Shakespeare was the man when it came to writing compelling stories and characters that we truly care about. Over the years, there have been many screenwriters and directors that have adapted his plays into movies for the general public. In fact, some of the best or most popular movies are Shakespeare movie adaptations.
While some of the Shakespeare movie adaptations only allude to the plays that they’re based on and choose to focus on particular elements of the plays, others, like Joss Whedon’s Much Ado About Nothing, very closely resembles the original material. Either way, The Bard’s plays make for pretty great films.
So, in celebration of the continued release of Shakespeare adaptations, here’s a list of the top 10 best Shakespeare movie adaptations (so far).
10. ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ (1993)
As you’ll see as you keep perusing our list, the 90s were a great time for Shakespeare movie adaptations. About 20 years before Joss Whedon premiered his modern, black and white version of the comedy, critics and film-goers endlessly praised actor/director Kenneth Branagh (director of Thor) for his movie. Even though it’s not as flashy as Whedon’s, you’ll definitely want to check out this version. You’ll love seeing Keanu Reeves play the villain and Robert Sean Leonard (Dr. Wilson from House!) play the lovesick Claudio.
9. ‘Othello’ (1995)
Laurence Fishburne plays a very tortured Othello in this adaptation of the famous play. His fits of madness are intense, not to mention gripping. Kenneth Branagh is in this film as well, playing the heinous villain Iago (no, not the red bird from Aladdin). The first half of the movie may drag a bit and you may get a little annoyed with all of the uproar over a handkerchief, but you really need to watch it all the way through to the end.
8. ‘Warm Bodies’ (2013)
Ok, so Warm Bodies is one of the looser adaptations, but it’s still a great movie. The two come from dueling “families” so to speak and fall in love against all odds. Most of the characters have names and roles similar to characters in Romeo and Juliet (R, Julie, M, etc.) and there’s even a balcony scene. We especially like this film because it turns the whole teenage romance idea on its head and has a good time poking fun at it. Some people take the Romeo and Juliet-type romance too seriously, so this movie was like a breath of fresh air.
7. ’10 Things I Hate About You’ (1999)
Not many people are aware that this smash hit is a Shakespeare movie adaptation, but that’s probably because the play it adapts, The Taming of the Shrew, is not one of The Bard’s more popular titles. Like Warm Bodies and She’s the Man (which you’ll see later on this list), he references the play through character names and places but isn’t completely married to the play’s plot. Above all though, Heath Ledger plays such a charming leading man that there was no way this movie wasn’t going to make this list.
6. ‘Romeo + Juliet’ (1996)
Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet is so aesthetically beautiful that it sometimes takes our breath away. While we’re still kind of iffy about Luhrmann’s decision to set the classic story in modern day Verona Beach and give the characters guns instead of swords, there’s no denying that this is one of the most iconic Shakespeare movie adaptations that has ever been made. Shakespeare students and fans, as well as Leonardo DiCaprio lovers, will be watching and re-watching this movie for years to come.
On Page 2: Which Shakespeare movie adaptation took our #1 spot? (Hint: It’s definitely a Hypable reader-favorite!)
5. ‘Hamlet’ (2000)
With the arrival of new millennium came an obsession with new and improved technology so it only made sense for a Shakespeare movie adaptation of Hamlet. This modern adaptation starring Ethan Hawke and Julia Stiles, among others, zeroes in on one of the play’s most interesting themes: surveillance. There are cameras literally everywhere in this movie, watching each character very closely. At some point, we as the audience start to feel like one of the cameras, and it’s just very eerie. If you haven’t seen this movie, definitely add it to your list. And yes, the “To be, or not to be” soliloquy is still in it.
4. ‘Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead’ (1990)
In the 1960s, Tom Stoppard wrote a genius tragicomedy based on two minor characters in Hamlet (which was later adapted for the big screen). Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Hamlet’s two ill-fated and, in the context of Stoppard’s play, bumbling friends. The movie tells Hamlet from their perspective while also focusing on their extreme existentialism. While that may sound dull or too serious, it’s actually hilarious. They actually break out into the question game multiple times throughout the movie. Plus, Gary Oldman (Sirius Black/Commissioner Gordon) plays Rosencrantz. Or Guildenstern. We can’t remember which, but it doesn’t really matter.
3. ‘She’s the Man’ (2006)
“Duke wants Olivia who likes Sebastian who is really Viola whose brother is dating Monique so she hates Olivia who’s with Duke to make Sebastian jealous who is really Viola whos crushing on Duke who thinks shes a guy…” Did you get all of that? Even though it sounds super confusing, it makes for an awesome movie. And, believe it or not, this Shakespeare movie adaptation is just as complicated and hard to explain as Twelfth Night, the play it’s based on. While we love all of the movie’s references to the play (like Duke’s “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them” speech), we mostly just love how hard it makes us laugh.
2. ‘West Side Story’ (1961)
Sharks/Jets. Capulets/Montagues. West Side Story basically takes the tension and the star-crossed lovers from Romeo and Juliet and sets them to super catchy music. And by “super catchy,” we mean Bernstein/Sondheim genius. It’s seriously impossible to find anyone who has never heard of or seen West Side Story, let alone someone who can sing part of one of the songs. Every time we hear the name Maria, we can’t help but sing “Maria / I just met a girl named Maria.” This Shakespeare movie adaptation, along with Romeo + Juliet is, and probably will always be, one of the most famous incarnations of Romeo and Juliet ever captured on film.
1. ‘The Lion King’ (1994)
A show of hands: how many of you knew that The Lion King is technically a Shakespeare movie adaptation before reading this article? Even though it’s one of the looser adaptations (Nala doesn’t drown herself, Timon and Pumbaa aren’t murdered, etc.), it’s still pretty much Hamlet with lions and great music. We bet that if “I Just Can’t Wait to be King” had been written in Shakespeare’s time, he totally would have put it into Hamlet. It’s just too good. Plus, the Nala character (Ophelia) had her own song in the original play, so why not Hamlet too? In all seriousness though, we’re totally in support of exposing children to The Bard early in life and The Lion King is the best way to do so. It’s just an all-around amazing movie.
So there you have it. Those are our top 10 Shakespeare movie adaptations. There’s going to be some major list rearranging to be done as more Shakespeare adaptations hit theaters!