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'.
The Black Stallion (1979)
7.4/10
Director: Carroll Ballard
Starring: Kelly Reno, Mickey Rooney, Teri Garr, Hoyt Axton
Superb photography, an excellent music score and an absolutely gorgeous title star are just some of the many charms of 'The Black Stallion' which foll... Read more
The Black Swan (1942)
6.9/10
Director: Henry King
Starring: Laird Cregar, Maureen O'Hara, Tyrone Power, Thomas Mitchell, George Sanders, Ant...
Tyrone Power is his usual stylish and articulate self in this classic swashbuckling pirate tale adapted from Sabatini's novel. The starry cast, music... Read more
The Blue Umbrella (2005)
7.6/10
Director: Vishal Bharadwaj
Starring: Shriya Saran, Pankaj Kapur
Set in the idyllic region of Himachal Pradesh in India's northwest, this enchanting family film centres around Binya, a young girl who finds a blue um... Read more
The Bobo (1967)
5.5/10
Director: Robert Parrish
Starring: Peter Sellers, Britt Ekland, Rossano Brazzi, Adolfo Celi, Hattie Jacques, Kennet...
Peter Sellers is Juan Bautista, a hopeless matador who really wants to be a singer. Trying his luck in Barcelona, he gets a gig at a local hotspot wi... Read more
The Book Of Eve (2002)
5.5/10
Director: Claude Fournier
Starring: Claire Bloom, Susannah York, Julian Glover, Daniel Lavoie
Chronicles the life of Eve, who, on her 65th birthday, leaves her unhappy marriage and moves into the basement of a tenement building in the east end... Read more
The Bookshop (2017)
6.5/10
Director: Isabel Coixet
Starring: Frances Barber, Patricia Clarkson, Bill Nighy, Emily Mortimer, James Lance
Florence Green, a free-spirited widow, puts grief behind her and risks everything to open up a bookshop -- the first such shop in the sleepy seaside t... Read more
The Borrowers: Series 1 (1992)
6.9/10
Director: John Henderson
Starring: Ian Holm, Penelope Wilton, Sian Phillips
Based on the novels by Mary Norton about those tiny people who live under the floorboards of the Clock family home, borrowing everything they need fro... Read more
The Bostonians (1984)
6.3/10
Director: James Ivory
Starring: Christopher Reeve, Vanessa Redgrave, Jessica Tandy
Set in 19th century New England, the story concerns a love triangle in which Vanessa Redgrave, an early feminist heroine, and Christopher Reeve, a rea... Read more
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (2008)
Director: Mark Herman
Starring: Asa Butterfield, Jack Scanlon, Amber Beattie, David Thewlis, Vera Farmiga, Richa...
A wrenching and deeply moving holocaust story, based on the novel by John Boyne, about two boys living on opposite sides of a concentration camp fence... Read more
The Brides of Dracula (1960)
6.8/10
Director: Terence Fisher
Starring: Peter Cushing, Yvonne Monilaur, Freda Jackson, Marita Hunt
Following the success of 'Dracula' (a.k.a. 'Horror of Dracula'), Hammer Films and director Terence Fisher returned with this lavish sequel. Despite th... Read more