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Few authors who passed away before cinema itself was invented have proven to be quite as prominent within the world of film as Charles Dickens. The famed English writer was born in 1812 and passed away in 1870, with the earliest short film (if it can be defined as such) being made in 1874. All that's to say, there's clearly no way Dickens would've known this is how many of his stories would be consumed and enjoyed, yet there has proven to be something surprisingly cinematic about his stories, ideas, and characters. Otherwise, there wouldn't be countless adaptations of his works by various filmmakers over the past century or so.
His novels, short stories, and other publications live on not just because such writings are still studied and read, but also because they're continually adapted into film and sometimes miniseries. Compiling some of the best adaptations among these inevitably leads to multiple adaptations of the same source material, but the different approaches to such stories keep these new spins on old tales interesting. What follows is a collection of the best and most notable filmed Charles Dickens adaptations, starting with the good and ending with the great.
25 'The Pickwick Papers' (1952)
Directed by Noel Langley
Image via Renown Pictures Noteworthy for being the debut novel of Charles Dickens, The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club isn't far off turning 200, considering it was published at first in a serial format throughout 1836 and 1837. Despite its historical importance within the Dickens canon, it’s not a hugely popular story for film adaptations, at least compared to numerous other well-recognized – and continually retold – stories from cinema history.
1952’s The Pickwick Papers also isn't hugely well-known, but it does a decent enough job of adapting the novel to the format of a feature film. The story, which is about a group of friends adventuring and reporting on what they come across, does work better as something that’s serialized, owing to the episodic nature of such a premise, but it’s condensed pretty well here, and in under two hours at that.
Release Date November 14, 1952
Director Noel Langley
Cast James Donald , James Hayter , Nigel Patrick , Joyce Grenfell , Hermione Gingold , Hermione Baddeley , Donald Wolfit , Harry Fowler , Kathleen Harrison , Alexander Gauge , Lionel Murton , Diane Hart , Joan Heal , William Hartnell , Athene Seyler , Sam Costa , George Robey , Gerald Campion , Walter Fitzgerald , Mary Merrall , Raymond Lovell , Cecil Trouncer , D.A. Clarke-Smith , Noel Willman , Max Adrian
Runtime 109 minutes
24 'Oliver & Company' (1988)
Directed by George Scribner
Image via Walt Disney Pictures If you look over all the Charles Dickens adaptations that have ever existed, it gets a little dull if you only stick to the works that directly – or more literally – adapt his stories. So, sure, Oliver & Company is very different from Oliver Twist, but it works and reshapes things in interesting ways, the most obvious of them being the fact that many characters are now animals, instead of humans.
Also, given Oliver & Company is aimed at younger viewers, it does tone down some of the more intense elements of the original story, which might feature young characters, but does get surprisingly dark at points. Anyway, as far as animated Disney movies go, this one might not necessarily be among the best, but it can certainly be called underrated/overlooked.
Release Date November 18, 1988
Director George Scribner
Runtime 74 Minutes
23 'Great Expectations' (1999)
Directed by Julian Jarrold
Image via BBC Two If you have great expectations for this late 1990s movie version of Great Expectations, they’ll hopefully be met… though you do have to approach it knowing that it was a TV movie, instead of a full-blown theatrical release. Still, it has a pretty ambitious runtime that nears three hours, and there are a few recognizable faces in the cast here, making it not feel like a TV production in a negative way.
Great Expectations has many characters who come and go, and continually interact in ways that shift their individual standings in life, sometimes for better and sometimes for worse. It’s always an interesting exploration of wealth, class, and social status, and though it was written long ago, some of the issues relating to those themes remain distressingly relevant, even in modern times.
Release Date April 12, 1999
Directors Julian Jarrold
Great Expectations is currently not available to stream, rent, or purchase in the U.S.
22 'The Old Curiosity Shop' (1995)
Directed by Kevin Connor
Image via Sonar Entertainment Alongside The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, The Old Curiosity Shop is another Charles Dickens story that doesn’t have all too many film adaptations, with this 1995 being another TV movie, albeit a good quality one. It was written a few years on from Dickens’ debut, and mostly centers on a young girl and her grandfather forced to make dramatic changes in their lives, owing to financial issues.
Like a good many Dickens stories, The Old Curiosity Shop explores class and paints a sympathetic view of society’s downtrodden, albeit here, there is a gentle sense of comedy that exists alongside the more dramatic and serious elements. Taken for what it is, and considering it was made on what appears to be a fairly modest TV budget, this 1995 adaptation of The Old Curiosity Shop is mostly pretty good.
