Since the earliest days of cinema, filmmakers have found inspiration in books, from classic literature to comic books. While there have been plenty of examples where the film adaptation doesn’t even come close to matching the book it was based on, there have been times when the movie goes above and beyond its source material.
The question of film adaptations that exceed the quality of the books they were based on was put to the r/AskReddit community, and it garnered an array of fascinating responses. Covering everything from iconic fantasy adventures to crime classics, timeless horror movies, and even Academy Award-winning dramas, these 10 films were improvements on their books in the eyes of Reddit users.
10 ‘Stand by Me’ (1986)
A common trend through the subreddit was Redditors picking out exceptional movies based on already great books. Perhaps none embody that notion quite so accurately as Stand By Me, a classic coming-of-age drama that adapted Stephen King’s The Body for the screen in a manner that delighted not only fans but the author himself.
Following a group of boys venturing into the woods to peer at a dead body, the film is celebrated as one of the most perfect adaptations the screen has ever seen. That sentiment was shared by many Redditors, with chernygal commenting, “The story is great, but the movie just DOES something to me.”
9 ‘Fight Club’ (1999)
A raw and sinister hit of violence and anti-consumerism, Fight Club remains every bit as gripping today as it was upon release. David Fincher’s adaptation leans heavily on its source material, following an unnamed protagonist who has insomnia and meets the mysterious Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) and creates an underground fighting club.
The big difference which led Reddit to favor the film over the book concerned the Tyler Durden character and how Pitt portrayed him. Racebannon64 highlighted this by saying, “Brad Pitt brought a level of charisma to Tyler that he doesn’t have in the book. In the book, Tyler isn’t likable at all.” A similar point was made by fade_like_a_sigh, who preferred how Durden is used in the film to manipulate and trick audiences and the narrator.
8 ‘The Princess Bride’ (1987)
An enduring fantasy classic that has transcended generations with its action, comedy, excitement, and romance, The Princess Bride is one of the greatest movies from the ’80s. Interestingly, the book’s author William Goldman was the person who fought hardest to get the movie made, and his presence may be an explanation for the film’s ability to realize the novel so brilliantly.
Quiverjones garnered an interesting reaction from Reddit when they suggested it as a film that surpassed the book it was based on, leading many to celebrate both versions of Goldman’s story in equal measure. In response, solarhawks said, “this is a rare case of both a book and its film being equally brilliant.”
7 ‘The Mist’ (2007)
A monster horror movie armed with social commentary, The Mist used the full force of the horror genre to deliver a compelling look into the human condition. It follows residents of a small town who find shelter in a grocery store when a mysterious mist cloaking a wave of deadly monsters descends upon them, but they soon realize the threat outside may be nothing compared to the evil they must face within.
Judging it against Stephen King’s novella is no easy task, but Redditors agreed that the film had one great strength over its source material. AurelianoTampa proposed the film for consideration by stating, “The book is better for most of it, but the ending in the movie knocks the socks off the book ending.”
6 ‘Shrek’ (2001)
It may come as a shock to many to learn that DreamWorks’ satirical fairy tale classic Shrek was based on a picture book released in 1990. While the book has a somewhat similar plot line to the film, many Redditors quickly pointed out the differences between the two versions of the story.
While the responses quickly became a medley of TIL posts and parodies of Smash Mouth’s “All Star,” some sang the film’s praises as an adaptation. AWL_cow commented, “The book was so unhinged. I loved what they did with the movie adaptation!”
5 ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ (1994)
Yet another exceptional film to be based on a Stephen King story, The Shawshank Redemption overcame a disappointing box office performance to become one of the defining films of the ’90s. It follows an ordinary banker who, after being found guilty of murdering his wife and her lover, befriends his fellow inmates in Shawshank State Penitentiary to make for a bizarrely hopeful and beautiful movie about friendship.
While changes were made, the film largely stays true to the source material. In response to the Redditor who initially mentioned the movie, Gunslinger666 concurred, saying, “This is my [go-to] answer. Book is excellent. Movie manages to be better.”
4 ‘Forrest Gump’ (1994)
Robert Zemeckis’ famous 1994 film blended elements of drama, comedy, adventure, and romance to make one of the most beloved films ever made. It focuses on the fascinating and perplexing life journey of a man with a low IQ as he documents his experiences, including meeting U.S. presidents, running across America, and serving in Vietnam.
While the movie goes on wild and wacky narrative tangents, it is nothing compared to what the character in the book goes through. However, the novel lacked the film’s charm, as was pointed out by excaligirltoo, who simply stated, “The book was… something.”
3 ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’ (1988)
A mesmerizing marriage of animation and live-action, Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a timeless comedy classic and one of the most iconic movies ever made. While loosely based on Gary K. Wolf’s novel Who Censored Roger Rabbit, the fun fantasy film makes wholesale changes to depict a jaded but sympathetic cartoon-hating detective forced to protect a “toon” framed for murder.
As noted by Yakb0, the original novel lacked much of the film’s fun, with Valiant (Bob Hoskins’ character) being a hard-nosed thug without a motive and Roger being dead for the most part. The Redditor said, “The producers of the movie took the idea of a world with toons and humans and threw away the plot. They made the right choice; the movie turned out amazing.”
2 ‘Jaws’ (1975)
To this day, Jaws remains an iconic horror film that cemented Steven Spielberg as one of the greatest filmmakers of all time and has had audiences fearing the beach for the better part of 50 years. The film is so impressionable and renowned that it has completely overshadowed the novel of the same name that it was based upon.
While many Redditors maintained that the book was good, the community largely agreed that Spielberg’s changes made for a better story. The user annieknowsall was the initial commenter, receiving over 2,000 upvotes for saying, “I think Spielberg was right to eliminate some of the subplots and to buff the characters up to be more likable/relatable. Also, the end of the book kinda sucked.”
1 ‘The Godfather’ (1972)
When it comes to Hollywood brilliance, there is hardly a film from any genre that can rival the reputation and prestige of The Godfather. Based on Mario Puzo’s crime novel of the same name, the film tracks the transition of power in a New York crime family from an aging patriarch to his smart though reluctant son.
The film won three Academy Awards and has become one of the most well-known movies ever, surpassing Puzo’s best-selling novel in the eyes of many. amerikanische_Frosch commented, “The book was obviously a best seller but it had some really – REALLY – cringey side plots… which Coppola wisely dropped from the film.”