The Best Movies Based on Poems

Ranker Film
Updated June 23, 2023 396 votes 69 voters
Over 60 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The Best Movies Based on Poems
Voting Rules
Vote up the best movies based on or inspired by poems.

From epic tales of war and romance to beloved animated musicals, this list includes information about the best movies based on poems. Some movies based on poems stay true to the source material while other films adapted from poems create new storylines. Some of the best movies based on poems have even won Academy Awards.

What films will you find on this best movies based on poems list? Braveheart has to be near the top. This 1995 film – directed, produced, and starring Mel Gibson – was based on the poem The Wallace by Blind Harry. Braveheart won the Academy Award for Best Picture as well as several other honors. O Brother, Where Art Thou? is another great movie inspired by a poem.

Nightmare Before Christmas was based on a poem written by Tim Burton in 1982. Other good films based on poems include Troy, Beowulf, and Horton Hears a Who.

Which movies based on a poem do you think are the best? Give your favorites a vote up and and add any good options we may have missed.

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  • O Brother, Where Art Thou?
    1

    O Brother, Where Art Thou?

    George Clooney, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson
    32 votes
    • Released: 2000
    • Directed by: Joel Coen
    In the uniquely styled film O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Ulysses Everett McGill (George Clooney) leads a motley crew of escaped convicts through 1930s Mississippi. Pete Hogwallop (John Turturro) and Delmar O'Donnell (Tim Blake Nelson) accompany him in an ambitious quest for hidden treasure. The unlikely trio navigates a landscape as rich in folklore as it is in danger, meeting a colorful cast of characters along their way. This Coen Brothers' cinematic odyssey, inspired by Homer's epic poem 'The Odyssey', marries comedy with drama and won a Grammy for its distinctive soundtrack.

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  • The Nightmare Before Christmas
    2

    The Nightmare Before Christmas

    Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon, Catherine O'Hara
    28 votes
    • Released: 1993
    • Directed by: Henry Selick
    In the hauntingly whimsical film, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Jack Skellington (voiced by Chris Sarandon), the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, stumbles upon Christmas Town. Enchanted by its stark contrast to his eerie homeland, Jack decides to replicate Christmas in Halloween Town. But he struggles to grasp the true spirit of this holiday. Directed by Henry Selick and produced by Tim Burton, this stop-motion animated musical has won numerous awards for its unique blend of horror and holiday cheer. Sally (voiced by Catherine O'Hara), a rag doll smitten with Jack, adds a tender element to this dark yet enchanting tale.

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  • The Man from Snowy River
    3

    The Man from Snowy River

    Kirk Douglas, Tom Burlinson, Sigrid Thornton
    13 votes
    • Released: 1982
    • Directed by: George Miller
    After the death of his father, proud young Jim Craig (Tom Burlinson) sets out to become his own man. Taking a job with horse rancher Harrison (Kirk Douglas), Craig is treated poorly by the more experienced cowboys, but wins the heart of the rancher's daughter, Jessica (Sigrid Thornton), when he helps her break a high-strung colt and later saves her life. When he's unfairly blamed for the loss of an expensive horse, Craig fights to restore his honor and prove that he's worthy of Jessica's hand.

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  • The Raven
    4

    The Raven

    Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, Boris Karloff
    12 votes
    • Released: 1963
    • Directed by: Roger Corman
    Magician Erasmus Craven (Vincent Price) is still deeply depressed two years after the death of his beloved wife, Lenore (Hazel Court). One day, he's visited by Adolphus Bedlo (Peter Lorre), who has been transformed into a raven after losing a duel to Dr. Scarabus (Boris Karloff), an evil wizard. After Craven transforms Bedlo back into a human, Bedlo claims to have seen Lenore's ghost at Scarabus' castle, prompting the two to head to Scarabus' castle to seek Craven's lost love.

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  • The Raven
    5

    The Raven

    John Cusack, Luke Evans, Alice Eve
    18 votes
    • Released: 2012
    • Directed by: James McTeigue
    In 19th-century Baltimore, Detective Emmett Fields (Luke Evans) makes a horrifying discovery: The murders of a mother and daughter resemble a fictional crime described in a story by Edgar Allan Poe (John Cusack).When another murder occurs, also seemingly inspired by Poe's writings, Fields realizes a serial killer is on the loose and enlists Poe's help in catching the felon. The stakes become personal for the struggling author when someone close to him may become the killer's next victim.

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  • Mulan
    6

    Mulan

    Ming-Na, Eddie Murphy, BD Wong
    23 votes
    • Released: 1998
    • Directed by: Barry Cook, Tony Bancroft
    In the animated movie Mulan, Fa Mulan, voiced by Ming-Na Wen, takes center stage, breaking societal norms in a tale of courage and resilience. Set in ancient China, when Huns invade, Mulan's frail father (Soon-Tek Oh) is called to war. To protect him, she disguises herself as a man and goes in his place. Aided by her guardian dragon Mushu (Eddie Murphy), Mulan becomes an unlikely hero, earning honor for her family and proving that greatness can come from anyone. This film won several Annie awards, showcasing its technical prowess and narrative strength.

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