3. The Shawshank Redemption
Stephen King's novella was a rarity for the author, in so much as it didn't have even a tease of horror; it was a more relatable, humanist tale that, unsurprisingly, was a massive - if latent - hit from the helm of director Frank Darabont (who would later adapt King's The Green Mile). Darabont's film is just such an unbelievable coincidence of superb, visually enticing direction, magnificent performances from the leads (Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman) right through to all the supporting players, all of whom play richly-realised characters in what is, to many, the quintessential prison film, and to many more, the best film ever made. It's that best sort of feel-good film, which never feels manipulative or overly treacly; Darabont judges King's text perfectly, depicting both the deep humanism and horror present in this prison tale. As far as honest-to-God inspiration goes, feature films don't get a whole lot better.