Release Date March 19, 1995
Directors Kevin Connor
Cast Alan Barry , Peter Ustinov , Adam Blackwood , Tom Courtenay , Sally Walsh , Brian de Salvo , Christopher Ettridge , James Fox , Ricci Harnett , Doreen Keough , William Mannering , Julia McKenzie , Cornelia Hayes O'Herlihy , Alan Shearman , Timothy Watson , Anne White , Gloria Hunniford , Frank Thornton
21 'Beavis and Butt-Head Do Christmas' (1995)
Directed by Mike de Seve and Mike Judge
Image via MTV Charles Dickens is generally seen as a classy and maybe even sophisticated (albeit quite approachable) writer, while Beavis and Butt-Head – if you couldn’t tell from the title – is rather lowbrow and crude in comparison. But Dickens combined with Beavis and Butt-Head surprisingly well in this TV special that just qualifies for feature-length, thanks to being over three-quarters of an hour long, called Beavis and Butt-Head Do Christmas.
Part of this special is a comedic riff on A Christmas Carol, while the other part of it serves as something of a spoof of the somewhat Dickens-ish (but not Dickens-written) It’s a Wonderful Life. You get the themes of those stories shining through, but all with some dopey, crass, and generally funny humor thrown in for good measure, making for a fun and unique watch that can still be considered, at least in part, a Dickens adaptation.
Beavis and Butt-Head Do Christmas
Release Date December 19, 1995
Director Mike Judge
Cast Mike Judge , Tracy Grandstaff , Adam Welsh , Kristofor Brown , Jennifer Jane Emerson , Chris Phillips
Runtime 48 minutes
20 'The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby' (1947)
Directed by Alberto Cavalcanti
Image via General Film Distributors Nicholas Nickleby (or The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby) was one of Charles Dickens' earliest novels, and was originally published in a serialized format, like many of his works. Narratively and thematically, there are definitely elements that make it feel Dickensian (Dickens is one of those rare creatives whose style has inspired an adjective), though when it comes to adaptations, Nicholas Nickleby is a little less well-represented than other stories by Dickens.
This 1947 adaptation is up there with the most well-known and is faithful to the original work insofar as it focuses on being a drama and telling, in a straightforward manner, a story about the titular character's struggle to provide for his family after the patriarch suddenly passes away. The fact a version of this story retold in such an old film still holds up suggests that maybe Nicholas Nickleby deserves to have a few more high-profile film adaptations.
The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby
Release Date March 12, 1947
Director Alberto Cavalcanti
Cast Cedric Hardwicke , Stanley Holloway , Derek Bond , Mary Merrall , Sally Ann Howes , Aubrey Woods , Jill Balcon , Bernard Miles , Alfred Drayton , Vera Pearce , James Hayter , Emrys Jones , Cecil Ramage , Timothy Bateson , George Relph , Frederick Burtwell , Sybil Thorndike , Hattie Jacques , Athene Seyler , Vida Hope , Roy Hermitage , Laurence Hanray , Arthur Brander , Patricia Hayes , Cyril Fletcher
Runtime 108 minutes
19 'Oliver Twist' (2005)
Directed by Roman Polanski
Image via Sony Pictures Releasing Alongside Nicholas Nickleby, Oliver Twist is another highly regarded story by Charles Dickens from a relatively early point in his writing career, with both being published in monthly installments during the late 1830s. It's safe to call Oliver Twist the more popular of the two, when it comes to adaptations, and it's even one that's inspired a sequel miniseries of sorts as recently as 2023, with The Artful Dodger.
The overall enduring nature of Oliver Twist means it's one story that doesn't need too much of an introduction, following an orphaned boy who falls into a gang of criminals and finds himself facing some harsh realities of life at a very young age. This 2005 adaptation might not be one of the very best, but it works fairly well overall, and is perhaps most notable for having a compelling villainous turn from Ben Kingsley, here playing Fagin, who oversees the gang of young criminals the titular character gets involved with.
Release Date September 23, 2005
Director Roman Polanski
Runtime 130 minutes
18 'Nicholas Nickleby' (2002)
Directed by Douglas McGrath
Image via 20th Century Fox Perhaps the best version of Nicholas Nickleby would be this one from 2002, and it's therefore worth seeking out for anyone who wants to experience the story without reading it in its original form. It's a bigger production than the aforementioned The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, and has its fair share of well-established actors in supporting roles, including the likes of Christopher Plummer, Nathan Lane, and Jim Broadbent.
