10 Best Shows & Movies Based On Banned Books To Watch After The Handmaid's Tale's Finale

Many great TV shows and movie adaptations of banned books exist that can fill in the gaps now that The Handmaid’s Tale has come to an end. Since 2017, Hulu has authentically adapted the titular book while also changing aspects of The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood to explore the characters and dystopian world in more depth. Ultimately, the onscreen adaptation has allowed audiences all around the world to engage with a far-too-often banned book with powerful messages about bodily autonomy and the patriarchy.

After watching The Handmaid‘s Tale’s finale, viewers will need to turn their attention to other shows and movies. A great option is to turn to other banned book adaptations. Like Atwood’s book, many stories are banned because they challenge worldviews, encourage critical thinking, and educate the masses. To make matters worse, blatantly inaccurate reasons are frequently given for banning books Luckily, these fantastic TV shows and movie adaptations allow viewers to engage with entertaining stories while forming their own opinions. Plus, they can open doors for people who want to read more.

10

The Hunger Games Movie Series (2012-2015)

The Hunger Games

8/10

Release Date: March 12, 2012
Runtime: 142 minutes
Director: Gary Ross

Reasons for book banning: Violence, offensive language, anti-family, satanic, and ridicule of hierarchical societies

A fantastic movie to watch after watching The Handmaid’s Tale finale is the original Hunger Games movies, an equally chilling dystopian story with scarily relevant themes. The story follows a dystopian version of the United States called Panem, where the wealthy individuals at the Capitol run a televised event where tributes from each of the 12 districts fight to the death. The eponymous event serves as a way to suppress any uprisings.

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Although the above-listed reasons are purportedly why they’ve been banned in multiple locations across the US, some of them don’t even make sense. It’s much more reasonable to believe that the bannings center around the anti-capitalistic and anti-government sentiments within both the books and movies. In a twisted way, the effort to suppress The Hunger Games in certain areas has only made it more meaningful and popular.

9

Forever (2025)

Forever

Release Date: 2025 – 2025-00-00
Network: Netflix
Directors: Regina King

Lovie Simone

Keisha Clark
Michael Cooper Jr.

Justin Edwards

Reasons for book banning: Immoral, too graphic, “pornographic,” and depictions of contraception

Judy Blume’s controversial book Forever has been one of the most consistently challenged and banned books since its publication due to outcry from conservative and religious circles. In 2025, Netflix put out a TV show adaptation which is just as good as the book. The story follows two teenagers who fall in love, go through the ups and downs of adolescent first loves, and decide together to have safe sex.

The Handmaid’s Tale and Forever feel like great companion series for one another despite seeming drastically different at face value. The Hulu series shows what can happen when reproductive rights are stripped away from females, while the Netflix show depicts the positive things that can occur when reproductive rights are available.

8

The Great Gatsby (2013)

Reasons for book banning: Adultery, sexual themes, explicit language

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale are both considered classic literature with important themes, and they’re taught in classrooms. Despite this, they’re both heavily challenged books and have been banned in many areas. Luckily, the onscreen adaptation of The Great Gatsby is readily available to watch after finishing up The Handmaid’s Tale.

Set in the Jazz Age, the story follows a wealthy man named Jay Gatsby who throws over-the-top parties in the hopes of winning over Daisy Buchannan, the woman he has pined over. Gatsby’s neighbor, Nick Carraway, finds himself drawn into the strange world of wealth and drinking.

The movie doesn’t quite rise to the literary masterpiece, but it’s still an enjoyable version of the story that makes important commentary about the falsehood of the American Dream.

7

A Clockwork Orange (1971)

Reasons for book banning: graphic violence and “obscene and/or pornographic material”

Those who enjoy the darker moments of The Handmaid’s Tale might want to watch A Clockwork Orange. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess has faced unending controversy since its initial release, and both the novel and its movie adaptation have faced bans over the past five decades. The dystopian story follows an intensely violent teenager named Alex, who is forced to undergo barbaric state-sponsored rehabilitation programs to curb his sadistic tendencies. It explores themes like nurture vs. nature, teenage angst, and whether it’s ethical to force someone to change.

