Rentals
Based on the Book…
Literature has inspired some of the greatest films ever made.
Literary adaptations often get a bad press, with the books’ fans lamenting the necessary excision of events in the book or the loss of tone and character. Yet the best film adaptations capture the mood of the original or completely reimagine the stories in their transition to the big screen. Works by Emile Bronte, Joseph Conrad, Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker, Thomas Hardy and more inspired these great films, with Francis Ford Coppola transporting Heart of Darkness to Vietnam in Apocalypse Now and Michael Winterbottom reimagining Tess of the d’Urbervilles in 21st century India in Trishna. Shelley and Stoker certainly couldn’t have predicted the influence their books would have in the future, with Frankenstein and Dracula having been adapted countless times for the big screen.
The BookshopThe Bookshop
Drama2017113 minsDirector: Isabel Coixet
Words run riot when a free-spirited bookseller (Emily Mortimer) introduces a sleepy town to a host of provocative literature
You Were Never Really HereYou Were Never Really Here
Thriller201790 minsDirector: Lynne Ramsay
Lynne Ramsay journeys with Joaquin Phoenix into the mind of an ex-soldier gun-for-hire whose own demons are as brutal as the actions of his adversaries.
YardieYardie
Crime2018102 minsDirector: Idris Elba
In his thrilling directorial debut, Idris Elba brings to life Victor Headley’s cult crime novel.
On Chesil BeachOn Chesil Beach
Drama2018110 minsDirector: Dominic Cooke
Saoirse Ronan and Billy Howle play a young, married couple struggling to physically connect in this sensitive adaptation of Ian McEwan’s acclaimed novel.
The Children ActThe Children Act
Drama2018105 minsDirector: Richard Eyre
As her marriage crumbles, a judge (Emma Thompson) must decide a case involving a teenage boy who is refusing a blood transfusion on religious principle.
SoursweetSoursweet
Drama1989111 minsDirector: Mike Newell
Hong Kong newlyweds seek a fresh start in 60s Britain, but fall foul of the Triad underworld in this adaptation of Timothy Mo's blackly comic novel.
Apocalypse NowApocalypse Now
War1979141 minsDirector: Francis Ford Coppola
Transplanting Joseph Conrad’s colonial-era novel Heart of Darkness to Vietnam, Coppola created a mesmerising fantasia on the spectacle of war.
High-RiseHigh-Rise
Science Fiction2016119 minsDirector: Ben Wheatley
Ben Wheatley's savage and brilliant adaptation of JG Ballard's dystopian satire, starring Tom Hiddleston.
DuneDune
Science Fiction1984131 minsDirector: David Lynch
David Lynch brings Frank Herbert’s powerful novel and rich fantasy world to life in this cinematic spectacle.
The Girl on the TrainThe Girl on the Train
Thriller2016112 minsDirector: Tate Taylor
Emily Blunt stars in the adaptation of the best-seller about a divorcee who entangles herself in the investigation of a missing young woman.
On the RoadOn the Road
Road movie2012124 minsDirector: Walter Salles
Walter Salles’ vibrant adaptation of Jack Kerouac’s seminal novel follows three youths from the beat generation as they traverse America.
The Diary of a Teenage GirlThe Diary of a Teenage Girl
Drama2015102 minsDirector: Marielle Heller
The US indie hit tells the bold, bawdy and hilarious story of a teenager's sexual awakening after she sleeps with her mother’s boyfriend.
BlacKkKlansmanBlacKkKlansman
Drama2018135 minsDirector: Spike Lee
Spike Lee's stunning crime drama tells the stranger-than-fiction true story of an African-American police officer who infiltrated the KKK in the 1970s.
RoomRoom
Thriller2016118 minsDirector: Lenny Abrahamson
Brie Larson’s Oscar-winning performance is the beating heart of Lenny Abrahamson’s extraordinarily moving drama.
The Glass CastleThe Glass Castle
Biopic2017127 minsDirector: Destin Daniel Cretton
Woody Harrelson, Brie Larson and Naomi Watts play members of an anarchic family that refuses society's norms, in this moving and offbeat drama from the director of Short Term 12.