It's also home to one of Anne Hathaway's earliest film roles (just one year on from 2001's The Princess Diaries), and stars a pre-Sons of AnarchyCharlie Hunnam in the title role. The story of family struggles, financial hardships, and having to come of age while dealing with difficult circumstances is still taken seriously, but there's a little more humor found in this 2002 adaptation of Nicholas Nickleby, which ultimately helps balance everything out tonally.
Release Date December 27, 2002
Director Douglas McGrath
Runtime 132 minutes
17 'Oliver Twist' (1922)
Directed by Frank Lloyd
Image via First National Pictures 1922's Oliver Twist shows that even during cinema's earlier days, filmmakers were still well aware that there was something inherently cinematic to be found within Charles Dickens' work. Given this one's from the early 1920s, it is a silent film, so it sticks to the basics as far as the classic tale goes. But given the young age of the protagonist, the genuinely impactful stakes, and the universality of the themes at the heart of Oliver Twist, much of the impact is still felt, even without spoken words.
Beyond standing out for being a silent adaptation and one with a runtime of 70-ish minutes, 1922's Oliver Twist also feels noteworthy for having two well-remembered stars of the silent age in lead roles. The protagonist is played by Jackie Coogan, who was the kid in Charlie Chaplin'sThe Kid, as well as Uncle Fester in The Addams Family. Additionally, Lon Chaney - most remembered for starring in various silent horror classics - plays Fagin.
Release Date October 30, 1922
Director Frank Lloyd
Cast Jackie Coogan , James A. Marcus , Aggie Herring , Lewis Sargent , Joan Standing , Carl Stockdale , Edouard Trebaol , Lon Chaney , Taylor Graves , George Siegmann , Gladys Brockwell , Lionel Belmore , Florence Hale , Joseph Hazelton , Gertrude Claire , Esther Ralston , Eddie Boland , Nelson McDowell
Runtime 74 Minutes
Main Genre Drama
16 'Scrooged' (1988)
Directed by Richard Donner
Image via Paramount Pictures Admittedly, Scrooged takes more liberties with its source material than many Charles Dickens adaptations, especially because it updates A Christmas Carol to the late 1980s, well over 100 years after when the original A Christmas Carol is set. However, as will become clearer and clearer later on, there are many Christmas Carols out there, so the fact Scrooged is a little different tonally and setting-wise inevitably helps it stand out and feel a little fresher.
The always-reliable Bill Murray stars here as Frank Cross, who's basically Ebenezer Scrooge. He's an unhappy individual who seems to take out his anger on others, making the world a darker place. It falls on various spirits, therefore, to make him reassess his life and change his ways, all on Christmas Eve (a time of the year that generally makes Cross cross). Murray inevitably makes Scrooged a little funnier than most A Christmas Carol adaptations, and given it doesn't entirely come at the expense of the drama/heart of the original story, such an approach ends up working quite well.
Release Date November 23, 1988
Runtime 100 minutes
15 'A Christmas Carol' (1938)
Directed by Edwin L. Marin
Image via Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer What's this? Another A Christmas Carol? Better get used to it - there are countless ones out there, and numerous ones worth considering when it comes to picking the best Charles Dickens movie adaptations. There are so many that there's a Wikipedia page dedicated to just "Adaptations of A Christmas Carol," and that's not something you'll see too often. You have to be talking dozens - maybe even hundreds - of adaptations before that starts happening for an original work.
Truth be told, this 1930s version of A Christmas Carol feels a little underwhelming when watched today, but that could be simply the fact that it's older and has been eclipsed by more modern takes. For its time, this 1938 take on the story was perhaps the first time a non-silent film adaptation of A Christmas Carol really got things right, and even if you're a little worn out by all these Carols around Christmas, it's still possible to admire how the novella's captured in its entirety in just under 70 minutes.
Release Date December 16, 1938
Director Edwin L. Marin
Cast Reginald Owen , Gene Lockhart
Runtime 69 Minutes
14 'Great Expectations' (1998)
Directed by Alfonso Cuarón
Image via 20th Century Studios 1998's Great Expectations joins the likes of Scrooged as an example of a Charles Dickens adaptation that the Dickens purists out there might contest, given it's another modern update of a story set much earlier. The setting update is even more drastic, because while Great Expectations was released in the early 1860s (again, in a serialized format), the story itself had something of a period setting, given it begins in the early 1810s.
Those familiar with Alfonso Cuarón's later films might not be too surprised the film differs from the source material, given his Harry Potter film, The Prisoner of Azkaban, made its fair share of changes to the novel. The coming-of-age story about a young man adjusting to adulthood is still well-told here, and those who don't mind the slight shock of seeing a version of Great Expectations play out in the '90s might well find a good deal to like here.
