Reading is fundamental. It’s an experience that can take you to new worlds and show you news ways of being just by turning the page. Sometimes, though, it’s nice to be able to live some of the same stories without carving out the time to read an entire book. Check out these movies based on books to get a dose of some good literature in just a couple hours.
Beasts of No Nation (2015)
Based on the book written by Nigerian-American author Uzodinma Iweala in 1999, this powerful film takes a look at the tragic and traumatic effects of a war that takes one boy’s family away from him. When he is forced to navigate through the world alone, various people and circumstances attempt to rob him of his youth and take advantage of his innocence.
Forrest Gump (1994)
Many people have seen this classic ‘90s film featuring Tom Hanks as the quirky title character based on Winston Groom’s book originally published in 1986. As he journeys through life, Forrest exciting careers and unusual approach to life puts him in the middle of some of history’s most memorable moments from the ‘60s and ‘70s.
We Need To Talk About Kevin (2011)
When a person grows up to be violent menace to society, who is to blame? One woman battles with this question when her emotionally distant son grows up to be much more sinister than she imagined. Brace yourself for an uncomfortable and unsettling story about a teen who seriously tests his mother’s limits in this dark thriller originally written by Lionel Shriver.
City of God (2006)
Critically acclaimed and heralded as one of “50 Films To Should See Before You Die,” this epic movie spans three decades of gang warfare the city of Rio de Janeiro, where a young boy tries to find his way out the violence through his passion for photography.
Warriors (1979)
Sol Yurick wrote the book that became a film of the same name in 1965. Since then, this movie has become a cult classic about rival gangs that make protecting their turf a life or death situation. When a Coney Island gang is mistakenly accused of killing another gang’s leader, all hell breaks loose as they try to get back home from across the city.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009)
This suspenseful Swedish film follows a badass hacker that delves into a family’s best kept secret, when she pairs up with a journalist and goes on a action-filled hunt for a missing girl of an important and wealthy man. Based on the best-selling crime novel by Steig Larsson, this is a good pick if you like high drama with a bit of violence. If you enjoy this movie, you can also check out the other two films that complete the trilogy.