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David Copperfield was Dickens’s most personal novel, and arguably his best (Virginia Woolf, for one, thought so). Still, it’s hard to make a Dickens adaptation feel personal or pleasant; there are already so many that they form their own cliché-ridden subgenre. I mean, I usually don’t want to watch an Englishman with a nasal voice in a sooty top hat be mean to children (not even if he’s singing at the time). That personal bias stated, I was always going to watch this because it was co-written and directed by Armando Iannucci (creator of Veep and The Death of Stalin). And lo, Iannucci’s film feels personal, fresh, and the product of writers in dialogue, 17 decades apart. The lightness of the film is helped tremendously by the superb cast that includes Dev Patel, Hugh Laurie, and Tilda Swinton. Half the fun is the unspoken competition to be the biggest scene-stealer. Spoiler: I think it’s Ben Whishaw as Uriah Heep.

I absolutely revere Pedro Almodóvar, the master filmmaker of Spain. It’s unusual, but not completely unprecedented, for him to adapt another writer’s work for one of his films. And in this case, he chose three stories by Canadian master of the short story, and Nobel laureate, Alice Munro. Already this film has an incredible pedigree, and I hope I don’t have to say anything more to sell you on it. Just imagine yourself in a James L. Brooks movie, in the back seat of a convertible. Up front, Almodóvar’s at the wheel and Munro is next to him. Everybody’s in sunglasses as you drive down a beach. Enjoy the ride.

I recently revisited David Sedaris’s book Naked for our 50 Books for 50 Years list, and found out about this adaptation of one of its essays that I had somehow missed when it came out in 2013, despite the fact that it takes place in Oregon. Adapting prose to film is always an act of transformation, and taking a personal essay as the basis for a film without any voiceover narration makes for a particularly striking contrast. David Sedaris is rarely the hero of his own stories; he’s usually both a baffled observer and mischievous participant. The film follows Jonathan Groff, but without the interiority of Sedaris’s distinctive voice, the experience of understanding his experience is dramatically different. Watching the film is an act of inference rather than explication.

Turning a play into a film usually involves changes at the margins, such as adding locations and cutting some dialogue. But to convert his hit play into a CBC sitcom, playwright Ins Choi (along with co-showrunner Kevin White) made numerous changes, like de-aging the entire Kim family. Comparing the play and the series is an interesting reflection on the different narrative arcs necessitated by the different mediums, and having two parallel views provides a richer understanding of all the characters, as well as of the immigrant experience in Canada. As a fun bonus, the House of Anansi Press’s edition of the script has extensive behind-the-scenes information about both the stage productions and the show.

This one isn’t available yet, but will be on Netflix sometime this year. Adapted by British actress Rebecca Hall from Nella Larsen’s underappreciated novel of the same name, the film stars Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga and was shot in black and white. The premiere at Sundance was greeted with strong reviews, and I can’t wait to see it for myself.

I have to admit, it took me a while to watch these movies. They seemed gimmicky or overwrought. How could an adaptation of Paddington in the 21st century even work? But after the first movie — and then the second — became critical darlings, I started to realize that I might be missing out. (I was.) These adaptations are more genuine, delightful, silly, and wonderful than they have any right to be. The Paddington films are movie magic at its best. Somehow, they take Michael Bond’s friendly, marmalade-loving bear with a hat and the occasional hard stare and do him justice. Not only do they successfully modernize the tale — these books did begin publishing in the ’50s — they manage to do so without sacrificing charm or cheapening the story, all while achieving critical success.
Heads up: The third film just went into production, so here’s your chance to catch up and be ready when it’s released.

The Baby-Sitters Club series has something for everyone. Not only are Ann M. Martin’s original stories enduring classics, they have experienced a second life in the form of the widely popular graphic novel adaptations spearheaded by middle reader graphic novel superstar Raina Telgemeier (and now cycling through some other talented graphic novel creators). Last year’s Netflix adaptation is a delight to watch and it is potentially the greatest children’s fare that Netflix has produced. Somehow sweet but never sickly, humorous but never parody, and genuine but never pandering. The five principle cast members breathe these characters into modern life and yet it is also somehow believable that they gather weekly around a landline to take babysitting gigs. Their struggles — with feminism, racial identity, family, illness, and beyond — are handled deftly and serve as a great introduction to these topics for young viewers. Plus, you will want Claudia Kishi as your personal stylist, as it should be.
Heads up: Season 2 has been greenlit, so it’s time to catch up!

Finally, a Mysterious Benedict Society adaptation (and a show on this list airing right now)! As I’m writing this, we’re four episodes into this show’s eight-episode Disney Plus run and so far it’s a delight. Like all the best children’s shows, this one owes its success to the young actors bringing its protagonists to life. This show lets the young characters be smart and funny while nodding to the wild, weird experience of being a kid. Its supporting cast of adults is nothing to balk at either, headed by Arrested Development’s Tony Hale as the eponymous Mr. Benedict and supported by the ever-funny Kristen Schaal.

I was a little worried when this series was announced. While I blazed through all the books in Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse, the Crows duology holds a special place in my heart (I love a heist) and I was skeptical that these characters’ stories could fit into the timeline of the earlier Shadow and Bone story line. I needn’t have been concerned. Thanks to some clever plot writing, world-building, and one emotional support goat, the story lines manage to come together as a believable introduction to the latter plot of my beloved Crows. Moreover, this is just genuinely good television, thanks in major part to excellent casting. Jessie Mei Li in particular gives an outstanding performance as Alina Starkov, and Ben Barnes proves once more that he belongs in every fantasy adaptation.
Heads up: Season 2 has been greenlit, so it’s time to catch up!