There’s nothing that a book audience loves more than hearing that their favorite novel is going to be the next big blockbuster hit. Anticipation snowballs as the teasers and trailers are dropped before the final moment of pure excitement: the film release. Readers and moviegoers fill the theater seats alike. The screen glows with a story set to spread across both mediums. Adaptations can take a story and either completely transform it or develop the story into a new platform.
A few great adaptations have graced screens this year. Dune: Part Two became a huge hit after its release in March of 2024. An adaptation of the sci-fi book Dune, the film brought to life the character of Paul and his descent into madness on Arrakis. 2024 also brought The Wild Robot to life, an adaptation of the children’s books. Both critically and fan-loved, The Wild Robot stole everyone’s heart with the tale of Brightbill.
Though this year has had moments of great adaptations, it has not been saved from the occasional adaptation failure. Whether it has been due to poor casting, film interpretation, or less than favorable final product. Here are the worst of the adaptations that 2024 has seen.
Uglies
Film Release Date: September 13, 2024
Uglies is a novel by Scott Westerfeld published in 2005. Set in a dystopian world where citizens are turned ‘pretty’ when they come of age, Tally faces great anticipation and deep difficulty when her best friend reveals she does not want to be pretty. The story reflects on the way appearance is valued within society.
The film adaptation was released this year, starring Joey King and Brianne Tju. Released on Netflix, the film was soon met with a lot of backlash online. Claiming that the CGI of the film mirrored popular TikTok filters and that, despite the rich themes, the performances and story fell flat.
Mean Girls
Film Release Date: January 12, 2024
Queen Bees and Wannabes by Rosalind Wiseman was originally published in 2002. The book was a how-to for future moms of teenagers, detailing the best ways to support your teenage daughter through the social workings of high school. The book inspired the original Mean Girls, the Tina Fey cult classic of 2004 before it inspired the second adaptation in 2024.
The film took inspiration from the book, the original film, and the musical—creating an amalgamation of all the mediums into the final film. Though the performances from Rene Rapp and Avantika Vananapu were show-stopping, the film did face criticism for its sometimes flat interpretations of the songs. Additionally, the clothing choices for the film did receive some pushback from fans for the director’s choice to dress the main cast in fast fashion-inspired looks.
The Tearsmith
Film Release Date: April 4, 2024
Erin Doom’s The Tearsmith was originally published in 2021. Telling the story of Nica, a teenager raised in an abusive orphanage, as she is adopted and taken to a new home. Upon meeting her new family and settling with the belief that her troubles have passed, Nica meets Rigel, another child from the orphanage. Finding themselves attracted to one another, they must first confront the demons of their past.
The film came out on Netflix this year, starring Caterina Ferioli and Biondo as Nica and Rigel. The script was what led to much of the backlash the film received upon its release. Fans complained that it was a good idea that was lost in the translation into a script. Overall criticized for its tropey writing and cheesy performances, The Tearsmith did not make for an adaptation worth rewatching.
The Watchers
Film Release Date: June 7, 2024
The Watchers, written by A.M. Shine was published in 2021 and recently became a film. Centered on a group of people trapped inside a bunker underground, strange occurrences begin to haunt them and they must find a way out. However, something fantastical lies just beyond the door that traps them inside.
The film was adapted by M. Night Shyamalan’s daughter, Ishana Night Shyamalan. The film starred Dakota Fanning, Georgina Campbell, and Hannah Howland. After its release, The Watchers was subject to many comments about the film’s large ideas that were not interpreted well in the script and performances. This left fans ultimately confused.
It Ends With Us
Film Release Date: August 9, 2024
Colleen Hoover and her novels have received backlash in and of themselves due to the writer’s portrayal of toxic relationships and violent men. Her novel, It Ends With Us, was not saved from this backlash. The novel tells the story of Lily Bloom—a woman stuck in a violent relationship with Ryle—as she runs into a love interest from her past.
The film came out this year and was met with trouble far before it premiered. After controversy over the cast and their attitude toward one another and additional controversy over Blake Lively’s untimely haircare drop, the film received even further hate from fans. From the wardrobe to the casting to the performances, It Ends With Us left much to be desired in terms of book-to-film adaptations. The costumes were chaotic and overdone, the casting wasn’t appropriate to the characters’ ages, and the performances created a stir of mockery online.
Both film and books are impeccable art forms for storytelling. Being able to see when these two mediums collide can often be spectacular in the way that film can breathe a new kind of life into long beloved stories; however, there are times when this effect falls short. The sometimes stale, cheap, or confusing adaptations that appear throughout the year serve as a vehicle to reexamine the story itself. And, as the bookish community may argue upon seeing these failed adaptations, the book was better.
For more look-backs, read our article on LGBTQ+ Pop Culture Icons from across the years.
To show some love to the books that have made it to our screens in the past years, scroll through our list of Book-to-Screen Adaptation reads on Bookshop.