Release Date January 30, 1998
Director Alfonso Cuarón
Runtime 111 Minutes
13 'David Copperfield' (1935)
Directed by George Cukor
Image via Loew's Inc. Just over a century before David Copperfield the magician (as he'd come to be known) was born, Charles Dickens wrote the novel David Copperfield, which was released throughout 1849 and 1850. It's not the most adapted work of Dickens, given it's not A Christmas Carol, but it has its fair share of filmed adaptations, with the director of this 1935 version, George Cukor, also being the director behind another adaptation of a frequently retold cinematic story: A Star Is Born.
Like other Dickens novels, this one can be summarized at least in part as a coming-of-age story, though its titular character's adult life is also explored thoroughly, meaning it's not entirely about growing up. The long and certainly eventful life of the protagonist is condensed in the 1935 adaptation, given the original novel is 600+ pages and this film clocks in at a little over two hours, but it's still a rock-solid version of the story that keeps the essentials needed for it to be compelling.
Release Date January 18, 1935
Director George Cukor
Cast Frank Lawton , Freddie Bartholomew , Edna May Oliver , Jessie Ralph , Madge Evans , Maureen O'Sullivan , Elizabeth Allan , Harry Beresford , Hugh Walpole , Basil Rathbone , Herbert Mundin , John Buckler , Fay Chaldecott , Una O'Connor , Lionel Barrymore , Violet Kemble Cooper , Elsa Lanchester , W.C. Fields , Jean Cadell , Lennox Pawle , Renee Gadd , Roland Young , Lewis Stone , Marilyn Knowlden , Hugh Williams
Runtime 130 minutes
12 'A Tale of Two Cities' (1958)
Directed by Ralph Thomas
Image via Rank Film Distributors A strong 1950s adaptation of yet another revered work by Charles Dickens, 1958's A Tale of Two Cities is an overall good film, even if it might demonstrate this to be one of the more difficult Dickens stories to adapt. Befitting the title, events in A Tale of Two Cities take place in both Paris and London, with a complex story that involves love, heartbreak, injustice, and various other dramatic things all taking place as revolution (of the French variety) starts looking like an inevitability.
Given this film was made in the '50s, it perhaps can't fully capture the darker and more intense elements of the novel in a properly visceral manner, but it works within its limitations and still gets the themes it needs to across. And, at the end of the day, it's hard to go wrong with a movie that features the always-great Dirk Bogarde in a prominent role, whose performance here as Sydney Carton is perhaps the film's strongest individual element.
Release Date February 7, 1958
Director Ralph Thomas
Runtime 115 minutes
11 'The Signalman' (1976)
Directed by Lawrence Gordon Clark
Image via BBC One 1976's The Signalman is a rarity: an adaptation of a Charles Dickens story that really doesn't have too many film adaptations. Perhaps that's because the source material is relatively brief, and only needs the format of a short film to be told. This version clocks in at just under 40 minutes, and arguably got things right enough that there hasn't really been a need for too many other filmmakers to have a go at their own adaptations.
It's atmospheric, works as a slow-burn piece of horror, and is all-around a very engaging way to get a brief but potent dose of old-fashioned scares.
It's also a film that could claim to be the scariest one based on a Charles Dickens story (as long as you don't count the uncanny and unsettling animated A Christmas Carol from 2009). The Signalman is based around a railway tunnel that may or may not be haunted, and the psychological torment of the titular signalman who's stationed nearby. It's atmospheric, works as a slow-burn piece of horror, and is all-around a very engaging way to get a brief but potent dose of old-fashioned scares.
10 'A Christmas Carol' (1984)
Directed by Clive Donner
Image via CBS 1984's A Christmas Carol is ultimately A Christmas Carol yet again, but this one has an amazing actor in the lead role, given Ebenezer Scrooge is played here by the legendary George C. Scott. And if that's a good enough reason for this Christmas Carol to be the best in the eyes of some, that's understandable, because it often feels like the lead performance within adaptations of this story is what makes or breaks things.
Otherwise, other elements worth noting about this version of an old man's redemption and a Christmassy run-in with various ghosts is that it plays things fairly straight (not much outright comedy, musical numbers, or Muppets), and is also a TV movie, meaning the production values aren't spectacular or anything. But they don't really need to be, and the straightforward, no-nonsense nature of A Christmas Carol on a budget may well even help this adaptation feel a little cozier, intimate, and more down-to-earth.
