Book to movie adaptations are a great source of content for writers and producers. When done well, story lovers can experience their favorite characters on the big screen in new and exciting ways. Great book adaptations revive age-old tales begging to be remembered. Because classic novel adaptations seem to run the gamut of remakes, that type of list could go on forever. I don’t see the point in adding every great adaptation ever made, so this list focuses on the 5 best book to film adaptations from roughly the last decade or so.
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Top 5 best book to film adaptations
The amount of content we consume in a day is immeasurable, and so is the amount of adaptations that appear in any given year. So let's take a look at these more recent era picks.
Book to film adaptations
1. Gone Girl (2014)
Gone Girl written by Gillian Flynn based on her 2012 novel of the same name. Again, having the original author pen the screenplay, keeps the story, well, the story, but this particular screenplay was very well done. Not all novelists are up to the task, but Flynn nailed it.
![Gone Girl | Official Trailer [HD] | 20th Century FOX](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/2-_-1nJf8Vg/hqdefault.jpg)
Michael Tucker analyzes Gone Girl's script · Best book to film adaptations
Honorable mention: Graham Moore's The Imitation Game adapted from the 1983 biography "Alan Turing: The Enigma" by Andrew Hodges. The film focuses on Turing (played by Benedict Cumberbatch) during his years as a cryptographer for the British military during WWII.
Book to film adaptations
2. Room (2015)
Room stars Brie Larson who plays a woman who has been held captive for seven years, and whose 5 year old son was born in captivity. Directed by Lenny Abrahamson and written by Emma Donoghue, based on her 2010 novel of the same name.
Room trailer · Best book to film adaptations
Having the same writer write the screenplay helps to keep this thrilling story true to its original form. Hear Emma Donoghue talk about her process or watch a video clip of Emma on set with the filmmakers.
Honorable mention: Brooklyn written by Nick Hornby and by directed by John Crowley, adapted from the novel by Colm Tóibín.
Book to film adaptations
3. Arrival (2016)
This adaptation is on the list not because of its Hollywood success, but the interesting way it came into existence. Arrival is actually adapted from a short story by the name of “Story of Your Life”, by Ted Chiang.
Adapting a short story brings its own set of unique challenges, while also giving the screenwriter, Eric Heisserer and director, Denis Villeneuve a bit more flexibility with the film. What I personally appreciate is the screenwriter’s consideration for the original, and his dedication to various consultations with the author when changes became necessary.
Arrival trailer · Best book to film adaptations
“The first attempt was pretty faithful to the story, but I realized that the DNA in the story only got me halfway, and that there was a lot I had to make up on my own....it made all the difference to have [the aliens] show up in ships, so we’re face-to-face. This was by far the biggest change I made to the source material, but I needed to run it by the author to see if he saw the same value in it, because any time you’re adding something that wasn’t part of the core material, there’s a threat of the new organ being rejected by the host...”
— Eric Heisserer
Heisserer had been pitching this adaptation for years, but it wasn’t until Villeneuve expressed interest, the two had a much stronger vision for producers. Watch the aliens communicate below!
Honorable mention: Tarell Alvin McCraney and Barry Jenkins' Moonlight, based on McCraney's play "In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue." Martin Scorsese and Jay Cocks’ Silence adapted from the 1966 novel of the same name by Shūsaku Endō.
Book to film adaptations
4. It (2017)
I’m not a horror fan, necessarily. But when I hear about a Stephen King adaptation, I usually change my plans to make sure I see it, or at least, go with someone who I can hide behind. But hey, at least I show up. It was one of those times, but I’m proud to say I watched it all, and was mostly, pretty happy about it.
Director, Andy Muschietti, and screenwriters Chase Palmer, Cary Fukunaga, and Gary Dauberman adapted King’s 1986 novel of the same name. And they stayed pretty true to the original. Who wants to disappoint Stephen King?
While very Hollywood, the movie did a great job at scaring the living sh*t out of me.
It trailer · Best book to film adaptations
“My first reaction, when offered the opportunity to direct this movie, was basically to go back to my emotional experience reading the book when I was a child, and translating that into a movie that would blow my mind as an adult. Those were the big ideas when approaching the making of this movie."
— Andy Muschietti
Honorable mention: Hidden Figures based on Margot Lee Shetterly’s novel "Hidden Figures: The Untold Stories of African American Women Who Helped Win the Space Race." These women were critical figures in history and the adaptation did a good job at portraying their impact, but there were some compressed and overly conflated timelines in order to achieve a more engaging film.
Book to film adaptations
5. The Hate U Give (2018)
Adapted by Audrey Wells and directed by George Tillman Jr., The Hate You Give is based on the novel by Angie Thomas. It’s a young adult novel written by Thomas that was expanded from a short story responding to the shooting of Oscar Grant.
The film stayed true to the novel, but did move a few things around, most notably the Talk from the middle of the story to the opening scene.
