Collider ranks eight film adaptations of acclaimed books for their excitement and thriller elements, arguing that successful adaptations can preserve a strong story while using cinema to heighten tension and action.

– ‘And Then There Were None’ (1945): An early adaptation of Agatha Christie’s 1939 mystery about ten people trapped on an island as they are killed one by one; it is praised as effective despite softening the novel’s darkest material.
– ‘L.A. Confidential’ (1997): A streamlined version of James Ellroy’s 1990 noir novel, retaining its central themes of corruption, murder and celebrity while simplifying its intricate conspiracies.