The black phone, which was just released on June 24, seems to buck a trend where many other horror movies have failed. Certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and with an even higher audience score, people seem to love it as much, if not more, than the Joe Hill story it’s based on. While many readers never like a movie as much as the book it’s based on, there are instances where it ends up better than the book. This is even the case when the book was actually good too.
In the horror genre, it’s a very different feeling to read a book than to watch a movie. When reading, horrors build in a person’s mind and it’s hard to match when they can see it all on a movie screen. However, there are movies that take what was scary in the book and then add visual flair and scares to make it even scarier on the big screen.
The Ritual (2017)
The ritual was a Netflix horror movie that stands as one of the best horror mics for the streaming service. It was based on the novel of the same name by Adam Nevill. The story tells of four friends who go on a hike, but after one of them gets injured, they get lost in the woods and realize something is chasing them.
The book and the movie are very different in terms of plot beats and the book has a twist that feels a little off after seeing the movie first. Between the cult in the movie being a better option than the villains in the book, and the monster design being excellent in the movie, Netflix’s release is much more satisfying.
The Mist (2007)
Mist is a short story by Stephen King and one of his most beloved stories. It focused on a father and son trapped in a supermarket when a fog descends on the city. Monsters start coming out of the fog and attacking people. Even scarier are the religious fanatics in the supermarket who feel they need a sacrifice to please God.
While the news is good, the 2007 film is a minor masterpiece. Directed by Frank Darabont, the same man who directed King’s adaptations of The Shawshank Redemption and The green Lineit amped up the terror about fanatics, then added one of the most gruesome endings in horror movie history, one that King himself called one of the best.
The Exorcist (1973)
The Exorcist is one of the most famous horror movies ever made and set the blueprint for what exorcism movies would look like for years after its release. It was also based on the novel by William Peter Blatty, which itself remains emblematic of exorcism fiction literature.
It’s a case where both the movie and the book were good, with priests called in to try and exorcise a demon from a 12-year-old girl named Regan McNeil. The book remains a classic, if a bit long and dated, but the film is still considered a masterpiece of horror cinema, helping it stand the test of time as the best of both worlds. .
Pontypool (2008)
Pontypool is an interesting case study for a horror movie that was better than the book in almost every way. There is a very good reason for this, as the author of the book – Tony Burgess – wrote the screenplay for the film and made some drastic changes.
The book is a little hard to read for many, with the writing style a bit challenging. However, he moved it to the big screen, and the stage before it, and told a superior story of a city overrun with a virus that sends people into a killing frenzy, while a lone radio announcer tries to understand what happened.
The Shining (1980)
A big debate among fans is which is better: Stephen King the brilliant or Stanley Kubrick’s film adaptation. Even King hates the movie because he thinks it’s not a faithful adaptation of his story. However, there is a way to love both on different levels.
the brilliant is a beloved horror novel, a book about a haunted hotel that destroys the life of a man and his family. However, despite being a great book, the film is considered a masterpiece of horror, with the story of a man who slowly loses control thanks to the machinations of the hotel. . Many consider the brilliant one of the best horror movies of all time, moving it higher than the book it’s based on.
Jaws (1975)
When Steven Spielberg directed Jaws, it ended up changing everything in Hollywood. It was the film that created the modern-day summer blockbuster and remains one of the most beloved horror films ever made. It was also effective enough to scare people away from beaches for years.
The film was based on the novel by Peter Benchley. The book is correct, there are good and bad moments. However, it’s nowhere near as memorable as the movie, which remains a beloved classic.
American Psycho (2000)
Bret Easton Ellis wrote American psycho and many fans considered it an unfilmable movie, meaning there was little chance it could be transferred to the big screen and tell the same story. However, the movie ended up taking what was good in the book and making it better.
The main reason why American psycho is better than the book is the casting of Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman, a man who might be a serial killer. What made the film special was that it left it up to the viewer to determine what was real or not. The novel was polarizing, but the film was well received and could have helped Bale win the role of Batman a few years later.
Doctor Sleep (2019)
Whereas the brilliant is considered a horror classic, which makes it slightly better than the book it’s based on. However, the comparison between the film and the book of his book and its sequel, Doctor Sleepis easier to measure. Doctor Sleep is a good book, but no one considers it a masterpiece.
The film Doctor Sleep Nor is it a masterpiece, but it does something the book could never have done. It was a perfect sequel to both the book and the movie. The film, directed by Mike Flanagan, managed to tie Danny’s story to the aftermath of the film’s events, while bidding farewell to Jack, like the novel by the brilliant did.
Ringu / (1998) The Ring (2002)
Most Horror Fans Know This the ring was based on a Japanese horror movie called Ringu. However, what some fans may not know is that the Japanese film was based on a novel written by Koji Suzuki. The original film is cult while the American version is the most popular, at least in America, and is considered the best of the Japanese to American horror movie remakes.
The film cut much of the composition from the book and the Japanese version, eliminating much of the psychic phenomena and making it a mystery to the reporter as she searches for evidence to save her life. The idea of a videotape bringing death was also better told on a movie screen than through a book. Although the book is a good read, the ring cinema has become a cultural phenomenon.
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Thesilenceofthelambs was a good book by Thomas Harris. It was the second in his series on Hannibal Lecter. His adaptation wasn’t even the first movie based on the series, because man hunter came two years earlier, based on the novel Red Dragon. However, the books were mystery novels and the movie was something bigger.
Starring Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal and Jodie Foster as FBI Agent Clarice Starling, the film was a huge hit. It became one of the few horror films to win the Best Picture Oscar and did more than that, sweeping all the major categories including Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Director.
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