![The Hate U Give | Official Trailer [HD] | 20th Century FOX](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/3MM8OkVT0hw/hqdefault.jpg)
The Hate U Give trailer · Best book to film adaptations
Honorable mentions: Wildlife — Paul Dano and Zoe Kazan’s adaptation of Richard Ford’s novel of the same name. Crazy Rich Asians directed by Jon M. Chu, written by Pete Chiarelli and Adele Lim, based on Kevin Kwan's bestselling novel.
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Book to film adaptations
6. Game of Thrones (2014)
Obviously. And if you're over it, well, facts don't change. Created by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, adapted from "A Song of Ice and Fire" from George R.R. Martin’s series.
Because baby dragons all the time · Best book to film adaptations
The first book is "A Game of Thrones." This series is probably one of the greatest television shows ever created, let alone a great adaptation. Seasons 1-5 were my personal favorites. As we all know, the final hours of the show are best left forgotten.
Book to film adaptations
7. Orange is the New Black (2015)
Based on Piper Kerman’s memoir of the same name, the book tells the story of Kerman’s 15 months in a women’s prison in Connecticut.
Scene from Season 3 · Best book to film adaptations
The series obviously develops this much further.
Book to film adaptations
8. The Night Manager (2016)
Based on the novel of the same name by John le Carré, the adaptation isn’t perfectly faithful to the novel, but it’s a near masterpiece.
The Night Manager gives us so much in one season · Best book to film adaptations
Many of John Le Carré’s spy novels have been adapted - "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" has even been made into both a film and a TV series.
Book to film adaptations
9. The Handmaid's Tale (2017)
The ability to take a story that is so incredibly heady and turn it into this external beast of a show is a screenwriter’s dream.
There are many of these never-forget moments · Best book to film adaptations
I’m not sure how I feel about the last two seasons, but the first season of this show, adapted from Margaret Atwood’s novel, is one of the best book-to-tv show adaptations I have ever seen.
Honorable mentions: Big Little Lies and The Leftovers.
Book to film adaptations
10. Killing Eve (2018)
Why is this show so good? The performances from Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer, dare I say, kill it. The series is based on the Villanelle novel series by Luke Jennings.
Killing Eve trailer · Best book to film adaptations
Honorable mention: Gillian Flynn dominates TV too with Sharp Objects.
Book to film adaptations
11. Little Women (2019)
It's impressive how Greta Gerwig honors the heart of Louisa May Alcott's novel while still making it feel fresh for a modern audience. The nonlinear plot gives familiar moments new emotional weight without losing the spirit of the original.
Little Women trailer · Best book to film adaptations
Every performance capturs the warmth and ambition that made the March sisters so enduring. It feels like an adaptation that respects the source material while confidently bringing its timeless themes to life.
Book to film adaptations
12. Motherless Brooklyn (2019)
A 1999 novel by Jonathan Lethem adapted for the big screen. I appreciated that Edward Norton didn't simply copy Jonathan Lethem's novel but reimagined it with a classic 1950s noir setting that gave the story a distinct identity.
Motherless Brooklyn trailer · Best book to film adaptations
Norton's thoughtful direction and rich period atmosphere made the adaptation feel personal rather than conventional. It struck me as a bold interpretation that respected the spirit of the book while confidently telling its own story.
Book to film adaptations
13. The Irishman (2019)
A Scorsese film based on the true crime book by Charles Brandt's "I Heard You Paint Houses." Rather than glorifying organized crime, the film focuses on regret, loyalty, and the personal cost of a life shaped by violence.
The Irishman trailer · Best book to film adaptations
The Irishman is about Frank "The Irishman" Sheeran, a labor union official with mob connections, as he recalls his involvement in the slaying of Jimmy Hoffa. Stars Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci.
Book to film adaptations
14. Dune Part 1 & 2 (2021-2024)
Technically it's one story split into two movies, but we're counting it as one for this list. Denis Villeneuve translated Frank Herbert's sprawling novel into a cinematic experience without sacrificing its depth or complexity.
Dune trailer · Best book to film adaptations
Every creative choice, from the visuals to the score, reinforced the scale and emotional weight of Herbert's universe. It felt like an adaptation that faithfully captured the novel's spirit while making it accessible to a new generation of audiences.
“David Lynch did an adaptation in the 80s that has some very strong qualities. I mean, David Lynch is one of the best filmmakers alive, I have massive respect for him,” Villeneuve said. “But when I saw his adaptation, I was impressed, but it was not what I had dreamed of, so I’m trying to make the adaptation of my dreams. It will not have any link with the David Lynch movie. I’m going back to the book, and going to the images that came out when I read it.”
— Denis Villeneuve
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Up Next
10 Best Shakespeare movies
And that's our best book to film adaptations list! But if we're talking about adapting classic literature for the silver screen, we can't avoid the elephant in the room. Movies based on Shakespeare plays can be a risky proposition but these are the films that really nailed it.
From the iconic dialogue to stories soaked in tragedy, get your English class fix while watching these show-stopping movies.
Up Next: Best Shakespeare movies →
