The 10 Best Non-Superhero Comic Book Movies, Ranked According To IMDb

The movie landscape is littered with superhero movies, but there are so many other films that fans didn’t even know were based on comic books too.

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Comic book movies used to be a niche before the 2000s, but they now lead the cinema industry, as the Marvel Cinematic Universe, X-Men, and the DC Extended Universe reign supreme. But there are other comic book movies that are unrelated to those universes and aren’t even about superheroes – and fans might not even know they’re based on comic books.

There aren’t many original movies that get developed by major studios these days, as most of these films are reboots or adaptations of books that the studios own the rights to. However, there are a surprising amount of brilliant original dramas in comic books too. Between a gangster revenge epic, a former assassin hiding his past from his family, and a tortured relationship of a gay couple, comic books shouldn’t be overlooked when it comes to highly acclaimed material.

10 Dredd (2012) – 7.1

Dredd follows a law enforcement officer who doesn’t hold back when it comes to bringing down drug dealers and gang bangers, as he’s the judge, jury, and executioner. This wasn’t the first time the comic book was adapted, but compared to the 90s adaptation that starred Sylvester Stallone, Dredd is considered to be a cinematic masterpiece.

The movie had incredible effects, was the gold standard in terms of 3D at the time, and it didn’t hold back on the brutality, as Dredd had a hard R-rating long before Deadpool and Joker were praised for forgoing a PG-13. Dredd did what comic books do so well too, as it built a world that fans crave more of. Though the underwhelming box office performance meant that a sequel was unlikely, there have been talks of continuing the world of Judge Dredd in a TV show.

9 Men In Black (1997) – 7.3

Few people know that Men in Black is actually an adaptation of a comic book movie, and it may have something to do with the fact that the movie is so unique, as even the morning cartoon was so heavily based on the movie, not the comic book.

The sci-fi movie is director Barry Sonnenfeld’s best film, and though the movie’s big selling point are the aliens, part of what makes the film so special is the way a young and fresh character joins forces with an aging, joyless stoic. Between the hit single, the chemistry between the main characters, and the neuralyzer, the movie was lightning in a bottle, as not even its sequels could recapture the magic.

8 A History Of Violence (2005) – 7.4

A History of Violence is about a former assassin who has kept his previous career a secret from his family for years, and just like the comic book it’s based on, the movie is exhaustingly thrilling. The film is directed by David Cronenberg, who is known for creating deep movies that don’t seem all that deep on the surface, and A History of Violence is no different.

What’s fascinating about the movie is that it isn’t simply an action flick about a retired hit man, a la John Wick, but it’s actually a meditation on mankind’s relationship with violence. This is no more clear than when Tom shockingly admits to his wife that he has killed in the past, not just for money, but for pleasure too.

7 Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (2010) – 7.5

When it was first released, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World was a giant box office bomb, barely even making half of its budget back. But it has become something of a cult hit, as it has seen success in DVD sales and in syndication on streaming services in the years since.

It’s partly due to the fact that director Edgar Wright is becoming increasingly celebrated, and Scott Pilgrim is one of his tentpole movies that established his quirky and erratic style. But it’s also because the narrative is so unique, as the movie follows the titular character as he battles the evil exes of his new girlfriend, and it’s bizarre, hilarious, action packed eye candy. It’d also look a lot different if Scott Pilgrim was remade today, as the cast is what made it so great.

6 300 (2006) – 7.6

300 is a comic book adaptation that is so faithful to the source material, not just in narrative, but in visuals too. The movie is directed by Zack Snyder, which means that there’s loads of beautiful shots in slow-motion, and it looks exactly like the stills from the comic book.

Snyder was so committed to making the movie look as much like the comic book as possible that he even shot it almost entirely with a superimposition chroma key, giving it such a unique look. And, along with its visual draw – and even though 300 was criticized for its one dimensional characters – the action in the movie is epic in every way.

5 Road To Perdition (2002) – 7.7

Period gangster movies and American culture are intrinsically tied together, which is why it comes as a surprise that Road to Perdition is based on a comic book. However, revenge stories and comic books are also intrinsically tied together, and Road To Perdition is exactly that too.

Just like many non-superhero comic book movies, including Sin City and A History of Violence, Perdition is all about revenge, as it follows a mob enforcer and his son who take down the men who murdered their family. Cinematography-wise, it’s one of the most beautiful looking movies of the 21st century, and it’s an incredibly underrated crime movie of the 2000s too.

4 Blue Is The Warmest Color (2013) – 7.7

Blue Is the Warmest Color is the only comic book movie that has ever won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, the most prestigious award in the film industry, and it’ll probably remain that way for decades.

The fact that Warmest Color is based on a comic book comes as a huge surprise, even to the on-the-ball cinephiles, as not only is it not based on a superhero, but there is no high concept whatsoever. The movie is a very realistic and melodramatic depiction of a relationship between two lesbians, and it’s one of the most heartbreaking movies of the past 10 years.

3 Sin City (2005) – 8.0

Just like 300, the big draw of Sin City is just how visually impressive it is and the effects that were used made it look like the comic book came to life. The movie was directed by Robert Rodriguez (along with Tarantino, who directed a scene for $1,) who now shoots almost the entirety of every movie in front of a green screen, which is probably due to the success of Sin City.

As the film follows many different characters, it’s the most successful anthology movie, not just in terms of how beloved it is, but financially too, as it made $160 million, way more than any other anthology movie that came before or after it.

2 V For Vendetta (2005) – 8.1

Alan Moore is not only one of the most famous comic book writers of all time, but he’s well versed in superheroes too, as he wrote one of the most celebrated Batman graphic novels, The Killing Joke, and he created Watchmen too.

However, one of the best works Moore ever created was about an anarchist revolutionary named V, and the adaptation of V For Vendetta is one of the best forgotten 2000s blockbusters. The movie has become so iconic that, even though it was present in pop culture before the movie, the Guy Fawkes mask became the face of so many activist groups.

1 Oldboy (2003) – 8.4

Oldboy is another movie that comes as a surprise that it’s based on a comic book, especially considering that it’s wedged between two other movies in a trilogy, both of which are completely original. However, Oldboy isn’t just the best non-superhero comic book movie, but it’s one of the greatest movies of all time, currently ranked as the 68th best movie ever on IMDb.

And though it’s action packed, which is typical for a comic book movie, the violence is unapologetically brutal, and it features a mystery that rivals classic movies like Chinatown and Se7en. Despite having one of the worst US adaptations, the original adaptation of the comic book is thought provoking.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/best-non-superhero-comic-book-movies-ranked-imdb/