Every time I open Netflix and see the “Book-to-Screen” flag pop up, a piece of my heart shatters. While, admittedly, there have been some incredible adaptations such as “The Hunger Games” and “The Godfather,” those standouts are few and far between. I understand it’s not possible to condense a 400-page book into a two-hour movie or 45-minute episodes and keep every detail. However, these television revamps have only gotten worse as time goes on, yet more and more are being made.

When companies keep pushing films out that are weak, it makes cinema lose its credibility. The earnestness and beauty of television has dimmed because of it. Most of what’s being released just feels like a cash grab to profit off of readers. There are three main adaptations that truly illustrate how these industries are not adapting these works to their fullest potential.

“Never Let Me Go”: After being assigned the book for our first required reading, my English teacher told our class, “Do not watch this movie!” I should have listened. The movie takes the first third of the book and clumsily cuts it into just the first 30 minutes of the film. The first act is missing all the anticipation and confusion that builds in this part of the novel, causing the viewer not to question the book’s unreliable narrator, Kathy, as well as not fully feel the sorrow the book vividly portrays. Instead, the film focuses on the love triangle, which is not as big in the book, making sure to constantly remind you of it every scene. By making this change, the movie loses the shock and reflection the book calls for as a cautionary tale of dehumanization. Many stories focus on love interests because they get higher ratings, yet in serious stories such as this, the misplaced focus just drowns the deeper meaning. The pinnacle of the issue is that not all books are able to be replicated for a screen audience. 

“To All The Boys I Loved Before”: Some may be surprised to see Netflix’s modern rom-com on this list, but for those who read the book, it

has earned its spot. The movies are cute and an easy watch. However, they are shallow. Between the disappearing boys and the quickly resolved arguments, the story doesn’t feel like fiction; it feels like fantasy. In the movie, characters like John Ambrose and Josh are basically forgotten once they’ve made their mark on Lara Jean and Peter’s relationship. They are not characters; they are plot devices. However, in the books, they have a strong presence throughout and pop up naturally, as people do in real life. Similarly, in the final movie of the three, Lara Jean and Peter break up out of nowhere. Then, after a short ad break, they are back together, happily ever after. In the book, this is built up, and a realistic conversation of doubt of their relationship pursuing in different states. The effects on both their relationship and them as people are illustrated. The book ends with the start of a new relationship between the two of them, their trust issues no longer apparent. The movies were an unrealistic take on teenage love.

“Bridgerton” Season 3: After the first two seasons beautifully interpreted the books of Regency Era England and the matching scenery, I had lots of hope for the love story that the show’s creators had been building up. However, the season followed the book’s plot without keeping any of the book’s charm. Colin’s personality and fast wit is what makes his character such a star out of the four Bridgerton brothers, but all we see of this in the show is a half-hearted wink. Also, instead of cutting fluff from the book, as the previous two seasons had done, they cut out an entire character — Penelope’s little sister Felicity Featherington — and watered down the importance of both Lady Danbury and Daphne Basset in setting up the main love story. The season felt choppy, causing the show to lose its elegance it once had. 

This isn’t my hate letter to Hollywood, but books and cinema both are beautiful in their own way (emphasis on “their own”). What television adaptations are lacking right now are stories written for the screen, not adaptations from a seven-hour read. It’s time for screenwriters to stop reusing authors’ work and create new and moving pieces that we can all enjoy. When that happens, I will personally send a love letter to Hollywood.