was just e... Read more
Dune (Special Edition) (1984)
6.6/10
Director: David Lynch
Starring: Kyle MacLachlan, Francesca Annis, Brad Dourif, Sting , Max von Sydow
A monumental film by the director of 'Eraserhead' featuring Kyle MacLachlan, Sting and Max Von Sydow. The saga of an intergalactic warrior and his ris... Read more
The Godfather (1972)
9.2/10
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Starring: Marlon Brando, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, Al Pacino, John Cazale,...
Francis Ford Coppola's mafioso epic featuring Marlon Brando as the patriarch of the Corleone family. Based on Mario Puzo's novel, it's a masterful ble... Read more
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
8.2/10
Director: David Lean
Starring: William Holden, Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins, Sessue Hayakawa, James Donald, Ann...
Epic story of British prisoners of war held by the Japanese, combines psychological battles of will with gripping action. Winner of seven Oscars inclu... Read more
Wuthering Heights (1992)
6.9/10
Director: Peter Kosminsky
Starring: Juliette Binoche, Ralph Fiennes, Janet McTeer
Juliette Binoche and Ralph Fiennes star in this magnificent adaptation of Emily Bronte's immortal classic about love and vengeance. Set on the Yorkshi... Read more
Psycho (1960)
8.5/10
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Starring: Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Martin Balsam, Vera Miles, John Gavin
Hitchcock's most famous movie, the shocker that still keeps people away from showers. Janet Leigh is a woman on the run who befriends mother's boy mot... Read more
The Human Stain (2003)
6.3/10
Director: Robert Benton
Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Nicole Kidman, Ed Harris, Gary Sinise
Based on the novel by Philip Roth, this suspenseful drama focuses on esteemed college classics professor Anthony Hopkins and his terrible lifelong sec... Read more
Spellbound (1945)
7.6/10
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Starring: Gregory Peck, Ingrid Bergman, Leo G Carroll
Gregory Peck stars as the new director of a mental institution, Ingrid Bergman his love interest, who soon discovers that her lover is actually a ment... Read more
Fear and Trembling (2003)
7.1/10
Director: Alain Corneau
Starring: Sylvie Testud, Kaori Tsuji, Taro Suwa, Bison Katayama, Yasunari Kondo, Sokyu Fuj...
This comedy of cultural errors sees Belgian Amelie (Sylvie Testud) returning to Japan after pleasant memories from her childhood there. However as a... Read more