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 Howling (1980)
6.6/10
Director: Joe Dante
Starring: Dee Wallace, Patrick Macnee, Dennis Dugan, Christopher Stone, Belinda Balaski, K...
A female TV news reporter is sent to a strange California encounter-group community to recover from a sexual trauma, unaware that virtually everyone t... 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
The Hunger (1983)
6.7/10
Director: Tony Scott
Starring: Catherine Deneuve, David Bowie, Susan Sarandon
Catherine Deneuve and David Bowie star as the lovers who need fresh blood to survive in the modern world. However, when Bowie starts to rapidly age, r... Read more
The Ice Harvest (2005)
6.3/10
Director: Harold Ramis
Starring: John Cusack, Billy Bob Thornton, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Platt, Randy Quaid, Mike...
Adapted from Scott Philip's novel this noirish crime comedy pairs Billy Bob Thornton as Vic, a low-level mobster, with John Cusack as Charlie, the ben... Read more
The Ice Storm (1997)
7.5/10
Director: Ang Lee
Starring: Kevin Kline, Joan Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Henry Czerny, Adam Hann-Byrd, Tobey M...
Acclaimed director Ang Lee ("The Wedding Banquet", "Sense and Sensibility") turns his camera on American domesticity in 1973. This adaptation of Rick... Read more
The Idiot (1951)
7.4/10
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Starring: Masayuki Mori, Toshiro Mifune, Setsuko Hara, Yoshiko Kuga, Takashi Shimura
Based on Dostoyevsky's classic novel of love and murder, adapted by Kurosawa himself, the story tells of Kameda, a former soldier whose wartime experi... Read more
The Illusionist (2006)
7.6/10
Director: Neil Burger
Starring: Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti, Jessica Biel, Rufus Sewell, Eddie Marsan
Edward Norton is the supernaturally talented magician, Eisenheim, who uses his skills to win the heart of the woman he loved as a child, the young duc... Read more
The Incredible Mr Limpet (1963)
6.5/10
Director: Arthur Lubin
Starring: Don Knotts, Andrew Duggan, Jack Weston, Larry Keating, Carole Cook
Based on the novel by Theodore Pratt, this quaint little fantasy features a combination of live-action and animated effects. Henry Limpet (Don Knotts)... Read more
The Inheritance (1997)
7.1/10
Director: Bobby Roth
Starring: Cari Shayne, Brigitta Dau, Paul Anthony Stewart, Brigid Brannagh, Max Gail, Thom...
A made-for-television adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's book about Edith Adelon, a young orphan who was taken in by a wealthy family and treated as on... Read more
The Innocents (1961)
7.9/10
Director: Jack Clayton
Starring: Deborah Kerr, Michael Redgrave, Peter Wyngarde, Megs Jenkins, Pamela Franklin, M...
Possibly the best ghost story ever filmed, this adaptation of Henry James's novel 'The Turn of the Screw', offers spooky apparitions, demented religio... Read more