Top 10 Philip K Dick Adaptations

Script written by Matt Wende

Top 10 Philip K Dick Adaptations

Whether you know him or not, if you’re a fan of sci-fi on the screen, your life’s been influenced by this prolific writer. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 Philip K. Dick adaptations.

For this list, we’re looking at films and TV series that directly translated Dick’s written works to the screen. That means any adaptation is fair game.

#10: “Paycheck” (2003)

Hot on the heels of “Mission: Impossible II,” director John Woo sunk his teeth into this adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s 1953 short story of the same name. The plot follows Ben Affleck’s Michael Jennings, a reverse engineer who takes a product and recreates it with changes and improvements. But as part of his job, he has a habit of wiping his memory – sometimes of important information. Though the film’s ending is changed significantly from Dick’s original words and was negatively reviewed for not having capitalized on the sci-fi thriller’s exciting premise, the film does showcase several of Dick’s signature themes, such as maniacal corporations, conspiracy theories, and perhaps most importantly, identity crises.

#9: “Impostor” (2002)

Identity is a tricky thing, and that’s an idea explored thoroughly throughout Dick’s body of work, most notably in his 1953 short story “Imposter,” and its film adaptation. Borrowing from and expanding upon ideas used by his contemporaries, the author sets up a dystopian future in which warring aliens utilize artificial humans, known as Replicants, to invade and attack human civilizations. Although not loved by critics or moviegoers, the film is an excellent translation from the page to the screen of several common ideas from Philip K Dick.

#8: “Screamers” (1995)

Similar in some ways to sci-fi action flicks like “The Terminator,” “Aliens,” and “The Thing,” “Screamers” unfortunately lacks the taut direction that distinguishes those as classics. Still, the film fits squarely into the time-honored canon of science fiction b-movies. On a distant planet, a group of humans struggles as robotic weapons become sentient and assume a lifelike appearance. Who is real and who is not – and what is reality, anyway? Based on Dick’s 1953 short story “Second Variety,” the film manages to be both entertaining and relatively faithful to its source material.

#7: “The Man in the High Castle” (2015-)

Imagine a world where the Axis Powers of the Second World War actually won. That’s the premise, and a strong one at that, for this 2015 Amazon series drawn from the classic 1962 Dick novel. The only TV series to appear on this list, the show follows characters struggling to survive in an occupied United States. The West Coast is controlled by Imperial Japan, and the East by Nazi Germany. Only a sliver of central states remain neutral – and for how much longer? Big evil government and the everyman characters struggling within them: that’s prime Philip K. Dick material, and it made for Amazon’s first successful original series.

#6: “Next” (2007)

If you could see a couple of minutes into the future, would it make your life easier, or harder? On the one hand, it would take most of the stress out of flirting. On the other, the government might want to kidnap you and use you to stop terrorist attacks… so, you win some, you lose some? When Nicolas Cage finds himself in just this predicament, his world spins out of control. Based on Dick’s 1954 novella “The Golden Man,” “Next” earned mixed reviews and wasn’t the most financially successful of the author’s adaptations. However, without revealing too much, we will say that the twist at the end gave us something to think about.

#5: “The Adjustment Bureau” (2011)

Matt Damon’s protagonist discovers that that there are mysterious forces at play behind the scenes in his everyday life – and a twisty-turny thriller unfolds thereafter. In a world filled with deceit and conspiracy, only a passionate yet seemingly forbidden love acts as a ray of light – but can even it be counted on? Held together by strong performances from Damon, Emily Blunt and others, the fast-paced film – based on Dick’s 1954 short story “Adjustment Team” – explores classic sci-fi themes such as the conflict between fate and free will.

#4: “A Scanner Darkly” (2006)

This is the movie to watch to make you feel like you’re on drugs. In “A Scanner Darkly,” an undercover cop in the near future attempts to infiltrate and disrupt the flow of a new hallucinogenic street drug, while his increasing addiction to the drug seems to be stripping away his sanity. Done entirely with Rotoscoping, a process by which animation is done on top of live-action images, the film is visually a trip. The narrative drips with paranoia, and Keanu Reeves, Woody Harrelson and Robert Downey Jr. give outstanding performances in this Richard Linklater adaptation of Dick’s 1977 novel. Its convoluted nature may leave more questions than answers, but they’re questions worth asking.

#3: “Total Recall” (1990)

Good science fiction is always better with a dash of hyper-violence, amiright? Based on Dick 1966 short story “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale” – although the plot diverges significantly – this bleak view of the future not only features some of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s finest work; it was also a critical and commercial hit. Racking up thought provoking ideas as well as plot twists – and an impressive body count – “Total Recall” looks at a man who attempts to have memories implanted in his brain. But it turns out he’s a secret agent who’s already had some work done on the old noggin. Tricky stuff right? What’s even trickier is the ending, but we won’t spoil that here.

#2: “Minority Report” (2002)

You may’ve noticed that many of the works adapted from Dick’s writing are somewhat dark. “Minority Report,” a reworked version of his 1956 short story, is no exception. An officer with the PreCrime unit tasked with preventing murders before they happen, John Anderton is told that in a matter of days it is he who will commit murder. Now there’s a hook! Reeling the audience into its bleak but intricate world, Steven Spielberg’s “Minority Report” delivers on all fronts: we’re treated to a study in the deliverance of justice, the concept of fate, and the definition of what makes us human. It was such a hit, and introduced such a rich hypothesis, that it later made the jump to TV.

Before we adapt to the top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
- “Barjo” [aka “Confessions d’un Barjo”] (1992)
Based on: “Confessions of a Crap Artist” (1975)
- “Radio Free Albemuth” (2010)
Based on: “Radio Free Albemuth” (1985)

#1: “Blade Runner” (1982)

Science fiction never feels more real than when it challenges our ideas of what it means to be human. And while the 1968 novel “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” and the film are completely different experiences, no adaptation better encapsulates the themes explored by Dick, as well as the essence of his science fiction canon, than Ridley Scott’s “Blade Runner.” Following the story of a man tasked with hunting down and killing artificial men and women, we’re forced to question our own consciousness at the same time as we experience the story unfolding in front of us. You will leave this film blown away, terrified, and with a new appreciation for life.

Do you agree with our list? Which Philip K. Dick adaptation is your favorite? For more sci-fi top 10s published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.