Far from the Madding CrowdFar from the Madding Crowd
Period drama1968165 minsDirector: John Schlesinger
Terence Stamp and Julie Christie star in the classic adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s tale of tragedy and passion.
Wuthering HeightsWuthering Heights
Drama2011129 minsDirector: Andrea Arnold
Andrea Arnold's bold re-imagining of the Emily Brontë classic.
TrishnaTrishna
Drama2012114 minsDirector: Michael Winterbottom
Tragedy befalls a young Indian woman when she falls in love with a rich British man in Michael Winterbottom's sharp Thomas Hardy update.
There Will Be BloodThere Will Be Blood
Drama2007158 minsDirector: Paul Thomas Anderson
Daniel Day-Lewis' Oscar-winning performance as a ruthless oil baron bestrides Paul Thomas Anderson's towering 21st-century classic.
The Wages of FearThe Wages of Fear
Crime1953153 minsDirector: Henri-Georges Clouzot
Henri-Georges Clouzot's classic, nail-biting suspense thriller won both The Golden Bear and the Palme d'Or in 1953.
ElleElle
Drama2015131 minsDirector: Paul Verhoeven
Isabelle Huppert gives an unforgettable performance in Paul Verhoeven’s provocative thriller about one woman’s response to a violent attack.
American PsychoAmerican Psycho
Drama2000102 minsDirector: Mary Harron
Christian Bale slays his competition in this chilling satire set in ‘80s Wall Street.
Sunset SongSunset Song
Drama2015136 minsDirector: Terence Davies
Agyness Deyn stars in Terence Davies’ moving drama about a strong young woman facing many adversities in the run up to WWI.
Perfume: The Story of a MurdererPerfume: The Story of a Murderer
2006141 minsDirector: Tom Tykwer
Ben Whishaw first lead role in a movie was as the serial killer obsessed with smell in Tom Tykwer’s adaptation of the celebrated novel.
Oliver TwistOliver Twist
Drama2005125 minsDirector: Roman Polanski
Roman Polanski presents a typically uncompromising take on Charles Dickens’ classic novel.
ScroogeScrooge
Fantasy195187 minsDirector: Brian Desmond Hurst
Alastair Sim’s best known performance, as Dickens’ notorious curmudgeon Ebenezer Scrooge.
The Invisible WomanThe Invisible Woman
Biopic2014111 minsDirector: Ralph Fiennes
Ralph Fiennes directs and stars in this adaptation of Claire Tomalin’s book about the long-standing affair between Charles Dickens and Nelly Ternan.
Pride & PrejudicePride & Prejudice
Drama2005127 minsDirector: Joe Wright
Keira Knightley stars in Jane Austen’s timeless romance, reinvigorated for the modern age by the masters of British rom-com, Working Title.
Salmon Fishing in the YemenSalmon Fishing in the Yemen
Comedy2012111 minsDirector: Lasse Hallström
Two London office workers find love on a Yemeni Sheikh's ambitious fishing scheme. Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt star.
Bridget Jones's DiaryBridget Jones's Diary
Comedy200197 minsDirector: Sharon Maguire
Reindeer jumpers and big knickers: the smash adaptation of Helen Fielding’s hit novel still has all the best gags in the rom-com circuit.
Tinker Tailor Soldier SpyTinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Thriller2011127 minsDirector: Tomas Alfredson
Gary Oldman leads an all-star cast, including Benedict Cumberbatch and Tom Hardy, in this acclaimed adaptation of John Le Carré's esteemed spy novel.
Dare I Weep Dare I MournDare I Weep Dare I Mourn
196649 minsDirector: Ted Kotcheff
James Mason plays a middle-aged businessman in this East-West Berlin thriller, based on a story by John Le Carre.
A Most Wanted ManA Most Wanted Man
Thriller2014122 minsDirector: Anton Corbijn
In one of his final roles, Philip Seymour Hoffman excels as a German spy attempting to recruit Islamic informants, in Anton Corbijn’s sophisticated John le Carré adaptation.
