Making a beloved book into a movie is always tricky, and fans of the book are often disappointed. But there are a few rare examples when Hollywood got it right.

Movies That Are Better Than The Books They Are Based On

Books are always better than the movie, right? Wrong! We’ll acknowledge that making a beloved book into a movie does not always work, but there are some instances when Hollywood has got it right by making movies that were better than the book.

In the age-old movies are better than books debate, movies can often fall short of the expectations of book lovers. Readers are often hopeful that a book that changed their life and perhaps made them feel emotions they’ve never felt before, could be made into a film that would have the same effect. Sometimes filmmakers get it wrong, but sometimes they get it very right.

We’ve created our list of films that are better than the book, based on popular belief. Have you seen the movies and read the books, and more importantly, do you agree or disagree? Read on to find out more;

Are books actually better than movies?

Are movies better than the book? This question that cannot be answered with a general yes or no. It really depends on each movie that has ever been based on a book, and how the director and his cinematic team have chosen to interpret it.

List of movies better than books

Here is our list of five movies that are better than books;

Brokeback Mountain

Annie Proulx wrote a short story for an American magazine in 1997 called Brokeback Mountain. Ang Lee adapted it and created a stark, emotional movie that was as beautiful as it was heart-breaking. Lee certainly took Proulx’s short story and created a film that was much more.

Jaws

You would be forgiven for not remembering Peter Benchley’s novel Jaws, it was good but nothing great. Then came Steven Spielberg and turned it into a movie that was a cult classic that we’re still talking about today.

American Psycho

In its original form, Bret Easton Ellis’s book, American Psycho was so underrated that it was dropped by its original publisher in 1991. When Mary Harron turned it into a movie starring Christian Bale and Jared Leto it gained rave reviews.

Blade Runner

Philip K Dick’s 1969 novel, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? was adapted for the screen by director, Ridley Scott. Scott made major text changes in the screenplay and didn’t quote the book word for word. However, he knew what he was doing and even writer Dick, acknowledged that the film was better than the book.

The Godfather

Who doesn’t know the Godfather movies, right? But, do you remember who wrote the book? Exactly! Francis Ford Coppola’s 1969 film, The Godfather, (which was the first of three) was regarded as cinematic genius and was based on a successful but not-very-well-known book by the same name by Mario Puzo.

Are movies always as accurate as the books they are based on?

When it comes to films, accuracy really depends on interpretation. Art, in all its forms, is open to personal interpretation and how a director and screenwriter choose to portray the story line of a book depends on them. Some movies tell the story as the book does, and some do not.

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