10 Films that are as good or better than the novels that inspired them

30 Days of Night (DVD - 2008)

Annotation:Although the narrative of the film matches its inspiration, the vampires themselves are drastically changed. In Steve Niles's original graphic novel, the vampires are modern, trendy and secretly integrated into society. They send texts and emails, and feel more like the kind of villains you'd find in an episode of Vampire Diaries. By contrast, David Slade's film presents vampires who are far removed humanity in every way, and it makes them all the more terrifying.

Fight Club (DVD - 2002)

Annotation:Trying to tackle visually representing the unnamed narrator's unhinged stream of consciousness from Chuck Palahniuk's novel is a pretty tall order, but David Fincher's direction makes for a wild and enjoyable ride.

Watchmen (DVD - 2009)

Annotation:Another Zack Snyder film, 'Watchmen' is loyal to its source material to a fault, but manages to inject Snyder's trademark visual intensity to give it a modern edge. Great soundtrack too.

The Hours (DVD - 2003)

Annotation:Fantastic performances and a driving, beautiful score by Philip Glass add a depth to the film that goes beyond the admittedly excellent book by Michael Cunningham.

300 (DVD - 2007)

Annotation:Zack Snyder's faithful adaption of Frank Miller's ultra-violent re-imagining of the Battle of Thermopylae captures the outlandishness *and* the sincerity of the graphic novel.

Batman Begins (DVD - 2005)

Annotation:Making a few changes to its overall story arc, Chris Nolan's Batman franchise reboot manages to keep the gritty realism that made Frank Millar's 'Batman: Year One' so successful.

The Silence of the Lambs (DVD - 2001)

Annotation:The Thomas Harris novel just isn't on par with this classic of modern film.

Road to Perdition (DVD - 2003)

Annotation:While the original loses its momentum about halfway through, the film makes some additions to the story and characters that keep this version exciting to the end.

The Shining (DVD - 2007)

Annotation:Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece of horror has few peers, and its source of inspiration, written by Stephen King, is not among them.

Blade Runner The Final Cut (DVD - 2007)

Annotation:While Philip K. Dick's story 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep' concentrated on the minutae of everyday life in a bleak future, Ridley Scott's neo-noir classic concentrates instead on characters and story.