When then-unknown British author Paula Hawkins’ psychological thriller “The Girl on the Train” was released in 2015, it quickly became a bestseller for months, selling millions of copies worldwide.
Famously touted as the next “lost girl,” “The Girl on the Train” eventually became a major screen adaptation produced under the banner of Dreamworks Pictures.
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Directed by Tate Taylor, best known for his Oscar-nominated work on “The Help” and starring Emily Blunt as the title character, “The Girl on the Train” has been generating quite a stir following its trailer debut well received back in April.
As we look forward to the upcoming release of “The Girl on the Train” this October, here are our top seven picks for psychological thrillers turned into acclaimed film adaptations over the decades in Hollywood.
1. “hunter of men” (1986)
dr. Hannibal Lecter, the renowned psychiatrist turned cannibalistic serial killer was first introduced by Thomas Harris in his 1981 novel “Red Dragon.” Despite favorable reviews of the novel, the subsequent film adaptation released five years later under the title “Hunter for Men” failed to turn on the box office. Although the film was sadly overlooked upon its release, “Manhunter” was gradually restored as a critical success over the years, particularly after the memorable success of Jonathan Demme’s Oscar-winning thriller “The Silence of the lambs” (a sequel adaptation of the same name by thomas harris in 1988) in 1991.
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While it’s true that the overly stylized “manhunter” divided many audiences and critics in its day, director michael mann’s unique visual design that made his “thief” such an impressive feature film debut is still a must see. A must for every thriller. fan. Working alongside cinematographer Dante Spinotti, Mann deftly incorporates the use of blue tones to evoke a dreamy yet brooding atmosphere from the film’s overall cold and brooding subject matter. In addition to Mann’s laudable methodical direction, all three male leads delivered solid performances in their respective roles, including then-unknown pre-“CSI” star William Petersen as Will Graham, FBI profiler Brian Cox as Dr. Hannibal Lecktor (as opposed to the novel’s original last name, “Lecter”) and Tom Noonan as the psychotic killer “The Tooth Fairy.”
2. “dead calm” (1989)
Believe it or not, Charles Williams’ 1963 novel “Dead Calm” was first adapted to film by Orson Welles (yes, the late legendary director who made “Citizen Kane” and “Touch of Evil”) ). however, the film, which was titled “The Deep”, was never completed. It wasn’t until the mid-1980s that Australian production company Kennedy Miller (better known for the “Mad Max” films) obtained the film rights and finally succeeded in adapting Charles Williams’ novel into a film in 1989.
directed by then unknown phillip noyce, who later became one of hollywood’s most sought after australian directors in the 90’s with hits like “patriot games” and “clar and present danger”, “dead calm” was shockingly underrated at the time of its release. Although it was unsuccessful at the box office, the film is one of the great thrillers of the 1980s that earned much praise. First of all, the small cast of three (Sam Neill, Nicole Kidman, and Billy Zane) each give an excellent performance. While Zane is perfect as the charismatic wacko, it was Nicole Kidman who excelled the most in playing her layered from an ordinary, vulnerable housewife to an unlikely survivor forced to use her sexuality to outwit Zane’s character. Noyce’s direction is hermetic and claustrophobic, as he made great use of the film’s limited setting, which takes place entirely on the ship in the middle of the ocean.
3. “misery” (1990))
Based on Stephen King’s best-selling 1987 novel of the same name, “Misery” was successfully adapted into a film three years later to both critical and financial success. The story itself is equally terrifying and begs the same question: how do you stop a deranged psychopath like Annie Wilkes when he can barely move after a car accident? while rob reiner’s direction delivers efficient value around the twisted relationship between paul sheldon (james caan), a bestselling author held captive by annie wilkes (kathy bates) as he attempts to outsmart and manipulate annie in hopes of surviving. . it was bates’ terrifyingly obsessive portrayal that elevated most of the film. Her unpredictable mood swings throughout the film were so memorable that she deservedly won her an Oscar for best actress.
