10 Films BETTER Than The Book They Were Based On

Adapted from Stephen King’s story, Rita Hayworth and The Shawshank Redemption. The film initially underperformed at the box office, but slowly gathered a cult following after its outstanding critical reception.

The film sticks closely to the plot of King’s novella, only deviating on a few occasions; the film tells the story of Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), who is sentenced to life in prison after he’s convicted for the murder of his wife and her lover, although Andy always maintains his innocence.

While incarcerated, Andy, who formerly worked as an accountant, is coerced by the corrupt prison warden to launder money for him.

The story is told from the perspective of Ellis “Red” Redding (Morgan Freeman), a convicted smuggler who fears he has become institutionalised and will never be able to adjust to life as a free man when he is released.

Rather than being better than the source material, The Shawshank Redemption, is the perfect example of a story that was already ideally suited to a film adaptation. The execution was equal to the task and the ‘90s film is regarded as one of the decade’s finest.