The Ring
Both the American 2002 horror The Ring and Koji Suzuki’s 1991 novel have been acclaimed, but the book can’t match the movie in terms of the creepy imagery from the cursed video.
Fight Club
Brad Pitt and Edward Norton are terrific as a dynamic duo in David Fincher’s bold 1999’s Fight Club.
The movie is considered to be one of the best of the 1990s.
Chuck Palahniuk, author of the 1996 book, has spoken positively about Fincher.
The Lord Of The Rings
Many do prefer the world-building and lore of Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings saga. However, other fans argue that the films are more inviting, bringing emotion to the characters and cutting through all of the author’s descriptive text.
The Hunger Games
Suzanne Collins’ The Hunter Games books stand on their own, but it was thrilling to see those terrifying games portrayed on screen.
The worlds built for the youngsters’ trials, including outrageous outfits, made millions of viewers hold Jennifer Lawrence’s movie trilogy in high regard.
The Shining
The Shining is one of Stephen King’s best books–thanks in large part to Jack Nicholson’s turn as Jack Torrance — the horror movie of the same name also remains a classic.
Requiem For A Dream
Hubert Selby Jr.’s 1978 novel Requiem for a Dream became Darren Aronofsky second feature in 2000. Based on the heartbreaking tailspin of Jared Leto, addiction of Jennifer Connelly and Marlon Wayans’ characters, Ellen Burstyn’s obsession with being on TV or Christopher McDonald’s haunting Tappy Tibbons leading a chant about JUICE, the movie elevates the text into harrowing experience.
Room
Emma Donoghue’s 2010 novel Room is told from the perspective of Jack, a boy of 5, which gives a different POV to the story of a mother and her son escape after years of captivity. The 2015 film adaptation earned 4 Oscar nominations, including Best Actress for Brie Larson.
The Silence Of The Lambs
Thomas Harris’ 1988 novel The Silence of the Lambs was made in 1991 into a major movie, winning the Oscars fir Best Picture, Best Director (Jonathan Demme), Best Actress (Jodie Foster), Best Actor (Anthony Hopkins) and Best Adapted Screenplay (Ted Talley).
Since its release there have been 3 more movies and 2 TV series, based on these characters, but Demme’s feature stands out.
Mean Girls
Tina Fey penned one of the best high school movies from Rosalind Wiseman’s self-help book, “Queen Bees and Wannabes,” which served as guide for parents of how to help their teenage daughters survive in a world of nasty cliques and nastier gossip.
The movie contains many quotable lines and references to American pop culture
To Kill A Mockingbird
Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, her only book, has been a staple in schools since it came out in 1960 for its exploration of race and justice.
In the superb 1962 film, Gregory Peck gave an iconic performance that earned him the Oscar as the ultimate father-lawyer Atticus Finch.
The movie won three of its 8 nominations.
One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest
In 1975, Milos Forman made a memorable film out of Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, dramatizing Randle Patrick McMurphy’s “crimes” in a palatable way for its generation.
It won five of the nine Academy Awards it was nominated for, including Best Actor for Jack Nicholson and Best Actress for Louise Fletcher (Nurse Ratched).
Psycho
Hitchcock’s Psycho is based on Robert Bloch’s 1959 novel, containing the most famous and infamous scenes in film history–taking a shower, or even thinking of one, has never been the same.
The Shawshank Redemption
Adapted from Stephen King’s novella from Different Seasons, The Shawshank Redemption was turned into a classic movie that many think surpasses its source material. Frank Darabont’s 1994 film adds a lot to the story of Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), Ellis “Red” Redding (Morgan Freeman) and their decades together in prison. The film garnered seven Oscar nominations but did not win any.
Jurassic Park
Michael Crichton set the stage with his 1990 novel Jurassic Park for how dinosaurs could exist in the modern era and Spielberg got hold of the idea, creating a memorable world for the big screen. As good as the book is, there was something about seeing the prehistoric beasts walk amongst the humans. That idea has since inspired two different trilogies and several TV series.
Forrest Gump
There were many changes in the story of Forrest Gump between the 1986 novel by Winston Groom and the 1994 Robert Zemeckis film. But for many, it was Tom Hanks portrayal thatsthe reason foirmits success.
The six Academy Awards from 13 nominations also speak to it being a pretty good movie adaptation.
The Hunt For Red October
The 1990 spy thriller The Hunt for Red October cut out quite a few subplots and a lot of technical language from Tom Clancy’s best-selling debut novel, making it more approachable for a wider audience. Without the popularity of this movie, would we still live in a world with three dozen Jack Ryan novels, a handful of films and a TV series? Thankfully we don’t have to consider the alternative.
The Notebook
Nicholas Sparks’ love stories, including his 1996 novel The Notebook, became a cult movie and cultural phenom in 2004 due to Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams’ strong chemistry.
The Princess Bride
The Princess Bride, one of the most quotable 1980s movies, is as good as its source material, though the two are different. William Goldman’s 1973 novel is worth reading before or after seeing the 1987 picture.
A Clockwork Orange
Stanley Kubrick’s 1971 adaptation of A Clockwork Orange is a fairly loyal interpretation of Anthony Burgess’s 1962 novel, save for a few changes to make Malcolm McDowell’s Alex more palatable. Many prefer the film’s darker ending to the more optimistic conclusion Burgess wrote.
The Wizard Of Oz
No matter how classic L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is — and there are plenty who are staunch defenders of the book — there’s nothing quite like seeing Dorothy step from her sepia-toned Kansas farmhouse into the fantastic Technicolor world of Oz in 1939’s The Wizard of Oz. The film adaptation remains a beloved children’s movie for over seve decades.
Shutter Island
Both the 2003 psychological thriller by Dennis Lehane and Martin Scorsese’s 2010 adaptation of Shutter Island starring Leonardo DiCaprio are highly regarded by fans, with many choosing to experience both, despite knowing how it ends. The movie stays loyal to the novel and can be considered at least as good, if not better.
The Godfather
Mario Puzo’s 1969 bestseller The Godfather was arguably made even better by Francis Ford Coppola by focusing his film on Marlon Brando’s Vito Corleone and his relationship with son Michael (Al Pacino), thereby streamlining the novel’s grand story.
A Simple Favor
In the movie adaptation of A Simple Favor, Anna Kendrick’s Stephanie is more likable than the blogger in Darcey Bell’s 2017 novel of the same name. Blake Lively makes her own character Emily feel even more dangerous.
Blade Runner
Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner is one of the best sci0fi movies, and some think it’s even better than its literary counterpart, Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? From Harrison Ford’s portrayal of android hunter Rick to the bleaker ending, this is the rare film that surpasses its source material for many fan
City Of God
Fernando Meirelles’ celebrated 2002 crime drama City of God expands on the 1997 novel by Paulo Lins in the ways it illustrates gang life in a suburb of Rio de Janeiro. Respect and homage are paid to the people of the region, and the cinematography shows the beauty that exists amidst the chaos.
Drive
Some fans prefer Nicolas Winding Refn’s 2011 movie Drive to the 2005 book by James Sallis, crediting the director and Ryan Gosling with further developing the Driver and other themes in Sallis’ work.
