Twitter

For the last four centuries, the assorted plays of the prolific English playwright William Shakespeare have been studied and performed across the globe. It seemed natural, of course, that the works would transfer to film. While the Bard’s comedies, tragedies, and histories have been plenty of straight-forward adaptations in the last century, perhaps the most impressive imagining of Shakespeare’s plays have been in the last few decades, which have seen directors drastically alter his works to fit into modern contexts. Speaking to the universal nature of Shakespeare’s words, here are ten films from the last three decades that have brought modern twists to the classic stories.

'Hamlet' (2000)

Hamlet has been brought to the screen numerous times (with Laurence Olivier and Kenneth Branagh directing and starring in the two definitive adaptations), but Michael Almereyda’s version brings the tale to modern-day New York City, incorporating the original language and a star-studded cast led by Ethan Hawke, Julia Styles, and Bill Murray. [Where to stream Hamlet]

'Tempest' (1982)

Starring John Cassavettes, Gena Rowlands, Susan Sarandon, and Molly Ringwald, Paul Mazursky’s Tempest follows a New York City architect who, in the middle of a mid-life crisis, moves to a Greek island. After he falls in love with a singer, he’s dismayed when his ex-wife and her new lover land on the island following a shipwreck. [Where to stream Tempest]

'Strange Brew' (1985)

Perhaps the most surprising film on this list, Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas’ comedy about two Canadian beer enthusiasts who must defeat an evil brewer (played by Max Von Sydow) who plans to take over the world is actually based on elements of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. [Where to stream Strange Brew]

'Warm Bodies' (2013)

It’s a tale as old as time, but who can really avoid those classic star-struck lovers Romeo and Juliet falling in love after a zombie apocalypse? (Spoiler alert: they survive.) [Where to stream Warm Bodies]

'10 Things I Hate About You' (1999)

Julia Stiles was the queen of the modern-day Shakespeare adaptations of the late ’90s, but and she earned the title with her stand-out performance in the teen comedy alongside Heath Ledger as a high-school version of The Taming of the Shrew‘s Katherina. [Where to stream 10 Things I Hate About You]

'Big Business' (1988)

The Comedy of Errors gets a modern (and gender) twist in this comedy starring Bette Midler and Lily Tomlin as two sets of twins, separated at birth, who serendipitously reunite in the Big Apple during a business deal. [Where to stream Big Business]

'She's the Man' (2006)

Amanda Bynes proves her incredibly comic talents in this update of Twelfth Night as a high school student who poses as her male twin in order to join the boys soccer team and prove her athletic ability. [Where to stream She’s the Man]

'Titus' (1999)

Anthony Hopkins and Jessica Lange go head-to-head in Julie Taymor’s wildly inventive and mind-blowing adaptation of one of Shakespeare’s lesser-known and rarely produced plays. [Where to stream Titus]

'My Own Private Idaho' (1991)

Gus Van Sant’s career-defining drama about a pair of street hustlers was partially inspired by Shakespeare’s histories Henry IV, Part 1, Henry IV, Part 2, and Henry V, with the dialogue at times reminiscent of Shakespearian monologues. [Where to stream My Own Private Idaho]

'Ran' (1985)

Ran — Photo: Orion; Courtesy Everett Collection

OK, technically it’s not a modern-day adaptation, but you simply cannot discuss movies based on Shakespeare’s plays without bringing up Akira Kurosawa. Early in his career, he reimagined Macbeth in the classic Throne of Blood. But it’s his 1985 epic that serves as one of the most compelling adaptations of a Shakespearian text, in this case the tragedy King Lear. [Where to stream Ran]