We asked The Atlantic’s writers and editors: What’s a film adaptation that’s better than the book?
The article explains why they consider the movies Jurassic Park, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Devil Wears Prada, The Social Network, and Clear and Present Danger each to be better than their source material.
Annihilation by Vandermeer/Garland. I really loved the Southern Reach trilogy but the film did a great job of capturing a book that was mostly vibe and reflection and used striking visuals to condense it and keep it powerful. Neither were perfect but I’m so glad both exist.
What did you think of the other books in the series? I found the second one to be a retread and didn’t bother with the rest. Wondering if they could ever make a sequel to the movie or if there really isn’t any good material from the other books. Might make a good streaming series depending on what’s extrapolated from the ideas in the first novel.
I read them all at once in a single volume. I agree, they become a slog in the middle and hard to even differentiate; I guess it helps relate to the state of mind of the protagonist🤷♀️. I remember really liking the end of the 4th(?) book and thinking it was the perfect finish.
Right after, I read the Borne series and Veniss Underground (most beautiful/gross scene I’ve ever read in English in this one) and found them incredible and way easier to get into.