Book-to-Screen Horror

17 spine-tingling reads that have been adapted for the screen

October is nearly here! And that means it's time to double down on book-to-screen horror. And by double down, we mean read the books and watch the adaptations. Here are seventeen frightfully good horror novels that have been adapted to the screen (often more than once).

The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

This gothic horror story set in early 20th-century England follows a young recently widowed lawyer who travels to a remote village where the vengeful ghost of a scorned woman is terrorizing the locals. A 2012 film adaptation starring Daniel Radcliffe and Ciarán Hinds is available on Paramount+.

Ring by Koji Suzuki

When journalist Asakawa learns about several teens who died mysteriously at the same time as his seventeen-year-old niece, he decides to investigate. What he finds puts him in danger of suffering their same fate. The 2002 adaptation, starring Naomi Watts and Brian Cox, is streaming on Paramount+. 

In the Flesh by Clive Barker

The legendary horror author and filmmaker authored this anthology of six bloodcurdling stories, part of a series. The Forbidden inspired Candyman, a 1992 film about a vengeful, murderous ghost. Several sequels followed. In 2021, Jordan Peele released his own version, available on Amazon Prime. 

The Ritual by Adam Nevill

When four old university friends take a hiking trip into the Scandinavian wilderness, they hope to leave their troubles behind and reconnect with one another. But a nightmare scenario awaits them. A 2017 film adaptation, directed by David Bruckner, is streaming on Netflix.

My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix

The year is 1988. High school sophomores Abby and Gretchen have been best friends since fourth grade. But after an evening of skinny-dipping goes disastrously wrong, Gretchen begins to act . . . different. The campy 2023 adaptation, starring Elsie Fisher and Christopher Lowell is streaming on Amazon Prime.

There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins

It's been almost a year since Makani Young came to live with her grandmother. She's just starting to adjust to her new life in rural Nebraska when, one by one, students at her high school begin to die in a series of gruesome murders. Can Makani survive the killer's twisted plan? Watch the 2021 film on Netflix.

A Stir of Echoes by Richard Matheson

Tom Wallace lived an ordinary life, until a chance event awakened psychic abilities he never knew he possessed. Now he's hearing the private thoughts of the people around him—even from beyond the grave. This eerie ghost story inspired the acclaimed 1999 film starring Kevin Bacon, available on Amazon Prime.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

The 1931 adaptation counts as one of the world's first horror films. And it's based on what many consider to be the original horror novel! Many more versions followed, of course. You can find the legacy films on Peacock. See Lisa Frankenstein, a fresh new 2024 update on Amazon Prime.

Dracula by Bram Stoker

Immerse yourself in the timeless chilling tale of the vampire count and his nocturnal reign of terror. The 1992 film directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, and Anthony Hopkins, is on Amazon Prime. The Last Voyage of the Demeter is a 2023 adaptation streaming on Paramount+.

Bird Box by Josh Malerman

The Road meets Stephen King in this propulsive thriller set in an apocalyptic near-future world threatened by a mysterious, deadly entity. The 2018 Netflix adaptation stars Sandra Bullock as Malorie, one of a handful of survivors. With her two young children, she embarks on a harrowing quest for safety.

American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis

Young, handsome, and well educated, Patrick Bateman lives a double life in 1980s Manhattan. Hobnobbing and making his fortune on Wall Street by day, he spends his nights expressing his true nature as a serial killer. The 2000 film starring Christian Bale, Jared Leto, and Willem Dafoe, is available on Netflix.

IT by Stephen King

The works of the King of Horror have inspired dozens of bloodcurdling adaptations. Here, seven adults return to their hometown to confront an evil entity preying on children. IT: Chapter One and IT: Chapter Two are available on various streaming services. Welcome to Derry is an upcoming HBO series.

I Know What You Did Last Summer by Lois Duncan

After a party, four teens have a hit-and-run accident that results in a young boy's death. They make a pact to keep their secret, but someone finds out and seeks revenge. The 1997 film of the same name, a loose adaptation of the novel, stars Jennifer Love Hewitt and Sarah Michelle Gellar. See it on AMC+.

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

Hailed as a perfect work of unnerving terror, this is the story of four seekers who arrive at the notorious Hill House, looking for evidence of haunting. And they find it. The 2018 Netflix series offers a loose adaptation. See The Haunting (1999), starring Liam Neeson and Catherine Zeta-Jones on Paramount+.

The Changeling by Victor LaValle

Apollo and Emma are settling into their roles as new parents. But something isn't right with Emma and, after committing a horrific act of violence, she disappears. The Apple TV+ series stars LaKeith Stanfield as Apollo, a man navigating a surreal terrorscape as he tries to find a wife and child who are nothing like he'd imagined.

The Midnight Club by Christopher Pike

Now an original Netflix series, this is the story of a group of five terminally ill teenagers who meet at a hospice facility. They make a secret pact that the first to die will do whatever he or she can to contact the others from beyond the grave. Then one of them dies.

Goosebumps by R. L. Stine

This iconic series has been giving young readers the chills for decades. The original book series has spawned hordes of spinoff series, television shows, video games, and feature films. You can watch the first season of a new anthology series starring Justin Long on Disney+.

We hope this sets the stage for some terror-ific reading and watching pleasure. For more iconic book-to-screen horror, check out this post from last year. What are your favorite horror adaptations?

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Read more by Ashly Moore Sheldon