The Day of the JackalThe Day of the Jackal
Police drama1973142 minsDirector: Fred Zinnemann
The race is on to find ‘the Jackal’ before he undertakes a momentous political assassination, in this compelling adaptation of Frederick Forsyth’s bestseller.
The Bourne IdentityThe Bourne Identity
Action and Adventure2002118 minsDirector: Doug Liman
The spy thriller that overturned the genre stars Matt Damon as the amnesiac searching for his true identity.
Brighton RockBrighton Rock
Thriller194893 minsDirector: John Boulting
Richard Attenborough’s unforgettably sinister turn as ‘Pinkie’ pervades this classic adaptation of the Graham Greene novel.
Tamara DreweTamara Drewe
Comedy2010111 minsDirector: Stephen Frears
The return of beautiful journalist Tamara Drewe (Gemma Arterton) awakens destructive passions in a Dorset village.
A Man Called OveA Man Called Ove
Comedy2015116 minsDirector: Hannes Holm
A curmudgeon turns over a new leaf in this Oscar-nominated comedy that became one of Swedish cinema’s biggest hits.
The HandmaidenThe Handmaiden
Crime2016146 minsDirector: Park Chan-wook
Park Chan-wook (Oldboy, Stoker) channels Sarah Waters’ novel Fingersmith, to create a sumptuous twisty psychological thriller full of erotic intrigue.
Centre of My WorldCentre of My World
Drama2016115 minsDirector: Jakob M. Erwa
A young man falls for the new boy at school in this energetic and inventive adaptation of Andreas Steinhoefel’s acclaimed YA novel.
Something Must BreakSomething Must Break
Drama201485 minsDirector: Ester Martin Bergsmark
A striking 21st-century love story about the passionate relationship between a transgendered teen and a straight man.
BlackBlack
Drama201590 minsDirector: Bilall Fallah and Adil El Arbi
Star-crossed lovers from rival street gangs conduct an illicit affair in this pulsating urban romance.
Lady MacbethLady Macbeth
Period drama201789 minsDirector: William Oldroyd
Florence Pugh shines in this exceptional British debut of a young wife's need for freedom, whatever the cost.
The DoubleThe Double
Drama201493 minsDirector: Richard Ayoade
Richard Ayoade’s stylish and sinister adaptation of Dostoevsky’s story stars Jesse Eisenberg in a dual-role as a timid office clerk confronted by his confident, scheming doppelganger.
The Bespoke OvercoatThe Bespoke Overcoat
Fantasy195538 minsDirector: Jack Clayton
A clerk in a cold warehouse wants one of the warm sheepskin coats stacked around him.
Jackie BrownJackie Brown
Crime1997154 minsDirector: Quentin Tarantino
Tarantino's third film is arguably his most serious and studied; a soulful crime saga with Pam Grier as the flight attendant in the midst of a money-laundering scam.
American GangsterAmerican Gangster
Crime2007157 minsDirector: Ridley Scott
Ridley Scott’s heavyweight crime drama follows the rise and fall of drug-runner Frank Lucas, commandingly portrayed by Denzel Washington.
FilthFilth
Drama201397 minsDirector: Jon S. Baird
The biting Irvine Welsh adaptation stars a sensational James McAvoy, boldly cast against type as the cop struggling to suppress his inner demons.
A Woman's LifeA Woman's Life
Drama2016119 minsDirector: Stéphane Brizé
Judith Chemla shines in this Guy de Maupassant adaptation, a tale spanning 20 years of a woman’s life.
Jean de FloretteJean de Florette
Drama1986116 minsDirector: Claude Berri
The film that inspired a wave of British migration to Provence, Claude Berri’s magical evocation of a bygone rustic France, with Gerard Depardieu.
Manon des SourcesManon des Sources
Drama1986109 minsDirector: Claude Berri
The sequel to Jean de Florette concludes the Provencal period saga about two farming clans, headed by Emmanuelle Béart and Daniel Auteuil.
