As of late, book-to-movie adaptations have been flooding our screens. So much of what we watch is either inspired by or based directly off a source novel.
Sometimes movies based on books do the original book justice and solely watching the movie is an acceptable way of consuming the narrative being set forth. However, sometimes a little bit of context provided by the book proves to be quite useful when watching the movie, as the movie does not do the best job. Such is the case with the books and the movies based off of them in this list.
1. It
This book has not one adaptation but two! The first being a 1990 made for television movie, and the second being the 2017 movie as well as the upcoming sequel. While both adaptations are entertaining to boot, both versions neglect large portions of the book's plot and how it depicts the characters within it. In the book, the titular character "It" is described as a sort of shape-shifting alien creature that has been around since before humans ever existed that transcends time and space. Now I don't know about you, but after watching that movie, I gathered no information regarding the character besides the fact that most of the time it looks like a clown. I understand not wanting to read the book. At 1,138 pages it is anything but a light read. However, reading it does provide much needed context regarding the main character.
2. A Series of Unfortunate Events
This entry differs somewhat from the rest of the list, as it will focus on the adaptation of the book series into a television series. I think this Netflix series does a fine job in adapting the book series. The reason I added it to this list is that I believe that it follows the books so closely, it is beneficial to read the books beforehand because it feels as if you are watching the story being pulled right from the pages onto the screen.
3. Love, Simon
My first gripe with this adaptation is the name change. The book this movie is based on is titled Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. I personally think this is a much cooler title, while Love, Simon comes off as a cheesy rom-com when I feel this movie has much more to offer. This is not the end of my problems with how this movie adapted the book either. A lot of characters were changed to fit the narrative the movie was setting up, as well as changing events to create more conflict than was needed. I feel reading the book will benefit you as it provides a more cohesive story as a whole.
4. Horns
For those of you who don't know, Horns is a movie based off of the Joe Hill novel of the same name. While this movie does an adequate job of portraying the story, it comes nowhere near capturing how dark and twisted the minds are of the characters within it. The movie paints a story resembling that of a righteous hero facing off against an evil villain, but the story in the book is not as black and white, which leaves a more overall sinister feel to the entire ordeal. Reading this book is a must.
5. Life of Pi
No doubt, this movie is gorgeous and nice to look at. However, I feel if I had not read the book before seeing it, I would have been lost. After watching this movie, many people I talked to said the overall story was hard to grasp. Granted, it was no easy task adapting the heavy plot and the metaphors surrounding it into a movie. Watching this movie will come with more ease if viewed post reading the book.
6. Anne with an E
Another television adaptation, as opposed to a movie adaptation, Anne With an E is based off of the 1908 book Anne of Green Gables. Again, Netflix does a great job at adapting this novel for the screen. I added this to the list because I feel that one would appreciate this series even more after reading the book, as it does such a great job at adapting it.
7. Harry Potter
I'm sorry about this one. Now, I love the Harry Potter movies, and I think they do a fine job of adapting the books. However, this is a case where context goes a long way. Every time I watch this movie with someone who hasn't read the book I always find them asking questions about loose ends and plot holes that are almost always explained by the books, but not in the movies. If you have read the books before watching the movies, everything happening makes perfect sense, but to an outsider, not so much. I know these books' size may seem daunting, but I promise it pays off.
8. The Book Thief
This movie is based off an incredible book, but does little to convert the magic of it to the screen. Part of the reason the book it so good is the way it is written from the perspective of Death itself. While the movie does have the character Death narrating occasionally, it just doesn't hold a candle to the book and how Death provides their opinion on the events transpiring. I say to anyone who has seen the movie and enjoyed it: read the book because it is much better, you'll love it.
9. The Hunger Games
This movie series also does a fine job of adapting the source material to the screen. However, a little bit of context goes a long way. There were some characters and plot lines dropped from the book when making the movie that would have helped to better establish the setting of the story. Reading these books will give you a better sense of the dystopian world of Panem and the horrors within it.
10. Game of Thrones
When this show first aired it was like the books had come to life onscreen. In more recent seasons, the plot has diverged from the books as far as plot. However, much of the plot relies on characters and history that is better explained in the book. The world in which the series takes place in has a rich history, and knowledge of this history will better help viewers of the story understand the events that are transpiring. Reading the books provides the viewers with much needed context to understand the Royal Families and why they do what they do.
