25 Movie And TV Adaptations That Are 10000% Better Than The Books They're Based On

"Such a beautiful movie with a perfect cast. I decided to read the book after watching it since I usually think the book is better than the movie. UGH, was I wrong! The struggle to read that novel was real. I've read 700+ page books in two or three days, but this slim one took me three weeks to read."

—jellyo

"The book was fine, if a little slow. The movie was riveting, filled with incredible acting and imagery (that green dress!). I felt that the film was more poignant and sorrowful than the book."

—fayeesnow

"It pains me to say it because I’m usually adamant about books being better than movies, but Dune. It was an AMAZING book with impressive world-building — one of my favorite books easily. I also loved that there was a connected plot, even in an 800-page book. However, reading the book just made me appreciate the new movies more. How they could stick to the book so well while making it visually STUNNING is wild. they weren’t messing around making the movies. Plot-wise, I think books and movies are equal, but the visual effects and acting make the film better, in my opinion."

—magicalelephant124

"The movie always makes me sob uncontrollably. Then I read the book. Not one single tear."

—smellysealion26

"I have loved the movie since I was 12 or 13. I just read the book a month ago and found the characters were very unlikeable throughout the novel."

—sparklyghost54

"The filmmakers did the right thing when choosing which parts of the book to use and which to ignore. The book itself is slow-moving and filled with scenes that are completely irrelevant to the story. The film is perfection!"

—hannaha440820c3b

"Practical Magic is a wonderful movie but a meh book. I saw the movie first because I didn't realize there was a book, but I was deeply disappointed with the book."

—jennies4783ed5b8

"The film is based on a book of the same name by E. M. Forster. I’ve both read the book and seen the movie, and I feel like the movie better captures how the main female characters are disenfranchised under a patriarchal system. And, of course, it didn’t hurt that the main characters are played by Emma Thompson, Anthony Hopkins, and Helena Bonham Carter, all of whom are INCREDIBLE actors!"

—jaimecw

"Normal People. No question."

—sillygazelle89

"There's no contest here. Best casting ever!"

—gieseke8783

"Controversial, but definitely Normal People, in my opinion. I just couldn’t get into a book that doesn’t use quotation marks."

—rachelmay

"The movie was so well done and had more of an appeal than the book. Hugo Weaving playing V was just icing on the cake to bring this dark, mysterious, sweet character to life."

—anner2991

"The movie's plot is vastly different from the book, but to me, it's more creative, engaging, fun, and heartfelt. The colors and setting are bright and gorgeous! Also, what fun roles for Hugh Laurie and Geena Davis."

—sawaters70

"That series is way overhyped, in my opinion. The first book is okay, but it just goes down from there. The movies fixed all of the character glitches from the books, and the result is a vast improvement."

—morgandemkey

"The book is just endless WHINING from Louis, whereas the film/TV adaptations are fun and exciting, and we get to see Lestat tossing his blonde hair around, being a selfish brat, and gleefully ruining everything."

—retrocrebbon

"The narration in the movie helped to unleash a lot of the comedy. We see more of the hypocrisy of the characters in the movie. We see a funnier ending for Mr. McAllister when he becomes a museum teacher who still hates students who remind him of Tracy. We see the characters in denial about how they really feel when the movie shows the contrast between their narration and the action we see on screen."

—troper

"The first half of the book is really funny, but the second half just goes off the rails. Normally, I’m a die-hard 'the book is always better' person, but not this time."

—blissbednar

"Every fact I know about the lore in the comics was told to me against my will."

—00se7en

"I’m listening to the audiobooks after watching the first three seasons, but keep finding myself going back to rewatch the scenes after reading them."

—katiecullerot

"I read the book because of the TV show, and this ended up being way better than the original source. The book is simple writing, has no details, no spark, no mystery, and gives too much important info away. The TV show has Rebecca Ferguson, a best-done timeline, and better characters."

—anoninma

"The chemistry between Lana Condor and Noah Centineo is off the charts."

—smellyovercoat666

"I tried to read the books after the first season, and honestly, the books are stale saltine crackers, and the show is a five-course feast in comparison. From the characters to the pacing to the drama, the show takes you to places the books just vaguely hint at but never reach. Don’t bother reading the books. Even if the show has taken some artistic license and story detours, it’s much more interesting and infinitely less boring!"

—nostalgicwolf59

"The Devil Wears Prada is an iconic film adapted from a ‘meh’ book."

—juliaw1

"The way they put the TV show together was just beautiful, and I found I didn’t even mind the deviations from the books, which are fantastic in their own right. I loved seeing the series brought to the screen and seeing the little universe even more fleshed out than it already was."

—grassytrees

"The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is an excellent example of the movie being better than the book. Seeing the 10th Games and the stories of Coriolanus and Lucy Gray brought to life was far more riveting than it was in the book. The original trilogy was adapted pretty well (aside from Mockingjay), but Ballad is easily the best of these film adaptations of Panem."

—sonictiger

"The Wheel of Time series is much better than the books. I have made several attempts to read the books and just get so bored that I can’t continue. I love the TV series, though!"

—peacefulcadet132

"I like how the movie spread out the events over several visits, and the addition of Wybie. Several Neil Gaiman books were adapted, and I think the adaptations improved world-building. The added or changed characters work for the adaptation."

—rmcullen

"I know it's an unpopular opinion, but I really enjoyed The Time Traveler's Wife movie. The book has some really unnecessary parts that didn't make it into the movie (potential spoiler, between Clare and Gomez) and I was glad about that. The movie focused on the sweetest parts and made it an emotional, heartbreaking, and thought-provoking film."

—alicharmel91