CarolCarol
Drama2015119 minsDirector: Todd Haynes
Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara illuminate Todd Haynes’ intoxicating adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s beloved novel.
The New GirlfriendThe New Girlfriend
Melodrama2014108 minsDirector: François Ozon
Ruth Rendell provides the source novel for this delicious tale of deception and identity, from the master of mischievous melodrama, François Ozon.
Live FleshLive Flesh
Drama199797 minsDirector: Pedro Almodóvar
Pedro Almodóvar’s sexy and suspenseful thriller follows the intertwining destinies of a cop (Javier Bardem) and the criminal who paralyses him.
Lust, CautionLust, Caution
Drama2007158 minsDirector: Ang Lee
Esteemed Taiwanese director Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain, Life of Pi) returned to Asia once more for this startlingly erotic tale of espionage and obsession.
Blue is the Warmest ColourBlue is the Warmest Colour
Romance2013180 minsDirector: Abdel Kechiche
The epic, passionate and strikingly naturalistic Palme d'Or-winning romance.
The RainbowThe Rainbow
Drama1989106 minsDirector: Ken Russell
Ken Russell returns to D. H. Lawrence for the story of a young girl’s sexual awakening and immersion in a love triangle with both a man and a woman.
WonderstruckWonderstruck
Drama2017116 minsDirector: Todd Haynes
Julianne Moore stars in Todd Haynes' playful adaptation of Brian Selznick’s acclaimed young adult novel, which follows two children from different eras as they set out to find people from their pasts.
SubmarineSubmarine
Comedy201197 minsDirector: Richard Ayoade
Richard Ayoade’s sweet and quirky directorial debut about a Swansea teen’s travails with his distant girlfriend and warring parents.
StrongerStronger
Biopic2017119 minsDirector: David Gordon Green
Jake Gyllenhaal excels in a rousing story of strength and survival, from the acclaimed director of Prince Avalanche and George Washington.
MarnieMarnie
Crime1964130 minsDirector: Alfred Hitchcock
Sean Connery stars as the man who marries a kleptomaniac who has some strange psychological problems, played by Tippi Hedren.
VertigoVertigo
Thriller1958128 minsDirector: Alfred Hitchcock
Hitchcock’s timeless thriller about a former detective with a fear of heights who is hired to follow a woman who seems possessed by the past.
Rear WindowRear Window
Thriller1954112 minsDirector: Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock’s masterly thriller stars James Stewart as an invalided photographer who spots something fishy outside his rear window.
BrooklynBrooklyn
Romance2015112 minsDirector: John Crowley
Saoirse Ronan shines as a woman who journeys from post-war small-town Ireland to New York, in Nick Hornby’s adaptation of Colm Tóibín’s best-selling novel.
Imitation of LifeImitation of Life
Melodrama1959125 minsDirector: Douglas Sirk
Douglas Sirk’s final Hollywood film is a masterpiece of melodrama, for which Juanita Moore became the fifth African-American Oscar-nominee.
Written on the WindWritten on the Wind
Melodrama1956100 minsDirector: Douglas Sirk
Douglas Sirk’s broiling melodrama classic; a love quadrangle involving the two brattish heirs of a Texan oil fortune.
Love & FriendshipLove & Friendship
Comedy201693 minsDirector: Whit Stillman
Whit Stillman crosses the Atlantic for this irresistible Jane Austen adaptation, following the delicious and devious exploits of Lady Susan (Kate Beckinsale).
Testament of YouthTestament of Youth
Drama2015130 minsDirector: James Kent
Alicia Vikander brings to life the extraordinary life of Vera Brittain, whose affair with a dashing friend (Kit Harington) is cruelly cut short by the onset of war.
The DuchessThe Duchess
Biopic2008110 minsDirector: Saul Dibb
Keira Knightley plays an 18th-century duchess who challenges convention by responding to her husband’s infidelities with affairs of her own.
