There are very few things in this world that terrifies a bookworm as much as book to film adaptations do. No, we are not being nitpicky–it is actually rare for us to come across a book to film adaptation that is neither a complete mess nor goes off track from the source material.
BUT, thankfully, there are still quite a few gems that have been made based on equally beautifully written books. Here are my list of the best book to film adaptations that I have seen till date.
~ Top 5 Best Book To Film Adaptations ~
1. Pride And Prejudice
My favorite romance novel of all time, and its spectacular film adaption, will always take the number one position in any bookish list I make. Jane Austen’s Pride And Prejudice is a timeless, charming romance and the film adaptation of it in 2005, starring Kiera Knightly as Elizabeth Bennet & Matthew Macfadyen as Darcy is everything I could hope for.
From the script writing, to keeping the iconic dialogues, and the stellar performance from the whole cast, the 2005 movie version of Pride And Prejudice perfectly captured the charm, comedy and romantic tensions of Jane Austen’s work. It is without a doubt, one of the best book to film adaptations till date.
Whenever I need a feel-good comfort story or movie, I either cozy up with my tattered copy of Pride And Prejudice, passed down to me from generations. Or, watch the excellent movie version on Netflix.
2. Emma (2020)
Although Jane Austen’s Emma is the least of my favorite works by her, I absolutely loved the recent 2020 movie starring Anna-Taylor Joy in the titular role and Johnny Flynn as George Knightly. It was far more entertaining to me than the actual source material, and I loved the subtle comedy, the acting, the costume and overall set and tone of the movie.
Since the 2020 Emma movie actually made me want to give the original classic a second try, I think this definitely deserves to stay in second place in my list of best book to film adaptations.
3. Little Women
Now this here is a book that has a very special place in my heart. Little Women was one of the very first classic novels I had picked up, recommended to me by my mother, and whenever I think about this book, I flashback to memories of me and my mother discussing the story, its beautiful messages on family, love and responsibility.
In short, Little Women is one of those books that helped me bond with my mother, and for that, this book will always be special to me.
The 2019 book to film adaptation of Little Women was just as precious to me as the original story. While I had my issues with how underdeveloped Emma Watson’s role was as Meg, I adored the perfect portrayals of Jo & Amy, played by Saiorse Ronnan and Florence Pugh respectively.
Amy and Jo both were some of my favorite characters from the novel, and I always felt that Amy was very underappreciated by most readers. To see her character getting the attention and understanding it deserved in the 2019 film adaptation was everything I had hoped for but never expected to get.
Recommended Reading: All The Modern, Feminist Ideas You May Have Overlooked In Little Women
That’s not to say the movie does not have its flaws, but as far as adaptations goes, the 2019 book to film adaptation of Little Women was an enchanting, bittersweet and movie, and definitely one of the best book to film adaptations till date.
4. The Darkest Minds
I fell in love with Alexandra Bracken’s The Darkest Minds years after the hype train had already left the station. Needless to say I was super excited for the film adaptation, and had dragged my mom and my sister to the cinema as soon as the movie came out.
Out of all the young adult book to film adaptations I have seen till date, The Darkest Minds has to be one of the most exciting and interesting ones, right on par with The Hunger Games (in my personal opinion). Even my mom and my sister, who had no idea about the books, absolutely loved the film.
From the CGI, to the story telling, pacing and the acting, everything about the film adaptation of The Darkest Minds was perfect. *insert chef’s kiss*
So imagine my pain and disappointment when I found out the movie was not a hit and no more sequels would be coming out.
Regardless of the success of the movie (or lack thereof), The Darkest Minds movie is one of the best book to film adaptations I have seen, and it’s a real shame for the world that a sequel is not coming out.
5. The Hunger Games
No one can forget the way The Hunger Games took both the publishing industry and the film industry by storm. I will forever be grateful to the casting director of the movie for giving the spotlight to Jennifer Lawrence, who is now one of my favorite actresses.
Truth be told, I fell in love with Jennifer Lawrence’s portrayal of Katniss than the actual Katniss from the book. But aside from that, the entire movie, from start to finish, had me mesmirized and was as perfect an adaptation as one can hope for.
That wraps up my list of the best book to film adaptations. How do you feel about book to film adaptations in general? Feel free to share your recommendations in the comments below!