The recent critical success of The Bob’s Burgers Movie is yet another sign that there is a great deal of money to be made from movies based on television series. Indeed, there seems to be a particular pleasure to be had in seeing the serialized format of TV brought into the more temporally restrained format of the feature-length movie.
For this reason, it’s helpful to turn to Reddit to see which of the movies have been based on TV shows that the users of the site found to be uniquely strong examples of this specific genre.
The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004)
Stream On Prime Video
There’s no question that SpongeBob SquarePants is one of the most beloved animated characters to have appeared on television.
Though he is most famous for the cartoon series that bears his name, he also appeared in the 2004 adaptation of the show, which is a unique blend of live-action and animation which nevertheless manages to capture much of the magic of the original series, with just the right amount of goofiness and surrealness. ZestyPizza212 says: “Back as a kid i loved the Spongebob movie (2004), rewatched it, and still enjoy it.”
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992)
Stream On HBO Max
Twin Peaks is often regarded as one of the best television shows ever made. With its complex storyline, unique sensibility (courtesy of series co-creator David Lynch), and enigmatic characters, it truly marked a change in what television could accomplish.
The prequel movie, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me is a movie that leans into the darker elements of the series on which it’s based, and it has subsequently come to be seen as just as much of a masterpiece. It has proven especially popular with the users of Reddit, with DreamcatcherGoneWild writing that it is “maybe the best prequel ever made.”
South Park: Bigger, Longer, And Uncut (1999)
Stream On Paramount+
From its inception, South Park has been known for its irreverent humor and its willingness to tackle every sacred cow in American culture. The movie is, if anything, even more, outlandish in its humor, featuring a love affair between Satan and Saddam Hussein, among various other bits of humor that, even for South Park, were quite extreme.
Even its title is a sign of its comedic edginess and, as RandomGuyWithStick says: “I love how they snuck that suggestive title right past the censors.” As always, the series knew how to make the audience laugh even as they felt uncomfortable.
The Brady Bunch Movie (1995)
Stream On Prime Video
The Brady Bunch is often seen as one of the best sitcoms ever made. Though it can seem a bit trite from today’s perspective, there is nevertheless something a little endearing about its vision of a blended family who loves one another.
The Brady Bunch Movie, similarly, is better than it might have seemed to be, as it is a mix of both satire and homage to the original series. It has certainly earned the love of many of the users of Reddit, such as chadisdangerous, who says: “I can probably think of better ones but The Brady Bunch Movie is far better than it has any right to be.”
The Fugitive (1993)
Stream On HBO Max
Harrison Ford has been in many great movies, and one of his most notable roles is The Fugitive, in which he plays a man falsely accused of murdering his wife who sets out to clear his name and takes down the killer. It’s a tense and beautifully-shot movie, with dynamic performances from both Ford himself and Tommy Lee Jones.
The movie was, in fact, based on the series of the same name, though many who are fans of the movie don’t always realize this. V_a_n_d_e_l_a_y, for example, writes: “I didn't know it was based on a show for the longest time so it stands up alone.”
The X-Files: Fight The Future (1998)
Not Available To Stream
The X-Files was a unique series when it appeared in the 1990s, and it featured an incredible pair of performances from David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson as a pair of FBI agents investigating various strange phenomena. Partaking in the tradition of other, similarly unsettling series about the supernatural, it managed to combine elements of mystery, science fiction, and even horror.
It also spawned its movie, The X-Files: Fight the Future, which features much of what made the show great while also appealing to those who weren’t as immersed in the mythology. Agent_Tomm calls it a “high quality movie” which, given that it was released while the series was still on the air, is a testament to the strength of its appeal.
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (2019)
Stream On Netflix
In many ways, Breaking Bad was a truly stellar crime drama, focusing as it did on the descent into the darkness of its lead character, Walter White. Filled with searing performances, tight writing, and endless suspense, it also managed to spawn an epilogue, El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie.
The movie follows Jesse Pinkman, and it features yet another career-defining performance from Aaron Paul. Spock_Vulcan is particularly fond of the movie, writing: “It's great because it's basically just another long episode of Breaking Bad, and it wraps up Jesse's story nicely.”
Deadwood: The Movie (2019)
Stream On HBO Max
The series Deadwood is often seen as one of the best of HBO’s shows, especially since it does such a strong job of deconstructing the American western genre. Filled with extraordinary performances, it examines a pivotal period in American history through the eyes of the residents of Deadwood.
The movie picks up ten years after the series, but it has the same powerful performances and strong writing that made the series so beloved. Difficultmind has this to say: “Deadwood the movie did its best to give the series a proper epilogue.” Though the series deserved a fourth season, at the very least it got the dignity of a proper conclusion.
Downton Abbey (2019)
Stream On YouTube
Downton Abbey is often seen as one of the best period dramas. With its skilled blending of melodrama and compelling characters, it manages to have something important to say about the advent of 20th-century modernity and its impact on the lives of the wealthy and the servant class alike.
The movie contains all of what makes the series so beloved, including the entire cast, as well as its sumptuous trappings. DudeNick says the movie is “Wholesome AF, and just really heartwarming to see so much of the cast back together again.”
Star Trek: Wrath Of Khan (1982)
Stream On Paramount+
Few science fiction franchises have been as popular or as successful as Star Trek. Not only did the original series become iconic in its own right; but it also managed to produce many great movies, one of the most notable of which is The Wrath of Khan.
It is a strong entry to the series' mythology, particularly since Khan is such a compelling villain. The movie is also popular with many users of Reddit. Opus-ThePenguin says that it is a “sequel is 10 times better than the previous movie”.