Dracula (1958)Dracula (1958)
Horror195882 minsDirector: Terence Fisher
Hammer's 1958 version of Stoker's Gothic novel was the most exciting to date, boasting lavish costumes and sets, a vibrant score and red, red blood.
Frankenstein Frankenstein
Horror193170 minsDirector: James Whale
The gothic horror that ushered in a wave of cinematic terror, starring Boris Karloff as the reconstructed monster with a human soul.
The Fall of the House of UsherThe Fall of the House of Usher
Horror195071 minsDirector: Ivan Barnett
An eerie British version of the classic Poe chiller, strong enough for a rare 'H' (for Horrific) certificate.
TrumboTrumbo
Biopic2015124 minsDirector: Jay Roach
Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad, Argo) gives a cracking performance as Dalton Trumbo, the Oscar-winning screenwriter who became a Hollywood outcast.
The L-shaped RoomThe L-shaped Room
Drama1962126 minsDirector: Bryan Forbes
Bryan Forbes directs the Oscar-nominated story of a French woman (Leslie Caron) moving to London while unmarried, pregnant, and alone.
Holding the ManHolding the Man
Biopic2015128 minsDirector: Neil Armfield
A sweepingly romantic adaptation of Timothy Conigrave’s best-selling memoir, an impassioned love letter to his partner, John Caleo.
SpiderSpider
Drama200394 minsDirector: David Cronenberg
David Cronenberg directs Ralph Fiennes in this chilling psychological drama about a mentally-disturbed man facing his horrifying childhood memories.
ControlControl
Biopic2007122 minsDirector: Anton Corbijn
The life story of Ian Curtis, the tortured singer of Joy Division who suffered epilepsy and crippling self-doubt, filmed in stunning monochrome.
Notes on BlindnessNotes on Blindness
Documentary201687 minsDirector: James Spinney and Peter Middleton
James Spinney and Peter Middleton's highly original documentary uses cinematic interpretations and textured sound design to express a ‘world beyond sight.’
PaperhousePaperhouse
Fantasy198989 minsDirector: Bernard Rose
Bernard Rose’s cult adult fantasy follows a young girl who discovers an increasingly dark and dangerous dream world.
The WizThe Wiz
Fantasy1978134 minsDirector: Sidney Lumet
NYC becomes Oz in the cult, urban reimagining of the family favourite, featuring an all-African American cast including Diana Ross and Michael Jackson.
The Hunting of the SnarkThe Hunting of the Snark
Animation & Artists Moving Image196724 minsDirector: Diana Potter
“Live animation” of Lewis Carroll’s nonsense poem adventure from the maker of Captain Pugwash
Touch of EvilTouch of Evil
Film noir1958111 minsDirector: Orson Welles
Orson Welles’ final Hollywood film and the last great Film Noir, a sweat-drenched Mexican border saga with one of cinema’s most celebrated openings.
Phantom LadyPhantom Lady
Film noir194487 minsDirector: Robert Siodmak
Robert Siodmak’s first Hollywood noir about an innocent man sentenced to death when the woman who can verify his alibi mysteriously vanishes.
The KillersThe Killers
Crime1946102 minsDirector: Robert Siodmak
Burt Lancaster and Ava Gardner star in Robert Siodmak’s gritty and muscular film noir, adapted from Hemingway’s short story.
The Lost WeekendThe Lost Weekend
Drama1945101 minsDirector: Billy Wilder
Billy Wilder’s still searing film about alcoholism remains one of only two films to have won the Best Picture Oscar and the top prize at Cannes Film Festival.
The Lady EveThe Lady Eve
Comedy194194 minsDirector: Preston Sturges
A female con artist falls in love with her target in Preston Sturges’s comedy, starring Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda.
Double IndemnityDouble Indemnity
Crime1944108 minsDirector: Billy Wilder
Barbara Stanwyck is the housewife who dupes an insurance salesman into a devious murder plot, in this giant of American cinema - the archetypal Film Noir.
