20 Graphic Novels That Were Made in to Really Good Movies

This high-energy blockbuster with an ensemble cast involves a Special Forces black-ops team, a Bolivian drug lord, and a mysterious woman bent on revenge. The Rotten Tomatoes consensus describes it as “loud, fast, and unrelentingly violent.”

Keanu Reeves stars as underworld detective and “demonologist” John Constantine in this take on the popular DC Comics “Hellblazer” series. The film revolves around an investigation into a mysterious suiсide, pitting Constantine against supernatural forces.

Brothers Allen and Albert Hughes co-directed this loose adaptation of the serial graphic novel of the same name. Johnny Depp stars as Inspector Frederick Abberline, investigating the infamous Jack the Ripper murders in Victorian London. The film’s box office gross more than doubled its $35 million budget, earning $74.6 million.

“Extraction” marks the directorial debut of Sam Hargrave, best-known as a stuntman and stunt man for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Hemsworth plays a mercenary charged with rescuing a drug kingpin’s kidnapped son. Almost 100 million households watched it in its first four weeks on Netflix – a record for the streaming service.

This action-filled Cold War spy thriller features Charlize Theron in the title role. The film was in development for five years before its release, during which time Theron trained extensively for the numerous fight scenes – including sessions with Keanu Reeves.

Originally published as a series of monthly DC Comics in 1986 and ’87, “Watchmen” is an alternate history with satirical elements involving mid-20th-century superheroes who change the course of momentous events. Although there are some key differences from the source material, the adaptation is considered a triumph for director Zack Snyder.

Packed with a star-studded cast including “RED” is about four retired CIA agents coming together to uncover a conspiracy that threatens their lives. It made a whopping $199 million at the box office, more than tripling its production cost.

Another blockbuster comic adaptation by Zack Snyder, “300” tells the tale of 300 Spartans fighting the Persian army at the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 B.C. Gerald Butler screamed the now-iconic line “This is Sparta!” because he didn’t think it was working when he simply spoke it. His delivery surprised everyone, and the rest of the cast almost broke out laughing – but Snyder wisely retained it.

Based on a series originally published by Marvel Comics, “Kick-Аss” features nerdy teenage comics fan who decides to become a superhero, and ends up defeating a crime boss with the help of a lethal youngster named Hit-Girl and her ex-cop father.

Based on three entries in Frank Miller’s crime anthology series of the same name and co-directed by Miller himself, this six-episode film features an all-star cast as characters surviving the corruption and violence of Basin City. Although filmed in color, the movie was later converted to black-and-white to pay homage to both the graphic novel and classic film noir style.

William Hurt was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in this action-filled drama based on the well-regarded 1997 graphic novel about the costs of hiding one’s past and protecting one’s family. The film was also nominated for a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar.

Based on a post-apocalyptic French graphic novel series, Oscar-winning director Bong Joon Ho’s thriller follows a train carrying the last people on earth around the a frozen globe following failed efforts to combat climate change. A TV series on TNT, debuting in 2020, was based on both the film and the original source material.

This cult classic tells the story of a young rock musician in Toronto who falls in love with an Amazon delivery girl, then learns that he must defeat a succession of her evil ex-boyfriends. Although it wasn’t a box office success, it was well-reviewed and won numerous film critics’ awards.

Swedish graphic novelist Coco Moodysson originally spun this tale of three Stockholm teenagers in the 1980s who decide to start a punk band to rival a band of teenage boys. Moodysson’s husband, Lukas Moodysson, adapted it into this “sweet, empathetic” movie (according to Rotten Tomatoes).

Blue-chip director Sam Mendes (“American Beauty,” “1917”, “Skyfall”, “Spectre”) directed this adaptation of a powerful graphic novel about a betrayed gangster during the Great Depression and his quest for revenge. Screen legend Paul Newman was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role, which proved to be his last big-screen appearance.

Originally appearing in a UK anthology, “V for Vendetta” was adapted into a ten-issue series for DC Comics. The story is set in Britain after a nuclear holocaust destroys much of the world, in which a revolutionary in a Guy Fawkes mask battles a neo-fascist government. The film version received generally favorable reviews, though some critics blasted it. Author Alan Moore asked that his name be removed from the film because he thought it had gaping plot holes and conveyed a message that was contrary to what he intended – but audiences loved it.

Based on a satirical French graphic novel, “The Death of Stalin” revolves around a power struggle by Joseph Stalin’s subordinates following his death. Real characters and events are depicted, though historians have pointed out inaccuracies in the story. The actors, mostly British and American, were encouraged not to use Russian accents in their roles, a decision Russian journalists praised.

A dark though frequently funny novel about two teenage girls in a small town in the 1990s, “Ghost World” sas turned into a witty, well-received coming-of-age film starring Thora Birch and Scarlett Johansson as the teens. “I want to hug this movie,” wrote critic Roger Ebert.

Based on a French graphic novel by nonbinary transgender writer and artist Jul (formerly Julie) Maroh, this film follows a gay teenager as she grows into an adult and confronts the difficulties of reconciling relationships and a career. When it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, a major French film union criticized the working conditions under which it had been made, and both lead actresses complained that they’d never work with director Abdellatif Kechiche again.

Based on two graphic novels about growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution and its aftermath, and named ironically after the capital of the ancient Persian empire, this animated feature shared the Jury Prize at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for an Oscar. The Iranian government sent a protest letter to the French Embassy in Tehran about the movie.