Comicbooks are the inspiration for more than superhero films. There are diversehorror movies adapted from comic books, manga, and graphic novels. From serial killer stories to monster tales to cyberpunk post-apocalyptic fables, comic books have been translated to the big screen with varying levels of success.
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This list assembles 10 horror films derived from comic book sources. Some of the most beloved characters in horror have their origins in comic books: Swamp Thing, Blade, and Hellboy included. The movies are organized below based on their IMDb rating.
This Wes Craven feature stars the iconic DC character Swamp Thing. Ray Wise plays Dr. Alec Holland, a scientist who creates a strange concoction made by combining plant and animal cells. When the plotting Anton Arcane sends his men to steal the concoction, Holland is doused in it during the ensuing struggle. He flees into the nearby swamps, where he turns into the iconic monster.
An action-heavy film, this predates Craven's horror mainstays A Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream. It features supporting performances from Adrienne Barbeau and Louis Jordan.
Richard Stanley, a controversial South African director connected to the disastrous 1996Island of Dr. Moreau, made his feature-length film debut with this robotic cult classic. Stanley based the screenplay on a short entitled"SHOK!" he read in an annual comic compilation from 1981.
Dylan McDermott plays a former soldier turned scavenger, mining a post-apocalyptic wasteland for treasure. When he finds a discarded cyborg in the sand, he decides to bring it home to his artist girlfriend. Little does he know it's actually a military-trained killing machine.
Adapted from the acclaimed graphic novel of the same name, this movie focuses on the childhood and teen years of infamous serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, told from the perspective of someone who grew up with him. Derf Backderf penned the graphic memoir, and the movie is directed by Marc Meyers.
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The graphic novel and movie both pay close attention to Dahmer's last year of high school, when his budding alcoholism and fraught home life added to the mental unraveling that would lead him down a brutal, murderous path.
Hard Candy's director David Slade brings Steve Niles' terrifying vampire comic book series to life in this gory horror film starring Josh Hartnett. The movie and comic are set in Barrow, Alaska, a town plunged into darkness for 30 days each year due to its proximity to the Arctic Circle.
Thanks to this, Barrow catches the attention of a troupe of thirsty, gruesome vampires who have free reign over its unsuspecting residents. Harnett plays the town's sheriff, who tries to win his city back from the fanged intruders.
GuillermoDel Toro is responsible for bringing Mike Mignola'sHellboy comic to the big screen, and the firstHellboy movie is the best. Ron Perlman plays the eponymous rogue demon who is part of an elite team fighting evil.
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After he's summoned by the Third Reich during WWII, Hellboy is captured by American forces, where he falls under the influence of a professor who instills empathy in him in an attempt to help him deny his demonic ways. As he grows, Hellboy's moral compass strengthens.
Based on the acclaimed graphic novel by Alan Moore, also responsible for Watchmen, From Hell digs into Jack the Ripper, the purported serial slayer who terrorized London in 1888. The film adaptation, directed by Allen and Albert Hughes, stars Johnny Depp as a Scotland Yard detective tasked with solving the case.
Jack the Ripper was responsible for the brutal and surgical murders of numerous sex workers, which led people to believe the responsible party had a medical background. This is the premise explored in the movie, which traces various theories and beliefs about who Jack the Ripper could have been.
Long before the HBO series, William Gaine's classic horror comic Tales From the Crypt was made into a feature-length movie. The movie employs the framing device the show is known for, sharing five creepy tales taken from Gaine's comics.
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Tales From the Crypt was an important comic series, inspiring a whole new era of pulp horror, and this British film is a good cinematic introduction for fans of the title. The Crypt Keeper is played by Sir Ralph Richardson, and the segments include performances from iconic British horror actors like Peter Cushing.
Blade is a Marvel comicscharacter created by scripter Marv Wolfman and artist Gene Colan in 1973. After his mother is bitten by a vampire while pregnant with him, Blade has special immunity, making him a strong vampire nemesis. Neither totally human or totally vampire, Blade exists in the periphery, choosing to use his status to wage war against the undead.
The action-horror Blade movies star Wesley Snipes in the iconic role, blending stylized, choreographed movements with blood and violence. In the original film, Snipes is supported by Kris Kristofferson and Stephen Dorff.
Horror and science fiction auteur David Cronenberg took a break from his normal subject matter to adapt this neorealist graphic novel from John Wagner and Vince Locke. Viggo Mortensen stars as Tom Stall, the owner of a diner in a small Indiana town. He has a wife and two children, and is intent upon keeping his life simple.
Tom's past catches up with him after he makes the news for taking out a pair of criminals who attempt to hold up his diner. As he's forced to reconcile with his former identity, as well as the nefarious characters he used to associate with, Tom's true nature is unleashed.
Oldboy is part of Park Chan-wook's Korean revenge trilogy, which also includes Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance andLady Vengeance. The middle film in the trilogy,Oldboy is based on a Japanese comic book of the same name.
A smart and artistic film, Chan-wook applies varied pacing and flashy sequences to this fable-like tale. Oh Dae-su is imprisoned for 15 years without knowing his captor or why he was held captive. After his release, instead of finding solace or relief, trouble is just beginning for Oh Dae-su.
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Megan is a public librarian by trade obsessed with the intersections between art, culture and society. She's a nerd for horror, obscure memes, weird history, graphic novels and binge-worthy science fiction series. Megan is a regular contributor to Ranker, and she has also contributed to various blogs, including The Culture Crush. Her favorite TV show is "Jeopardy!"
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