Release Date December 17, 1984
Director Clive Donner
Runtime 100 Minutes
9 'The Personal History of David Copperfield' (2019)
Directed by Armando Iannucci
Image via Searchlight Pictures The most recent high-profile filmed adaptation of David Copperfield might well be the best of the lot: 2019's The Personal History of David Copperfield. This one's willing to increase the word count of the title to better reflect the novel's original title. However, it's still severely (and perhaps mercifully) cut down, considering the full title (take a deep breath) is: The Personal History, Adventures, Experience and Observation of David Copperfield the Younger of Blunderstone Rookery (Which He Never Meant to Publish on Any Account).
The Personal History of David Copperfield isn't as intensely focused on being comedic as some of the works director Armando Iannucci is best known for (including creating iconic sitcoms like Veep and The Thick of It), but does benefit from having a good amount of comedic relief. It's an entertaining and handsomely presented version of the story, and also benefits immensely from having one of Dev Patel's best roles to date, here playing the titular character.
Release Date November 7, 2019
Runtime 119 minutes
8 'Scrooge' (1970)
Directed by Ronald Neame
Image via 20th Century Fox Various A Christmas Carol adaptations are called, well, A Christmas Carol, but a bunch also go by the name of the lead character: Scrooge. This 1970 adaptation is one of those, and could well be distancing itself a little from the original story because of the fact that this time around, the story is told in the format of a musical, and an overall pretty good one at that.
It's colorful, quite extravagant, and somewhat in-your-face, and Albert Finney really hams it up in the lead role, relishing the chance to play such a crotchety yet eventually sympathetic character. It might be one of the more outwardly family-friendly takes on the story out there, owing to the musical numbers and the fact it's tonally a little lighter than some other adaptations (though the most kid-friendly high-profile A Christmas Carol was still a couple of decades away; more on that in a bit).
Release Date November 5, 1970
Director Ronald Neame
Cast Albert Finney , Alec Guinness , Edith Evans , Kenneth More , Laurence Naismith , Michael Medwin , David Collings , Anton Rodgers , Suzanne Neve , Frances Cuka , Derek Francis , Gordon Jackson , Roy Kinnear , Mary Peach , Paddy Stone , Kay Walsh , Geoffrey Bayldon , Helena Gloag , Reg Lever , Keith Marsh , Marianne Stone , Molly Weir , Richard Beaumont , Philip Da Costa , Clive Moss
Runtime 113 minutes
7 'Oliver!' (1968)
Directed by Carol Reed
Image via Columbia Pictures Oliver! (1968) is significant for being, so far, the only Charles Dickens adaptation to win Best Picture at the Oscars. Though it is a version of the story that's presented as a musical, by no means does this ensure it's lighter or considerably less intense tonally than the original story. If anything, the fact there are strangely whimsical musical numbers throughout makes the darker stuff feel even darker, as the bleakest moments drastically stand out in contrast to the earworm songs.
The argument could therefore be made that Oliver! feels tonally inconsistent, though others will of course find the emotional range to be a strength, or at least something that makes this one stand out. It's nevertheless impressive as a large-scale film musical, and will likely appeal to those who enjoy old-school musicals of this nature (it was the last of its genre to win the Academy Award for Best Picture; it wouldn't be until Chicago, in 2002, that another musical won the top prize).
Release Date September 26, 1968
Director Carol Reed
Cast Mark LEster , Ron Moody , Shani Wallis , Oliver Reed , Harry Secombe , Jack Wild , Hugh Griffith , Joseph O'Conor
Runtime 153 Minutes
6 'A Tale of Two Cities' (1935)
Directed by Jack Conway
Image via Loew's, Inc Though the premise and themes of A Tale of Two Citiescontinue to inspire modern-day filmmakers in sometimes unexpected ways, one has to go back to the 1930s to find the best straightforward adaptation of Dickens' story. Again, it's perhaps a difficult one to adapt, but 1935's A Tale of Two Cities does the best job out of any film, and is largely successful in contrasting the different events happening in London and Paris.
Like any film adaptation made before a certain time and restricted to a non-epic length, 1935's A Tale of Two Cities tones things down a little and can't entirely capture the novel's scope, but is still perhaps as good as a film of this story will get. It holds up today better than many films of its age, and was also well-received upon release, getting a Best Picture nomination at the Academy Awards, though lost to the honestly worse (and rather bloated) The Great Ziegfeld.
Release Date December 25, 1935
Director Jack Conway , Robert Z. Leonard
Cast Ronald Colman , Elizabeth Allan , Edna May Olivier , Reginald Owen , Basil Rathbone , Blanche Yurka , Henry B. Walthall , Donald Woods
Runtime 128 Minutes
English (US) ·