Top 10 Best Shakespeare Movies

While Leonardo DiCaprio’s version of “Romeo and Juliet” may be more popular with the younger crowds, there’s no denying the impact of this 1968 version had on how Hollywood viewed Shakespeare. Starring a suitably young Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey as the love-struck couple, the performances stand out as particularly true to life. This allowed for a better connection to teenage audiences, which is especially helpful since the story is still assigned to pretty much every student who studies English. It was the most financially successful Shakespeare adaptation of all time at the time of its release and remains a thrilling. Albeit devastating, film to enjoy today.

While Kenneth Branagh is certainly the cinematic Shakespeare master of our time, he rarely adapts the comic plays. When he does, though, they land with satisfying grace. Such is the case with this film, which benefits from performances by A-listers like Denzel Washington, Emma Thompson and Keanu Reeves. Although the film has its serious moments, the actors are allowed to run wild when the material calls for it, and their infectious joy transfers to the audience. It’s delightful fun, and a refreshing detour from Shakespeare’s darker works.

Made only two years after director Roman Polanski’s wife Sharon Tate was murdered by the infamous Manson Family, Polanski’s mind was clearly more than troubled when he made this disturbing masterpiece. While Macbeth is arguably Shakespeare’s darkest work, it rarely gets as brooding as this adaptation, which is full of graphic violence and disturbing imagery. Orson Welles’ 1950 version and the recent portrayal by Michael Fassbender both produced fantastic results, but the sheer, intense power of Polanski’s contribution to the famous cursed play is undeniable.


We know what you’re thinking: huh? While “Coriolanus” is among Shakespeare’s lesser-known plays and was written near the end of his career, it is nonetheless thought-provoking and gripping. The story follows a flawed and temperamental Roman general who is banished from his city and vows revenge against those who exiled him. And what happens next is exactly what you’d expect from a Shakespearean tragedy. The movie is shot like a modern war film, filled with exciting visuals and bombast while never losing sight of the beautiful language and heavy themes, with first-time director and star Ralph Fiennes settling into his roles valiantly.


Shakespeare and Marlon Brando go together like spaghetti and meatballs, as anyone who has seen this classic film can attest. Brando gives one of his many timeless performances as Mark Antony, a general of Caesar’s before joining the historical dictatorship, The Second Triumvirate. The acting, from Brando, James Mason, John Gielgud and the rest of the cast, is some of the best in the Shakespearean canon. The actors deliver the classic speeches with emotion and gusto, and the film was a huge success in 1953, winning the Oscar for Best Art Direction and being nominated for four others.

Modern adaptations can be tricky, but with an amazing cast, including Ian McKellen as the titular Richard III, this movie is one of the greatest translations of Shakespeare ever put to film. The movie sets this classic play about the Machiavellian leader Richard III in an imaginary 1930s Britain, which is under Fascist rule. This gives the play a wholly fresh take that viewers more than welcomed, and is undoubtedly one of the most cinematic of his adaptations. Pulling viewers in and never letting go, it’s equal parts breathless and cathartic, just as Shakespeare would have liked.

Another lesser-known work of the famous playwright, “Titus Andronicus” is generally classified by historians as Shakespeare’s first tragedy. It is without question his most brutal story, as it’s full of dark subject matter like rape and cannibalism. That’s right, the man who gave us the most beautiful lines in literature also gave us people eating other people. This twisted revenge-themed film stars Anthony Hopkins and Jessica Lange in the leading roles, and they are more than up to the daunting task of adapting this curious play. It is over-the-top in all the right, exhilarating ways and is one of the most interesting visual experiences of Shakespeare’s works.

We’re going way back for this one, before Kenneth Branagh was even born and well before his own brilliant spin on the play, to the original Shakespeare film-master, Laurence Olivier. One of the most revered actors and directors of Shakespeare’s works, Olivier took on both roles for this movie, and his talents are on full display as he dominates the screen as King Henry V of England. The film was shot and released near the end of World War II and was meant to boost morale. With mesmerizing scenes like the Battle of Agincourt, it more than succeeded, winning Olivier an Honorary Academy Award.

There is no question about Branagh’s skills as a writer and director, and his masterpiece, “Hamlet,” encompasses everything that makes Shakespeare great. Adapting what may be the most famous work of literature ever, Branagh doesn’t let up on anything. The movie runs over four hours and includes every single line of dialogue from the play, so yeah, your butt tends to get sore after watching this one– but trust us, it’s worth it. Filled with ambitious sets, fantastic acting, and all the gravitas that the play deserves, “Hamlet” is without a doubt the greatest Shakespearean adaptation and a true cinematic marvel.