Under the SkinUnder the Skin
Horror2014108 minsDirector: Jonathan Glazer
An alien Scarlett Johansson prowls the streets of Glasgow in Jonathan Glazer’s astonishing, mind-bending mixture of existential sci-fi and inner-city realism.
Morvern CallarMorvern Callar
Drama200293 minsDirector: Lynne Ramsay
Samantha Morton plays the enigmatic title character in Lynne Ramsay’s dreamy and atmospheric road movie.
Mr. HolmesMr. Holmes
Crime2015104 minsDirector: Bill Condon
Ian McKellen plays the august detective, now a 93-year-old whose principle case is trying to unravel the mysteries of his own past.
Slaughterhouse-FiveSlaughterhouse-Five
Comedy1972103 minsDirector: George Roy Hill
This adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut’s novel follows Billy Pilgrim’s journeys in time as he flits between WWII Dresden and a future on planet Tralfamadore.
BlindnessBlindness
Thriller2008121 minsDirector: Fernando Meirelles
Fernando Meirelles (City of God) presents a haunting dystopian allegory about a sudden epidemic of blindness affecting humanity.
Children of MenChildren of Men
Science Fiction2006109 minsDirector: Alfonso Cuarón
In an apocalyptic future Britain, a civil servant is unexpectedly entrusted with the fate of humanity in Alfonso Cuarón’s gripping and thoughtful sci-fi.
PhilomenaPhilomena
Biopic201398 minsDirector: Stephen Frears
Judi Dench and Steve Coogan star in the deeply moving yet warm-hearted drama about a woman’s search for her forcibly adopted son.
The ProgramThe Program
Biopic2015103 minsDirector: Stephen Frears
Ben Foster is Lance Armstrong in this kinetic account of the cyclist who fell from grace, from acclaimed director Stephen Frears.
LegendLegend
Crime2015131 minsDirector: Brian Helgeland
Tom Hardy’s magnetic double-performance as infamous East End gangsters Reggie and Ronnie Kray commands Brian Helgeland stylish biopic.
The Limehouse GolemThe Limehouse Golem
Crime2017109 minsDirector: Juan Carlos Medina
Bill Nighy plays the arch detective investigating a series of grisly murders around the music halls of Victorian London, in this pungent Gothic mystery.
My Life As a CourgetteMy Life As a Courgette
Animation & Artists Moving Image201667 minsDirector: Claude Barras
Both young and adult audiences will enjoy this funny and touching animated feature about an orphan named Courgette, written by Céline Sciamma (Girlhood).
A Month in the CountryA Month in the Country
Drama198796 minsDirector: Pat O'Connor
A young Colin Firth and Kenneth Branagh star as two tormented WWI veterans who strike up a friendship when they meet in a rural Yorkshire village.
Tale Of TalesTale Of Tales
Fantasy2016134 minsDirector: Matteo Garrone
Mythical monsters, shape-shifting sisters and a giant flea are all on the menu in Matteo Garrone’s fulsome feast of gothic fantasy.
River Runs through ItRiver Runs through It
Biopic1992124 minsDirector: Robert Redford
Two contrasting and occasionally conflicted brothers find solace while fly fishing the rivers of their Montana home.
SilenceSilence
Drama2017161 minsDirector: Martin Scorsese
Scorsese’s epic meditation on spiritual strength, with Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver as missionaries on the search for their missing mentor.
Hunt for the WilderpeopleHunt for the Wilderpeople
Comedy2016101 minsDirector: Taika Waititi
Juvenile delinquent Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison) forms an unlikely partnership with Sam Neill’s grizzled bushman in this hilarious wild adventure from Taika Waititi (What We Do in the Shadows).
The OdysseyThe Odyssey
Documentary201225 minsDirector: Asif Kapadia
A capital city on the road to Olympic glory: London's journey from the Olympic bid to the spectacular opening ceremony.
My Friend DahmerMy Friend Dahmer
Biopic2017107 minsDirector: Marc Meyers
Marc Meyers' adaptation of Derf Backderf’s revered graphic novel is an unnerving teen horror-drama about the makings of a murderer.
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