10 Movie Adaptations Better Than The Original Material

It is often said that the original is always superior, but there are plenty of movies out there that actually end up being better than their source material. This can happen for a number of reasons, as the visual quality of cinema allows films to be imbued with qualities that just are not possible in the worlds of literature or other artistic mediums. The compelling performances of incredibly committed actors can also bring new layers of depth and intrigue to characters that weren’t there in the original source material.

Excellent adaptations often build upon the groundwork laid out by their source material and add something new and exciting that was not there in the original work. Film adaptations benefit from the fact that the story of the original has already been well established, the characters have been introduced to the world, and filmmakers can now create their own version of the story with the power of hindsight. There are plenty of reasons that movie adaptations can end up much better than the source material.

10 The Godfather (1972)

The Godfather was based on the 1969 Mario Puzo novel of the same name

While Mario Puzo’s 1969 novel about a Mafia family in New York City was a powerful addition to the crime genre, it pales in comparison to Francis Ford Coppola’s masterpiece film adaptation of The Godfather. Coppola took the characters created by Puzo and imbued them with iconic performances by Marlon Brando and Al Pacino in a timeless classic whose influence has extended into the fabric of popular culture. As one of the most influential films ever made, The Godfather film was much better than its source material and laid the groundwork for its follow-up, The Godfather Part II, which was a rare sequel that managed to improve upon the original.

9 The Shining (1980)

The Shining was based on Stephen King’s 1977 novel of the same name

Even though Stephen King did not like Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of his book The Shining, the film regularly ranks among the best horror movies ever made. The film version of The Shining makes several significant changes to the book and Kubrick’s expert direction and incredible performances by Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall improved upon the book in many ways. The addition of the hedge maze, which a crazed Jack chased his son Danny through, added extra layers of excitement and suspense to the film, and Kubrick added so many layers of symbolism and hiding meaning to his version of The Shining that it became a richer story that is open to many different interpretations.

8 The Silence Of The Lambs (1991)

The Silence of the Lambs was based on the 1988 Thomas Harris novel of the same name

As the most recent film to win all five major Academy Awards, The Silence of the Lambs improves upon the original novel primarily due to the exceptional performances of Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling and Anthony Hopkins iconic take on Dr. Hannibal Lector. Both actors deliver career-defining performances that, paired with the tense and atmospheric direction of Jonathan Demme, resulted in a film that rose above its source material to create unmatched suspense and tension. While the original version of The Silence of the Lambs was a thrilling novel, the film is today remembered as the definitive version of the story.

7 127 Hours (2010)

127 Hours was based on the autobiography Between a Rock and a Hard Place

127 Hours was based on the true story of Aron Ralston trapped under a boulder for five days in Utah’s Bluejohn Canyon before amputating his arm with a dull pocketknife. Ralston outlined his experience in his autobiography Between a Rock and Hard Place. Boyle’s film was an impressive exercise in filmmaking that managed to turn the story of a man isolated and alone into a thrilling survival drama that had audiences on the edge of their seats. The adaptation, which starred James Franco, surpassed the autobiography and was an intimate movie that puts viewers into Ralston’s state of mind as he slowly realizes there is only one way out.

6 One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest was based on the 1962 Ken Kesey novel of the same name

The film version of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest was one of three films to win all five major Academy Awards and improved upon the original Ken Kesey novel in many ways. The most notable improvement was through the character of Randle McMurphy who, although an engaging addition to the book, became one of the best film characters ever due to Jack Nicholson’s incredible performance. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest expanded upon the humor and heartfelt resonance of the novel to create a cinema experience unlike any other.

5 Jurassic Park (1993)

Jurassic Park was based on the 1990 Michael Crichton novel of the same name

Jurassic Park was based on Michael Crichton’s 1990 novel and paved the way for the widespread use of computer-generated imagery in modern cinema. While Crichton’s novel was an exciting science fiction novel that presented the film’s same message about the dangers of genetic engineering, it lacked the visual spectacle of the Jurassic Park movie that made it the highest-grossing film of all time at one point. For audiences at the time, seeing the CGI dinosaurs depicted on screen in Jurassic Park was a moment of movie magic that still holds up today.

4 Blade Runner (1982)

Blade Runner was based on the 1968 Philip K. Dick’s novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

While the acclaimed science-fiction movie Blade Runner was based on the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? the movie improved upon its source material in many significant ways. The visual medium of the movie allowed for a much richer expression of that blended dystopian futurism with a neo-noir atmosphere. Harrison Ford’s portrayal of bounty hunter Rick Deckard added nuanced and compelling aspects to his character that were absent from the original book. The overall impact of Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner film was also much further reaching than that of the novel as it is now considered one of the best science fiction films ever made.

3 The Departed (2006)

Based on the 2002 Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs

As a remake of the Hong Kong action thriller Infernal Affairs, the Best Picture-winning Martin Scorsese movie The Departed was a significant improvement upon its already impressive source material. From a character development point of view, The Departed was light-years ahead of the film it was based on as Scorsese adds extra layers of depth to the complexities and motivations of Billy Costigan and Colin Sulivan. While Infernal Affairs was a mature and well-made film it did not have a master director like Scorsese helming the project to add his distinctive style and cinematic voice.

2 Ghost In The Shell (1995)

Ghost in the Shell was based on the manga of the same name by Masamune Shirow

The groundbreaking animation and intense visual style of Ghost in the Shell film allowed for a much more captivating and immersive experience than Masamune Shirow’s original manga. The Ghost in the Shell movie was arguably much more interesting than its source material and presented an intense experience that explored existentialist themes around the nature of existence. An iconic anime film, Ghost in the Shell had a major impact and influenced filmmakers like the Wachowskis and was applauded by James Cameron (via The Guardian.)

1 The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

The Shawshank Redemption was based on Stephen King’s short story Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption

The Shawshank Redemption has ranked as the top movie on IMDb for what feels like forever and with good reason as its themes of hope and resilience and emotional depth continue to enthral audiences. However, not everybody will be aware the film is based on the Stephen King short story Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, which, while an emotionally resonating story, does not pack the same emotional punch as the Frank Darabont-directed film. The visual medium of cinema allowed for a more immersive experience and did a better job of evoking the prison environment and the experiences of the Shawshank State prison inmates.

Sources: The Guardian