11 Bloodcurdling Book-to-Screen Horror Adaptations

& where to watch them

Successfully adapting literary horror to the screen is no easy task. Moviemakers must do more than just replicate the words on the page. They need to fully realize the dark imaginations of both the authors and readers of the source material. Sometimes that means staying faithful to the original text. Other times, it means exhibiting some artistic license. Here are eleven of our favorite book-to-screen horror adaptations. 

The Exorcist (1973)

Based on: The Exorcist, a novel by William Peter Blatty

Where to watch: Max

Blatty's terrifying novel about the possession of a young girl served as the basis for a movie that shocked audiences and shattered box office records. With intense performances and groundbreaking effects, the film, directed by William Friedkin, still reigns as one of our favorites.

The Birds (1963)

Based on: The Birds, a short story in this collection by Daphne du Maurier

Where to watch: AMC+

Director Alfred Hitchcock, took some liberties in his adaptation of the chilling story that provided the basis for his landmark film. Du Maurier's version is set in her home county of Cornwall, England, shortly after the end of World War II. But both depictions are capable of inspiring a lifelong fear of our feathered friends. 

Carrie (1976)

Based on: Carrie, a novel by Stephen King

Where to watch: Max

There have been so many excellent adaptations of King's novels that he could have a list all his own. And, in fact, he does! Published in 1974, his debut is the story of an abused and bullied teenage girl who takes revenge when she discovers she has telekinetic powers. Brian De Palma's adaptation features powerful performances by Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie.

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Based on: The Silence of the Lambs, a novel by Thomas Harris

Where to watch: Max

Directed by Jonathan Demme, this film, starring Jodie Foster as a young FBI trainee who seeks the advice of an imprisoned serial killer (Anthony Hopkins) made history by becoming the first horror film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. It was also the third film to win in all of the five major Oscar categories.

Jaws (1975)

Based on: Jaws, a novel by Peter Benchley

Where to watch: Netflix

Steven Spielberg made a name for himself with his adaptation of Benchley's 1974 novel about the murderous great white shark who turns a tranquil beach town into a nightmare zone. The book was described by The Washington Post as a "tightly written, tautly paced, study of terror that makes us tingle."

Let the Right One In (2008)

Based on: Let the Right One In, a novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist

Where to watch: Prime Video

Swedish author Lindqvist breathed new life into the vampire genre with his bestseller about Oskar, a young bullied boy who discovers that his new friend, an enigmatic girl named Eli, is a vampire. The Swedish film, directed by Tomas Alfredson, won awards at a number of international film festivals.

Kwaidan (1964)

Based on: Kwaidan, a collection of Japanese ghost stories by Lafcadio Hearn

Where to watch: Max

This anthology horror film, directed by Masaki Kobayashi, weaves together four haunting tales from Hearn's collection, each beautifully designed with exquisite visuals and intricate narratives. The film won the Special Jury Prize at the 1965 Cannes Film Festival.

Rosemary's Baby (1968)

Based on: Rosemary's Baby, a novel by Ira Levin

Where to watch: AMC+

Roman Polanski directed this film based on Levin's novel about a young pregnant woman (Mia Farrow) who begins to suspect that her elderly neighbors are part of a Satanic cult and that they have plans to use her baby for their rituals. The eerie story explores themes of paranoia and manipulation.

Hellraiser (1987)

Based on: The Hellbound Heart, a novella by Clive Barker

Where to watch: Hulu

Barker wrote and directed this feature film based on his own work. It is the story of a hedonistic man who acquires a mystical puzzle box that is said to open the door to a realm of otherworldly pleasure. Instead the box summons demonic sadomasochistic beings called Cenobites.

Psycho (1960)

Based on: Psycho, a novel by Robert Bloch

Where to watch: Peacock

Norman Bates loves his mother. She has been dead for the past 20 years, or so people think. Norman knows better, though. Alfred Hitchcock's taut, shocking scare-fest starring Anthony Perkins and Janet Leigh is a classic movie, as scary today as it was in 1960 when it was first released.

The Thing (1982)

Based on: Who Goes There, a novella in this collection by John W. Campbell Jr.

Where to watch: AMC+

Directed by John Carpenter, this adaptation tells the story of a group of American researchers in Antarctica who encounter an extraterrestrial life-form that assimilates, then imitates, other organisms. The group is overcome by paranoia as they confront the knowledge that any one of them could be The Thing.

We hope this sets the stage for some spooky reading and watching pleasure. What are your favorite horror adaptations?

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Read more by Ashly Moore Sheldon