3 Terrifying Horror Books That Are Even Scarier As A Movie
It’s an age-old debate. What’s better: the book or the movie? Our next question is this, what is SCARIER: the book or the movie?
Although books often explore and conquer greater gruesome detail, the visual and sound aspects of a movie are unrivaled. Between the haunting imagery and the shrieks, jump scares, and shouts, horror movies keep us up at night.
Keep reading for the three horror books that are even more terrifying as a movie:
The Silence Of The Lambs (1991)
In The Silence of the Lambs, Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster give two of the most critically-acclaimed performances in horror movie history as Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Starling, respectively. Although The Silence of the Lambs novel, written by Thomas Harris in 1988 is surely terrifying, the visuals, voice, tone, and facial expressions in The Silence of the Lambs film are unmatched.
Hopkins upholds an unnerving disposition as Lecter, bringing a steady, authoritative speech pattern and an analytical, sharp-eyed gaze to the role, which earned the actor the 1992 Oscar. He’s somehow charming — boasting a calculated breed of seduction —despite his unpalatable proclivities. Foster also took home the golden statuette for her convincing performance as a proud and determined, yet vulnerable and self-aware agent, ceaselessly retaining composure in the face of danger and overt sexism.
The book and movie laid the groundwork for many future films that fall under the detective v. serial killer subgenre of psychological thrillers. Think Seven, Prisoners, Zodiac, The Bone Collector, Copycat, American Psycho…The list is never-ending!
The Shining (1980)
Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining is regarded as one of the finest works in the horror genre. However, it notably received pushback from author Stephen King, for Kubrick took the story’s foundation but implemented several fundamental changes.
As noted in Far Out Magazine, King’s work supports “biblical demarcations of good and evil,” and King felt that Jack Torrance was inherently a good man who succumbed to evil forces that bent him toward the wicked. On the other hand, Kubrick’s depiction is less biblically conventional and turns Torrance into a psychopath whose descent into madness is a reflection of humanity alone.
Ideas of heaven and hell and god vs. satan are virtually amiss in the on-screen adaptation. The book relies much more on supernatural elements — as is customary of Stephen King — while the film takes a more tangible, grounded approach. The film’s portrayal of madness is why we think it is so much scarier. Yes, the book is also haunting, but watching someone dive into evil and craziness is something that feels all too real and jarring.
Despite King’s comments, the movie is regaled as a masterclass in horror — a terrifying descent into madness that spotlights a spine-chilling Nicholson in a narrative maze that keeps viewers guessing.
Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
Roman Polanski’s Rosemary’s Baby is notably one of the most faithful book-to-screen adaptations, as several verbal exchanges are pulled directly from Ira Levin’s novel. The narratives are virtually parallel from start to finish, as such was vital to Polanski when creating the film.
Premiering in the 1960s — at the height of second-wave feminism and before birth control pills were widely accessible — the film is a feminist horror tale, revealing the depths of inequality (and consequentially gender-based violence) inherent to a patriarchal society.
The Satanists who live next door are not the film’s most terrifying players. Look at the doctors who force Rosemary into decisions she is not comfortable making. Look at her husband who commits the film’s most unforgivable act. The true villain is a society that relegates women to second tier — and those who contribute to and benefit from its ugliness. Rosemary is “Mrs. Woodhouse” at all times. She is the mother of Satan’s spawn. She is always and forever more “someone to someone else.”
Unfortunately, Rosemary’s Baby remains quite relevant in modern times. Although the film isn’t outright scary, the later part of the film is very suspenseful and of course there are many insane creepy scenes. The visual storytelling here plays such a big part in the film that we would be amiss to not include it here.
