When the credits roll, it's not surprising to see that a film was based on a novel. Some authors, like Stephen King, are prolific in writing books that go on to be adapted for the big screen. Something less common, however, is seeing a film that has been adapted from a short story.
Short fiction often simply doesn't have enough content to be brought to life in film, but when it does, it can wow viewers with its strong character development and quick plot points. Short stories have to get their messages across in fewer words than novels, so they are often full of intense, condensed imagery, and strong metaphors, which can result in striking films that make viewers wish the stories they came from went on for longer.
Updated by Lauren Turner on October 9, 2022: Most movie buffs agree that movies based on books are typically excellent. There’s rich content to draw from when creating a screen adaptation. However, some popular films have actually been adapted from short stories. These movies will always be interesting for fans, so we’ve revamped this list with even more information.
10 Arrival
Based on the novella Story of Your Life by Ted Chiang
Arrival (2016) was adapted from the novella Story of Your Life by Ted Chiang, which appears in his collection, Stories of Your Life and Others. As most adaptations do, the film takes some liberties, like adding action in the third act, but beyond that, much of the main plot stays the same.
Arrival is a remarkably easy-to-follow story considering that the content follows a linguist learning an entirely new language from aliens and a physicist discussing refraction and mathematical theories, all mixed with the idea of non-linear time. Both versions of the story are heartbreaking in their own way and deserve to be appreciated in their respective forms.
9 Little Fish
Based on the short story "Little Fish" by Aja Gabel
Aja Gabel wrote her short story "Little Fish" in a class on post-apocalyptic fiction before it was adapted into the 2021 film of the same name. It follows a young couple as they navigate a pandemic of an illness with dementia-like symptoms.
The film adaptation of "Little Fish" is very faithful to the original, and Gabel's emotional writing translates to the screen with ease. Both the story and the film will leave viewers misty-eyed at the end, feeling the loss of the characters as they feel it themselves.
8 Memento
Based on the short story "Memento Mori" by Jonathan Nolan
The famously mind-bending film by Christopher Nolan, Memento, was adapted from Jonathan Nolan's short story "Memento Mori." Like the film, the story jumps between multiple different timelines while still following a man with anterograde amnesia, a condition where one cannot create new memories.
Unlike most short fiction adaptations, Jonathan Nolan wrote "Memento Mori" after he pitched the idea to his brother, Christopher. Then, the script for the film adaptation was written by Christopher while Jonathan was still in the process of revising the story.
7 Burning
Based the short story "Barn Burning" by Haruki Murakami
This haunting 2018 thriller was adapted from Haruki Murakami's story "Barn Burning," which appears in his collection The Elephant Vanishes. The film, like the story, carries the classic Murakami air of oddity that keeps the viewer interested through to the end.
The stories follow a man who strikes up a relationship with a woman until she goes away on a trip and returns with a new, mysterious man. This new man reveals that he enjoys burning down barns (greenhouses in the film). Both versions of the story are mysterious and tense, much to the credit of Murakami's ambiguous writing style.
6 Brokeback Mountain
Based on the short story "Brokeback Mountain" by Annie Proulx
Annie Proulx first published her heart-wrenching story "Brokeback Mountain" in The New Yorker in 1997 and went on to publish it in her collection Close Range: Wyoming Stories. It was famously adapted in 2005 by Ang Lee, starring Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal, to critical acclaim.
The story, like the film, spans over 20 years and chronicles the love story of Jack Twist and Ennis del Mar from beginning to end. The setting and mood translate from text to film easily, and both Ledger and Gyllenhaal capture the characters perfectly. If viewers haven't read the story after seeing the film, it's definitely one to look into.
5 2001: A Space Odyssey
Based on the short story "The Sentinel" by Arthur C. Clarke
Stanley Kubrick's famous 1968 sci-fi classic 2001: A Space Odyssey is based on Arthur C. Clarke's story “The Sentinel," published in 1951. It was then published in Clarke's collection Expedition to Earth. Before its initial publication, it was entered in a writing contest that it didn't even place in, though it was monumental for Clarke's writing career.
The story and the film are quite different. Clarke even wrote a novel based on 2001 during and after the film was being developed that is more closely related to its events, but the original idea for it is still credited with “The Sentinel."
4 Drive My Car
Based on the short story "Drive My Car" by Haruki Murakami
Drive My Car was one of the big contenders at the 2022 Oscars, going up against The Power of the Dog and Don't Look Up, but it was the only one of the big hitters adapted from a short story. Also adapted from a Haruki Murakami story, this time the story of the same name from Murakami's 2014 collection Men Without Women, it follows a playwright after the sudden death of his wife.
While the film borrows from other Murakami stories in addition to "Drive My Car," it mainly follows the plot of this one narrative. It has a tender and drawn-out plot that leaves many viewers surprised to find out that it's a short fiction adaptation, especially due to the 179-minute runtime.
3 The Fly
Based on the short story "The Fly" by George Langelaan
George Langelaan wrote and published his short story "The Fly" in 1957 in Playboy magazine, where it was subsequently adapted to film in 1958 and 1986. The Fly (1986) was directed by acclaimed horror director David Cronenberg and was a box office hit.
The story and the film are quite different in content except for the premise, so it is certainly worth it to check both out for their unique experiences. Cronenberg's disgusting take on the idea of a man slowly becoming a housefly is exceptional.
2 The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty
Based on the short story "The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty" by James Thurber
James Thurber's short story, "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," was published in The New Yorker in 1939 and then appeared in his collection My World and Welcome to It. The film gives the main character of Walter Mitty more depth while the story plays more into the intentional clichés of writing.
The film adaptation of the same name, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, contains much more action and takes many liberties. This works well for the big screen compared to the compressed, whittled-down medium that is short fiction.
1 Stand By Me
Based on the novella "The Body" by Stephen King
Stand by Me is the famous 1986 coming-of-age film adapted from the novella titled "The Body" by Stephen King, which appeared in his collection Different Seasons. It follows four boys who set out on a hike in a nearby forest in search of the body of a missing boy who is presumed dead.
The film is very faithful to the original story and has become one of King's most famous adaptations, having received awards recognition upon its release. King's novella became a film that many remember to be one of the first coming-of-age stories that spoke to them.