Best Books That Are Movies (to Read & Watch This Year!)

Adapted from Alasdair Grey’s novel of the same title, in this funky, modern twist on Frankenstein set in the Victorian period, mad scientist Godwin Baxter revives a woman named Bella by transplanting her unborn child’s brain into her body in his pursuit for the perfect companion.

In the novel, drama ensues when another man falls head over heels for Bella, setting off a wild ride of scandal and sass. However, Bella isn’t afraid to keep the guys in check. The book is full of sharp wit and social commentary that’ll leave you thinking long after you’ve turned the last page.

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The movie diverges a bit from the novel, most notably with a completely different ending. In the movie, Belle Baxter, played by Emmas Stone is joined by Mark Ruffalo and Ramy Youssef, with Willem Dafoe portraying the inventive and unconventional scientist responsible for Belle’s resurrection. The film won a Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture and was nominated for 11 Academy Awards. Emma Stone scored an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for Best Actress.  
You can watch it on Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, YouTube, Apple TV, Fandango at Home, and Google Play.

Ottessa Moshfegh’s breakout novel, Eileen, got the red-carpet treatment with a cinematic adaptation featuring Anne Hathaway as Rebecca.

The book features the unsettling dynamic between Rebecca, a charismatic and twisted counselor at a boy’s juvenile facility, and Eileen, the lonely secretary suffocating under societal constraints and personal demons in a 1960s New England town. As their friendship blossoms, dark secrets lurking beneath Rebecca’s polished facade starts to unravel, leading both women into a chilling nightmare of their own creation.

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The movie adaptation, a collaboration between the author, Ottessa Moshfegh, and her screenwriter husband, brings this gripping literary thriller to life on the big screen. The visually captivating movie explores the complex and haunting relationship between the enigmatic Rebecca and the tormented Eileen, played by Thomasin McKenzie.
You can watch it on Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Apple TV, Fandango at Home, and Google Play.

The book by Rumaan Alam made quite an impact, becoming a Finalist for the 2020 National Book Award (Fiction), one of Barack Obama’s Summer Favorites, and A Read with Jenna Today Show Book Club Pick. 

A mix of comedy and dystopian thriller, the novel follows Amanda and Clay’s family vacation that takes a creepy turn when an elderly couple unexpectedly shows up at their secluded rental home during a city-wide blackout. It’s a gripping read that really gets you thinking about biases and fears, all against the backdrop of a crisis that exposes just how fragile our connections to others can be.

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In the movie adaptation, Julia Roberts and Ethan Hawke play affluent parents who rent a fancy place in Long Island to escape chaos during an apocalypse. But their escape plan goes haywire when another couple, portrayed by Myha’la and Mahershala Ali, crashes their retreat to seek refuge from the blackout mayhem. Tensions escalate both inside and outside the house, making for a truly wild ride. 
The film hit theaters on November 22, 2023, and you can catch it on Netflix.

Taichi Yamada’s captivating novel “Strangers” takes readers on a supernatural journey into themes of love, loss, and the passage of time. Originally published in Japan in 1987, this prizewinning novel has been widely translated and has captivated audiences around the world.

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In the movie “All of Us Strangers,” two of television’s most talented actors, Paul Mescal from “Normal People” and Andrew Scott from “Fleabag,” bring to life the characters of star-crossed lovers. Scott plays Adam, a screenwriter with a haunting past and a blossoming new relationship with Mescal’s character. As their love story unfolds, Adam’s unexpected visit to his childhood home reveals a chilling discovery: his deceased parents are frozen in time, unchanged since their tragic accident years ago.
You can watch it on Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, YouTube, Apple TV, Fandango at Home, and Google Play.

Guess what, Hunger Games fans? The long-awaited return to Panem is finally here! This time, we’re diving into the past to uncover the origins of the brutal dystopian society we all know and fear. 

Suzanne Collins, the mastermind behind the Hunger Games series, takes us back 64 years before the first book to witness the 10th annual Hunger Games unfold. It’s a chilling tale of children from the Capital’s 12 districts forced to battle to the death on live TV. But this isn’t the glamorous spectacle we’re used to; instead, it’s a raw and uncertain experiment as the Capital struggles to define the purpose of such cruelty in the aftermath of war.

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In the movie adaptation, you’ll meet a young Coriolanus Snow, not the ruthless president we’ve come to despise, but a conflicted 18-year-old torn between loyalty to his country, his family, and his own conscience. With the return of the original director and a stellar cast, including Peter Dinklage, Hunter Schafer, and the legendary Viola Davis, this film promises to breathe new life into the twisted world of the Hunger Games.
You can watch it on Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Apple TV, Fandango at Home, and Google Play.

In the gripping sci-fi thriller, “Mickey7,” written by Edward Ashton in 2022, Mickey takes on a dangerous mission to colonize a foreign planet, Niflheim. The twist? If Mickey dies, his body regenerates with most of his memories intact.

On a routine scouting mission, Mickey7 is presumed dead after going missing. Surprisingly, he returns to the colony base to find a new clone, Mickey8, who has already taken his place. Now, Mickey7 must keep his double a secret as life on Niflheim is deteriorating, and the native species are growing curious about the colony.

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The movie adaptation, “Mickey17,” is the acclaimed Bong Joon-ho’s first American production. It’s stacked with a stellar cast, including Robert Pattinson playing Mickey, Steven Yeun, Toni Collette, Naomi Ackie, and Mark Ruffalo. This psychological sci-fi thriller promises to keep you on the edge of your seat, just like Bong’s previous hit, “Parasite.”

Newly released on March 29, 2024, you can catch Mickey17 only in theaters.

This bestseller by Robinne Lee has captured the hearts of many readers. The story follows Solène, a sophisticated art gallery owner whose world is turned upside down when her husband decides to end their marriage. Trying to repair their relationship, Solène takes her daughter Isabelle to see her favorite boy band. 

However, a whirlwind romance begins between Solène and Hayes, the charismatic frontman of the band August Moon, leading to an age-defying love story that takes them on a wild ride across the globe. But as their relationship goes viral, will their happiness come at a price?

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In the movie adaptation, Anne Hathaway plays Solène. Reid Scott portrays her ex-husband, and their daughter Izzy is played by Ella Rubin. The plot unfolds at Coachella, where Solène meets Hayes Campbell, rumored to be inspired by Harry Styles. 

An Amazon Original, you can watch “The Idea of You” on Amazon Prime Video starting May 2, 2024.

This year, the Academy Awards had a literary connection. Of course, it makes sense that a well-written book would make excellent storytelling material for a screenplay!

Now, I’ve already gotten ahead of myself by sharing Poor Things at the top list. But the rest of these acclaimed books-that-are-movies deserve a second round of applause.

And the nomination goes to…

1. The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
2. The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins
3. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
4. The Twilight Series by Suzanne Collins
5. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
6. Forrest Gump by Winston Groom
7. The Godfather by Mario Puzo
8. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
9. The Princess Bride by William Goldman
10. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
11. Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
12. Jaws by Peter Benchley
13. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
14. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
15. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
16. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
17. The Green Mile by Stephen King
18. The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris
19. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
20. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
21. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
22. Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Three Stories by Truman Capote
23. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
24. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
25. The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger

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