Joseph Kosinski's latest movie, Spiderhead, has been panned by critics, despite having a strong cast that includes Chris Hemsworth and Miles Teller. This places the Top Gun: Maverick director in a unique category since it's quite rare for filmmakers to have both a critically acclaimed and a lambasted movie come out within a few months of each other.
Spiderhead is adapted from the New Yorker short story, 'Escape From Spiderhead" and given the poor reviews, it obviously has no chance of being considered one of the best ever movies based on short stories or novellas. But which are the best movies that fit in this category? Fans have voted for a couple on Ranker.
Note: Ranker lists are live and continue to accrue votes, so some rankings may have changed after this publishing.
Memento (2000)
Stream On Hulu
A man suffering from anterograde amnesia tries to hunt down a person he believes murdered his wife. The plot is based on the short story "Memento Mori" by Christopher Nolan's brother, Jonathan Nolan.
Given the amount of creativity involved, it's evident why the neo-noir mystery thriller is considered one of the best ever sophomore movies by any director. The color play in the non-linear narrative is the main thing guaranteed to impress fans. Black and white scenes, reminiscent of the Silent Era are alternated with a splash of color. More importantly, the tension never stops and every puzzling sub-plot is explained in full in the end.
The Birds (1963)
Stream On Netflix
A socialite follows a lawyer to his home to play a practical joke on him but while there, a strange occurrence causes birds to randomly attack people. Alfred Hitchcock made the movie after reading a similarly titled story by British writer Daphne du Maurier in a collection of short stories titled, The Apple Tree.
Directors with a great track record tend to be trusted by audiences, hence the reception for The Birds was always likely to be good. And after the massive success of Psycho, no eyebrows were raised when Hitchcock decided to stick to the horror genre instead of his usual thriller tales. The birds are as vicious as killer animals can be, but not everything is about them, as accompanying the scares is an engrossing tale about stalking.
Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Stream On Paramount+
An NYPD detective is sent to the village of Sleepy Hollow to investigate a series of decapitations. The plot is loosely based on the 1820 short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving.
The gothic supernatural horror mainly glows because of its visual design. Just as the story describes scenery and atmosphere in a detailed manner, the movie spends plenty of time doing so too through expert camerawork. And with one of the best Hollywood directors calling the shots, mistakes are rarely made. Apart from Ranker, fans on IMDb agree that it's one of Tim Burton's best movies.
Total Recall (1990)
Stream On HBO Max
The sci-fi story "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale" by Philip K. Dick serves as the template for the plot. In it, a construction worker is hunted down by mysterious agents after receiving a chip with memories of his fantasy adventure on Mars.
Total Recall is a movies that was stuck in development hell (as detailed in the book Tales From Development Hell), but this turned out to be a blessing in disguise since when it was finally time to make it, the perfect actor for the lead role was available. In the '80s and '90s, Arnold Schwarzenegger rarely had a bad day on set. But the movie isn't propelled by star power alone. The working ingredients include themes about colonialism as well as an ending that leaves everyone in suspense.
Apocalypse Now (1979)
Stream On Hulu
A US Army Colonel goes rogue during the Vietnam War, and a promising captain is then sent to assassinate him. Joseph Conrad's novella, Heart Of Darkness, is what's used to construct the script, though the setting is changed from Congo to Cambodia.
The Francis Ford Coppola movie is mostly praised for being an anti-war movie, showing the dark side of invasions rather than glorifying them. The cinematography is enchanting too, something to be expected when the man who made The Godfather is in charge. The performances are quite strong, with Marlon Brando, Martin Sheen, and Harrison Ford rounding out the cast.
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Stream On HBO Max
When a group of astronauts is sent on a dangerous mission, the ship's computer, HAL, starts behaving strangely, resulting in a Machine Vs. Man showdown. "The Sentinel" by Arthur C. Clarke is the source material for the Stanley Kubrick project.
It's hard for anyone who gives the movie a chance not to love it, as 2001 is a cerebral and strange film that inspired nearly every sci-fi movie that came after it. Additionally, it takes audiences on an educational journey through artificial intelligence, human evolution, and extraterrestrial life, and it's widely considered to be one of the best movies ever made.
All About Eve (1950)
Stream On fuboTV
An established actress hires an aspiring one to be her personal assistant. Soon, the aspiring actress plots to take over her boss' career. Before appearing on screen, the characters existed in "The Wisdom of Eve," a 1946 short story by Mary Orr.
Unsurprisingly, the leading ladies of All About Eve shine in their incredibly meaty roles. Apart from the focus on the cutthroat world of women in Hollywood, it went on to be the only movie in history to have 2 actors nominated in both the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress categories. From sardonic humor to soothing music, there is no shortage of reasons to watch the adaptation.
Stand By Me (1986)
Stream On Netflix
Four friends decided to go hiking in an effort to find the corpse of a teenager that was hit by a train. But not everything goes according to plan in the adaptation of Stephen King's novella, The Body.
Stand By Me is one of the rare movies that please both fans of the big screen and the book. Thanks to its "Best Adapted Screenplay" Oscar nomination, it can be justifiably considered the perfect adaptation. And it's so faithful to the source material that even the author himself loved it (via Rolling Stone). That means a lot, since King often has something to criticize about adaptations of his books.
Rear Window (1954)
Stream On Amazon Prime Video
For the movie's plot, Hitchcock uses the events in the short story, "It Had to Be Murder," published in 1942 by Cornell Woolrich. In it, a professional photographer suspects a neighbor of committing murder so he starts investigating.
Like most Hitchcock movies, Rear Window thrives on suspense and tension. The perfect murder mystery, every moment in it not only comes with a clue, but also additional information to make those watching doubt whether the clue is valid.
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Stream On HBO Max
A banker is arrested and sentenced for the murder of his family and while he is in prison, he becomes part of a money-laundering operation. It's based on Stephen King's short story Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption.
It's indeed interesting that one of the rare times that King chose not to write horror resulted in one of the best movies ever made. And it's somewhat of a sleeper hit since it only grossed $16 million during its original theatrical run (via Box Office Mojo). Limiting the proceedings to a penitentiary makes audiences care more about the characters, and that devotion is paid back through great performances from the actors.