Horror Movies! (that started as books)

 Halloween tradition dictates that one spend at least one evening in the month of October watching scary movies.  Or at least, I think it does.  And even if you're not a Halloween fan, there can be no doubt that sometimes, it's fun to get good and scared with a good movie (or TV show), a cozy blanket, and maybe a bowl of popcorn.

Alas, it is the observation of many a horror fan that sometimes, the plot of their scary movie pick just isn't that good.  Now, some might not mind having thrills and chills at the expense of the story, but we here at PDL deeply enjoy a good narrative, so... what to do?

Well!  I, your fearless (usually) blogger, have taken it upon myself to identify the surest marker of good storytelling in a horror movie: films that are based on horror books.

Be not afraid of boring stories with cheap scares, and focus more on, uh... being afraid... of... what's happening on screen.

Read on, if you dare, and trick-or-treat yourself to these selections of horror-themed watchables that started off as books.

N0S4A2 (TV series)

Based on the book by Joe Hill, N0S4A2 (pronounced "Nosferatu", like the vampire) follows Victoria "Vic" McQueen in her quest to defeat the dangerous Charles Manx, an immortal who feeds off the souls of children.  Vic is the only child who ever escaped his clutches, and now that she is an adult, she must contend with Manx's revenge plot - which begins with kidnapping her eight-year-old son.

N0S4A2 received a television adaptation, with the book's plot being spread across 2 seasons.  Check these out if you want supernatural thrills that endure more than a single dark night.

You (TV series)

You is another television series, originally picked up by Lifetime and continued by Netflix.  It's based on the series of novels by Caroline Kepnes, which begins when bookseller Joe Goldberg falls in love at first sight with aspiring writer Guinevere Beck.  What starts as a crush turns to obsession, as Joe does everything in his power to learn everything there is to know about Beck in a desperate bid to win and keep her affections... no matter who or what stands in his way.

While lacking in the supernatural, the dramatic tension and twists will nevertheless keep you on the edge of your seat.  Season two is based on Kepnes's second novel, Hidden Bodies, and while further seasons do diverge from the books, the series maintains parallels between the two media.

Doctor Sleep (2020 film)

Any horror film buff is certainly aware of, if not familiar with, The Shining, both the acclaimed novel by horror master Stephen King and the film adaptation by exacting director Stanley Kubrick, in which Jack Torrance, accompanied by his wife Wendy and his son Danny, overwinters as caretaker of the Overlook Hotel, and is possessed by the ghostly litany of violence that haunts its halls.  Wendy and Danny are threatened not only by Jack's descent into madness, but the ghosts that are attracted to Danny's ability, a telepathic second-sight known as "the shine".

Doctor Sleep picks up with Dan Torrance, now an adult and still struggling to deal with both his supernatural "gift" and the trauma he endured at the Overlook Hotel as a child.  Earning the nickname of "Doctor Sleep" due to his ability to soothe patients receiving hospice care, his attempts at a peaceful existence are foiled when he meets Abra, a young girl who possesses an even more powerful version of his own extrasensory powers, and finds that he must defend her from the True Knot, a paranormal cult that wish to exploit her powers for their own ends.

My own Halloween reading list starts with Doctor Sleep, and if the film has even half the impact of its prequel, then an eerie and supernatural experience awaits.

Interview with the Vampire (TV series)

Gothic horror abounds in this title, based on the novel of the same name by Anne Rice.  Interview with the Vampire follows Louis de Pointe du Lac as he narrates the events of his long life - or more accurately, undeath - as a vampire in the company of fellow vampires Lestat de Lioncourt, who turned Louis, and Claudia, who was also turned by Lestat as a young girl and is doomed to forever inhabit the body of a child.

Fans of this title may recall the 1994 film adaptation starring Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise.  Regrettably, we do not currently possess a copy of this particular film, but we do have the first season of the more recent AMC adaptation.  Unlike the 1994 film, this adaptation explores racial issues over the decades and embraces the queer elements of Rice's work, as Louis and Lestat's romantic/sexual relationship  was only ever hinted at in the older film.

The Gothic horror elements serve as a backdrop for Louis's own internal struggles with morality and mortality, and certainly make for a rich, haunting experience.

Renfield (2023 film)

Dracula by Bram Stoker is an enormous influence to this day as a pioneer of vampire fiction.  Based on the author's own research into European folklore, Dracula made icons of vampires and established many of the genre conventions.

The film Renfield, on the other hand, is a significant departure from the other entries on this list due to the fact that it is, in fact, a horror-comedy.  The titular character does star in the original novel as Dracula's thrall, a man driven mad and consigned to an insane asylum due to his obsession with vampirism and immortality, who wrestles with his own desires and morality as Dracula calls upon him to do his bidding.  This version of Renfield, however, is depicted less as a madman, and more as an overworked and overtaxed personal assistant.  After long centuries of doing his master's bidding, Renfield is ready to move on to other pursuits; however, quitting your job as Dracula's aide is easier said than done, putting aside Renfield's own issues of codependency.

Even if you're not a vampire buff or Dracula scholar, this film is sure to entertain for no other reason than starring the incomparable Nicolas Cage as literature's most famous vampire.

So, what do you think?  Are any of these titles tempting enough to put on your horror night watchlist?  Or would you rather delve into the original books, and let your mind wander through the haunted passages therein?  Let us know in the comments!