The 5 Best Thriller Television Series Adapted from Movies

The film Snowpiercer is a brilliant look at class structure. It portrays the relentless striving of the poor and downtrodden as it slowly boils into a full-on rebellion.

It manages to do so while also being a poignant warning of the dangers we face from the environmental damage done to the planet. Using a train as a metaphor for the social ladder is so effective because they are, quite literally, trying to get uptrain. It is also an incredibly cool visual for those who just want to watch some action.

While Bong Joon-ho does a fantastic job building this contained world in a mere two hours, the TV series has so much more run-time to work with and makes the most of it.

The series dives deeper into the inner workings of this entire society, everything from nightlife, to agriculture and medicine. Early on we get to witness a trial and so many other rich world-building components.

As a film lover, I generally gravitate towards films over TV shows when it comes to remakes, regardless of which came first. Snowpiercer is a rare exception.

In rewatching this series over the last few weeks, I’ve found so many more interesting tidbits that I missed the first time around. Any fans of Bong Joon-ho would be well served to carve out the time to watch Snowpiercer the series.

There’s not much left to be said about the greatness of Jonathan Demme’s The Silence of the Lambs. However, NBC’s 2013 TV series Hannibal is criminally underrated. Hugh Dancy’s portrayal of detective Will Graham is spectacular. It rivals that of Edward Norton in the prequel, Red Dragon.

Shockingly, it is Mads Mikkelsen as Dr. Hannibal Lecter who makes this show worth watching.

Whenever you’re remaking such an important piece of pop culture, you have two choices.

You can either try to replicate the original and match its quality, tone, and overall feel, or you can take a totally new approach. Mikkelsen did the latter here to great effect. He did not try to be Anthony Hopkins. He put his own spin on the role.

The beauty of it is there are only three seasons of this show, so you can catch up in a few weekends.

The movie Fargo kicked off an epic three-film run by the Coen Brothers, followed by The Big Lebowski and O, Brother Where Art Thou?

While it provided a deep well from which the series could draw from, it also left some huge shoes to fill. While the series is not quite as good as the movie, it is still pretty awesome. 

Fargo feels like a show that could go on forever as it keeps retooling their cast with such giants as Jon Hamm, Chris Rock, Kirsten Dunst, and Billy Bob Thornton.

As far as thrillers go, you can definitely file this one under the category of “quirky or offbeat,” but it is no less thrilling than any murder investigation out there.

Long gaps between seasons work against some shows. The fact that some seasons have had room to breathe and so many people have been able to leave their mark on the series is a benefit to Fargo in the eyes of most.

Since it is an anthology series, you can start anywhere, but season ONE, starring Billy Bob Thornton and Colin Hanks, is still the crown jewel of the series.

Thornton gives a great performance as Lorne Malvo, the shady big bad of the season, while Hanks and Allison Tolman play detectives investigating a murder.

The slightly different name almost made this show slip through the cracks. Many people may not realize it was based on the 1975 film starring Robert Redford. Similar to Fargo, the series does not quite live up to its film predecessor.

However, like Hannibal, it is a short watch (only 2 seasons) and it more than holds its own.

Irons plays Joe Turner, a young CIA operative who many would call a “boy scout.” After finding out some classified information he is plunged into survival mode and goes toe to toe with some very powerful people. It is equal parts thrilling and inspiring. 

I would have loved to see more seasons and hope one day a streaming service out there decides on a revival. Until then, fire up the first two seasons and enjoy a great performance from Max Irons.

Bonus points for appearances by William Hurt and Leonard Toby Moore (Of Billions fame).

Of all the entries on this list, this is the only one where I saw the series before the movie. It is also another rare exception of preferring the series to the movie.

Westworld, a thrilling exploration of the ethics of artificial intelligence, came out of the gate hot in season one with breathtaking landscapes, brilliant performances, quotable dialog, and most importantly, thought-provoking moral questions. 

Season one was a great example of hiding your dog’s pill in a juicy steak. While the park at the center of the show just felt like a fun, if not depraved idea, the moral implications of how the guests treated the robots that populated it was the topic of conversation in households and offices everywhere.

The show did a great job of entertaining us with funny and crazy scenes of murder, debauchery, and a lot of role-play while also forcing us to ask ourselves (and each other) questions about artificial intelligence and human behavior.

As the seasons progressed, they unraveled a compelling thriller about a robot uprising, full of twists and turns. Even though the train came off the tracks a little towards the end, every season provides plenty of incredible visuals, shocking moments, and hilarious cameos.

Evan Rachel Wood and Jeffrey Wright are the clear-cut MVPs, but the supporting cast is deep, too. Ed Harris, Jimmi Simpson, Anthony Hopkins, Thandiwe Newton, and James Marsden do their fair share of heavy lifting. This deep cast made Westworld’s first season one of the best season openings in recent memory.

Whether you start with the films or TV shows on this list, you’ll enjoy comparing them. Spotting key similarities and differences enriches the experience of watching all these titles.