Top Must-See Movies for Writers: Dramas, Thrillers, and Horror
Written and reviewed by Isabella Boston.
As a writer I love to watch movies about other writers, authors, journalists, and poets. Whether the movie is true or not, it is nice to feel connected to other literary artists, even if they are only imaginary. Sometimes I will flip on a writing movie, and it will be all I need to get my own creative juices flowing with new ideas ready for me to pound out on my computer screen.
I’ve compiled a list of the Ten Must-See Writing Movies for you. Some you may have seen, and others maybe not. Nonetheless, I hope you will enjoy this movie list:
1. Freedom Writers (2007 Drama 2hr 3m), written and directed by Richard Lagravenese; Starring Hilary Swank ~ Based on the true story of a dedicated teacher, Erin Gruwell, and her 1994 “at-risk” freshman class. The story depicts the struggles of a new teacher in a racially divided Los Angeles school. The students have been deemed incapable of learning and the school system has written them off for having any kind of future. Instead of giving up on them, Ms. Gruwell inspires them through the powers of reading and writing. She assigns reading assignments that relates to their individual lives and has them write in daily journals. This movie is truly inspirational, and you will want to watch it again and again. Watch movie trailer here: Freedom Writers.
2. The Words (2012 Drama/Romance 1hr 42m), written and directed by Brian klugman and Lee Sternthal; Starring Bradley Cooper and Zoe Saldana ~ A young wannabe and struggling writer Rory (Cooper) finds an old manuscript hidden inside a briefcase bought from a consignment shop. He publishes the incredible work off as his own and receives great acclaim until the real author shows up threatening his entire world. Movie trailer for The Words.
3. The Help (2011 Drama/Romance 2hr 26m), written and directed by Tate Taylor and based on the novel written by Kathryn Stockett of the same name; Starring Octavia Spencer, Emma Stone, Viola Davis, and Jessica Chastain ~ The story takes place in the 1960’s in Mississippi. A Southern society girl named Skeeter (Emma Stone) returns home from college and interviews the local Black maids in hopes of becoming a writer. She and the women form a friendship while also taking many risks during the Jim Crow era. Movie trailer for The Help.
4. Hush (2016 Horror/Thriller 1hr 27m), written by Mike Flanagan and Kate Siegel who also stars in the film ~ A deaf writer and mute who finds solitude in the woods is stalked by a masked psychopath who tries to kill her. (This movie scared me to death!) Movie trailer for Hush.
5. A Murder of Crows (1998 Thriller/Action 1hr 42m), written by Rowdy Herrington; Starring Cuba Gooding Jr. and Tom Berenger. A disgraced lawyer named Lawson Russell (Cuba Gooding Jr.) is banned from practicing law and moves to Key West, Florida to start a new life and write a book. He meets novelist Christopher Marlowe (Mark Pellegrino) who entrusts him with a manuscript for viewing. Marlowe dies unexpectedly of a heart attack and Lawson publishes the book, A Murder of Crows, as his own. It makes the best-sellers list, but also puts Lawson as the prime suspect in a series of murders. Movie trailer for A Murder of Crows.
6. Misery (1990 Horror/Thriller 1hr 47m), based on the novel by Stephen King; starring James Caan and Kathy Bates ~ A famous writer named Paul Sheldon (James Caan) has a near-fatal car crash while on his way to his private retreat during a snow storm. When he awakens, he finds himself held captive by a deranged nurse who claims to be his “number one fan”. Movie trailer for Misery.
7. Big Driver (2014 Thriller/Crime 1hr 27m), based on the novella of the same name by Stephen King; starring Maria Bello, Joan Jett, and Olympia Dukakis ~ Mystery writer Tess Thorne (Maria Bello) is invited to guest speak at a library. On her way back, her tire blows out and she is brutally raped and left for dead. Severely traumatized and injured, she makes it back to her home and plots revenge on her unknown assailants. Movie trailer for Big Driver.
8. Colette (2018 Drama/History 1hr 51m), written and directed from the screenplay by Rebecca Lenkiewicz, Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland; starring Eleanor Tomlinson, Keira Knightley, Denise Gough, and Dominic West ~ Based on the real-life story of French novelist Colette. Author Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette is pressured to ghostwrite a semi-autobiographical novel for her husband. It becomes a huge success and leads her to fight for the ownership while overcoming the societal constraints of the early 20th century. Movie trailer for Colette.
9. Finding Forrester (2000 Drama 2h 16m), written by Mike Rich and produced by Sean Connery and Laurence Mark. A young basketball player, Jamal Wallace (Rob Brown), befriends a reclusive writer, William Forrester (Sean Connery), who discovers his hidden talent as a writer and helps him to refine his identity. Move trailer for Finding Forrester.
10. Starting Out in the Evening (2007 Drama/Romance 1hr 51m), Directed by Andrew Wagner. An ambitious Brown University graduate student, Heather Wolfe (Lauren Ambrose), convinces a once celebrated author, Leonard Schiller (Frank Langella) that her master’s thesis can reintroduce his work to the world. Movie trailer for Starting Out in the Evening.
What's your favorite movie about writers? Please leave your comments below!
Author Bio
Isabella Boston
Isabella Boston is a multi-talented writer and the Founder of Bella’s Attic Studio. She has several years of experience in content writing, copywriting, and social media strategies. She is the author of the romantic and rare memoir, Passion of Flames. Isabella is currently working to spread awareness on the dangers and inhumanity ofhuman sex trafficking. She has special interests in fashion and beauty, health and wellness, and natural healing as it pertains the body, mind and soul. When Isabella is not writing, she enjoys playing the violin, learning new languages (currently Italian), and reading books of substance.
References
[1] IMDb.com. (n.d.). Freedom writers. IMDb. Retrieved January 8, 2023, from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0463998/plotsummary
[1] IMDb.com. (2012, September 7). The words. IMDb. Retrieved January 8, 2023, from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1840417/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
[1] Ebert, R. (n.d.). The Help Movie Review & Film Summary (2011): Roger Ebert. The Help movie review & film summary (2011) | Roger Ebert. Retrieved January 8, 2023, from https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-help-2011
[1] Wheelhouse, T. (2021, December 8). Hush (2016) Horror film review and break down. Copper Shock Horror Podcast. Retrieved January 8, 2023, from https://www.coppershock.com/hush-2016-film-explained-and-broken-down/
[1] Movie pooper for the film -A murder of crows. MoviePooper. (2020, December 30). Retrieved January 8, 2023, from https://moviepooper.com/movie/movie-pooper-for-the-film-a-murder-of-crows/
[1] Misery. Stephen King. (n.d.). Retrieved January 8, 2023, from https://stephenking.com/works/movie/misery.html
[1] Watch big driver. Lifetime. (1970, January 17). Retrieved January 8, 2023, from https://www.mylifetime.com/movies/big-driver
[1] Bleecker Street. Homepage. (n.d.). Retrieved January 8, 2023, from https://bleeckerstreetmedia.com/colette
[1] Ebert, R. (n.d.). Finding Forrester Movie Review (2000): Roger Ebert. movie review (2000) | Roger Ebert. Retrieved January 9, 2023, from https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/finding-forrester-2000
[1] Scott, A. O. (2007, November 23). A scholarly may and a literary December meet in a New York autumn. The New York Times. Retrieved January 9, 2023, from https://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/23/movies/23even.html
