Whether you’re an avid bookworm or a proclaimed movie buff, 2022 has had some great releases that combine the two worlds.
From heartwrenching love stories to coming-of-age murder mysteries, here are some of the biggest book-to-screen adaptations from this year.
My Policeman
Based on the novel by Bethan Roberts
The new film starring Harry Styles hit Prime Video on 21 October and fans of both the singer and book are going wild. Set in 1950s Brighton, we follow the lives of Marion, Tom and Patrick as they battle love and identity. When Tom and Marion meet, sparks fly, and they can’t help but fall in love. A few years into their relationship, Pattrick and Tom met, and suddenly everything changed. Pattrick finds himself enamoured by policeman Tom, and they enter into a clandestine relationship. In a time with such violence towards homosexuality, the safest way for Pattrick and Tom to be together was for Tom and Marion to marry. But when one person crumbles, three lives begin to fall apart. This is a book-to-screen adaptation not to miss.
Stream on Amazon Prime
Where The Crawdads Sing
Based on the novel by Delia Owens
Starring Daisy Edgar Jones, the coming-of-age story follows Kya, a young-girl raised by the marshlands of the south in the 1950s. When the town hotshot is found dead, and inexplicably linked to Kya, the Marsh Girl is the prime suspect in his murder case. Kya must now solve the murder before she is blamed for everything.
Stream on Amazon Prime
The Wonder
Based on the novel by Emma Donoghue
This new psychological thriller starring acclaimed actress Florence Pugh explores the phenomenon of the Fasting Girls, which took place during the 1800s. Set in the Irish Midlands in 1862, the story follows a young girl who stops eating but remains miraculously alive and well. English nurse Lib Wright is brought to a tiny village to observe eleven-year-old Anna O’Donnell. Tourists and pilgrims mass to witness the girl, who is said to have survived without food for months.
Stream on Netflix
Vampire Academy
Based on the novels by Richelle Mead
The hit young adult series from 2007 is being resurrected in the form of a Peacock original TV show directed by Julie Plec, who also directed the hit TV show The Vampire Diaries. The paranormal series, consisting of 6 books, follows Rose Hathaway, a dhampir girl who is training to be guardian to her moroi best friend, Princess Vasilisa “Lissa” Dragomir. In the process of learning how to defeat strigoi at St. Vladimir’s Academy, Rose finds herself caught in a forbidden romance with her instructor, Dimitri Belikov, while having an unbreakable psychic bond with Lissa.
Stream on NOW
Heartstopper
Based on the graphic novel by Alice Oseman
The young adult LGBTQIA+ ongoing graphic novel has recently been made into a Netflix original series. It follows the story of Charlie Spring and Nick Nelson as they meet and fall in love in high school. The adorably light story has won over the hearts of streamers and readers alike as they watch two young men handle school, love, and sexuality.
Stream on Netflix
The Good Nurse
Based on the true-crime novel by Charles Graeber
This Angel of Death novel chronicles nurse and convicted serial killer, Charles Cullen. In October 2022, the novel was made into a Netflix film starring Eddie Redmayne and Jessica Chastain. The Good Nurse reveals the institutional and moral shortcomings of hospitals and administrators, who enabled Cullen to move from place to place in order to protect bottom lines instead of caring for the well-being of patients.
Stream on Netflix
Under The Banner of Heaven
Based on the novel by Jon Krakauer
The true-crime bestseller has been adapted into a seven-episode limited series starring Andrew Garfield. The story follows Detective Jeb Pyre as he investigates the gruesome murder of Brenda Wright Lafferty and her infant daughter in Salt Lake City. Detective Pyre struggles with his Mormon faith as he investigates the murders—and how they relate back to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Stream on Disney+
She Said
Based on the novel by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey
The kickstarter of the #MeTooMovement comes in the form of this bestselling book by New York Times writers Jodi Kantor and Megan Towhey. This harrowing book sheds light on Harvey Weinstein’s sexual abuse scandal. She Said takes both viewers and readers behind the scenes to show how the women uncovered the truth behind the horrors of Hollywood.
Watch in theaters
Conversations With Friends
Based on the novel by Sally Rooney
If you’re looking for more Sally Rooney adaptations after bingeing Normal People, look no further. Conversations With Friends is Rooney’s debut novel and follows best friends Frances and Bobbi as they forge an unconventional relationship with a married couple. Through the 12-episode series, Frances and Bobbi explore their sexuality and test the boundaries of their friendship.
Stream on BBC iPlayer
Love books? Read all of the new releases now. More into your film? Check out December’s must-see cinema releases.