4. “the silence of the lambs” (1991)
Who would have thought that the oscars, famous for overlooking genre films, would award five gold statuettes to a psychological thriller like “the silence of the lambs”? And those five Oscars are for the biggest award categories, including best picture, best director (jonathan demme), best actor (anthony hopkins), best actress (jodie foster) and best adapted screenplay (ted tally). Based on the novel of the same name by Thomas Harris, “The Silence of the Lambs” sees the return of Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) as he helps rookie FBI agent Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) catch a notorious serial killer known as “Buffalo Bill” (Ted Levine). unlike “manhunter” (the first film adapted from the novel “red dragon” before this sequel) and later the sequel directed by ridley scott “hannibal” as well as two prequels “red dragon” and “hannibal rise”, “the Silent of the Lambs” remains the best film adaptation ever made revolving around the iconic Dr. Hannibal Lecter. In fact, it’s easy to see why Jonathan Demme’s version is so commercially popular: Hopkins’ terrifyingly sinister performance contrasts well with Foster’s strong yet vulnerable female lead, while Demme’s direction is taut, meticulous and understands the genre. suspenseful well enough.
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5. “Cape Fear” (1991)
Where “The Silence of the Lambs” got most of the credit as a must-see 1991 psychological thriller, the same year also saw the release of Martin Scorsese’s crashed remake of “Cape Fear.” based on john d. Macdonald’s “The Hangmen” novel, “Cape Fear” was adapted once before in 1962 starring Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum. Although this is Scorsese’s first foray into psychological thriller territory, he shows great creative control throughout the film. From the well timed yet creative camera angles to a quartet of stellar performances including Nick Nolte, Robert De Niro, Jessica Lange and Juliette Lewis, “Cape Fear” proves to be such a captivating thriller. De Niro is particularly featured here, whose terrifying performance as Max Cady, an ex-con with a tattooed body, earned him a well-deserved Oscar nomination for Best Actor.
6. “single white woman” (1992)
From “basic instinct” to “break-in,” 1992 was undoubtedly a banner year for many acclaimed psychological thrillers. Then there’s “Single White Woman,” which centers on New York-based software designer Allison Jones (Bridget Fonda) living a happy life with her fiancé Sam Rawson (Steven Weber). everything changes when she finds out that sam is sleeping with her ex-wife and decides to throw him out of her apartment on the upper west side of manhattan. Desperately wanting to hold on to her apartment, she lands a roommate in the form of a shy Hedra Carlson (Jennifer Jason Leigh). The two become good friends until Sam reappears in Allison’s life, which in turn makes Hedra increasingly jealous of her relationship and then begins to show the true nature of the ugly side of her. p>
Adapted from John Lutz’s novel of the same name, “Single White Female” ranks among the best psychological thrillers involving the then-popular “Tenant from Hell” subgenre in the early 1990s along with “Pacific Heights.” and “the hand that rocks the cradle”. The movie works, thanks to excellent performances from Bridget Fonda and Jennifer Jason Leigh. Barbet Schroeder, best known for his Oscar-nominated work in “Reversal of Fortune,” displays a subtle directing style in the vein of Hitchcockian cinematic style. The film is not only suspensefully crafted, but also bold enough to elevate the provocative theme of allison and hedra’s insinuated lesbianism for a major hollywood production.
7. “lost girl” (2014)
David Fincher is no stranger to the thriller genre, having surpassed everything from his groundbreaking “se7en” to Hollywood’s underrated yet captivating remake of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.” In “Gone Girl,” Fincher has successfully turned Gillian Flynn’s novel of the same name into a unique cinematic experience that subverts the usual expectations of a Hollywood thriller. while every technical point of view, from fincher’s meticulous visual style to jeff cronenweth’s atmospheric cinematography and kirk baxter’s sharp editing, is to be commended, what makes “gone girl” such an intriguing thriller is the genre-changing plot itself. At the beginning of the film, we learn of the mysterious disappearance of Amy Dunne (Rosamund Pike) and her husband, Nick (Ben Affleck), who is doing everything in his power to discover the truth with the help of two police detectives (Kim dickens and patrick fugit). From here, it appears that Fincher revisits his “zodiac”-like police procedural, but as the investigation deepens, the film’s original tone subsequently changes to a Hitchcockian-esque mystery thriller as well as a Mixed satire that mocks the nature of the media. obsession and the misanthropic aspect that surrounds the current meaning of the so-called “perfect” marriage. All the actors here are great, with Rosamund Pike stealing the show as Amy Dunne.
“The Girl on the Train” opens in theaters across the country on October 6, 2016.
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