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The movie adaptation of A Clockwork Orange, directed by Stanley Kubrick, takes the already dark narrative and offers a grittier, provocative spin, using his signature tone and aesthetic. I’d advise caution to viewers who are sensitive to sexual trauma because the Kubrick movie doesn’t hold back.

After watching the film, it’s worth reading the infamous Chapter 21 of A Clockwork Orange, which Kubrick left out. Viewers might also want to head over to The New Yorker to read Burgess’ piece “The Clockwork Condition,” in which he reflects on his book and examines the impact of the movie on the message.

6

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower (2012)

Reasons for book banning: Sex, LGBTQ+ content, drug use, and profanity

The Handmaid’s Tale is by no means an easy book to read or show to watch, but it’s extremely important because of the themes it explores. Similarly, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is extremely challenging to read and watch because it explores heavy topics, but it’s well worth it.

The story centers on an introverted ninth-grade teenage boy named Charlie who grapples with his mental health and trauma while going through firsts like making friends, falling in love, and experimenting with substances. The themes about mental health and growing up stay true between the book and movie adaptations. However, I’m of the opinion that the 2012 movie is even better than the book because it gives each moment more room to breathe. Plus, Logan Lerman’s acting is impeccable in the film.

5

The Hate U Give (2018)

The Hate U Give

9/10

Release Date: October 19, 2018
Runtime: 132 Minutes
Director: George Tillman Jr.

Reasons for book banning: Profanity, sexual content, anti-police messages, and “critical race theory”

Although fans of The Handmaid’s Tale are not a monolith, it’s reasonable to presume that many individuals who enjoy that show care about other social issues. After all, The Handmaid’s Tale is one big cautionary tale about the horrors that come from oppressing females. A great book and movie adaptation to watch after finishing the Hulu show is The Hate U Give, which centers around race instead of sex.

Based on the award-winning novel, The Hate U Give follows a teen girl named Starr Carter who goes to a white prep school while living in a black neighborhood. Her ability to exist in both worlds gets challenging after her best friend Khalil is killed in an act of police brutality. The tear-jerking story is an extremely powerful exploration of racism and police brutality, and it’s a shame that it’s constantly challenged, with some of the bans being successful.

4

The Color Purple (2023)

The Color Purple

Release Date: December 25, 2023
Director: Blitz Bazawule
Writers: Marcus Gardley, Alice Walker, Marsha Norman

Reasons for book banning: Sexual content, violence, religious objections, rape, incest, and “African history”

After finishing The Handmaid’s Tale, another banned book adaptation worth watching is The Color Purple. Adapting Alice Walker’s book, Cecile tries to find strength after getting torn apart from her family and existing in an abusive relationship. When watching an onscreen adaptation of the story, there’s no wrong choice.

The 1985 movie is absolutely moving, and it was without a doubt snubbed at the Oscars. However, I lean towards the 2023 adaptation of The Color Purple because it combines fantastic storytelling with phenomenal cast members and the powerful music from the Broadway musical, plus a few new songs. Ultimately, both options are a great option for those who want to consume adaptations of banned books.

3

Looking for Alaska (2019)

Reasons for book banning: Inappropriate language, sexually explicit scenes, and LGBTQ+ content (note: there are no LGBTQ+ characters or scenes in the book)

After watching The Handmaid’s Tale, some viewers might want a meaningful but slightly less dystopian horrorscape show to watch. A great option is Hulu’s adaptation of Looking for Alaska by John Green, which is no longer on the streaming platform but available for purchase on Apple TV and Fandango At Home. The story follows a teen boy named Miles “Pudge” Halter, who attends a boarding school and must lean on his new friends to cope with an unexpected tragedy.

Looking for Alaska has repeatedly landed on the most challenged and banned book lists, and it’s best to hear why from the author himself. He said this:

The onscreen adaptation of Looking for Alaska is just as meaningful as the book, exploring topics like grief and depression in an honest way. Additionally, the show expands the character of Alaska Young, making her into more than just a manic pixie dream girl.

2

Catch-22 (2019)

Catch-22

Release Date: 2019 – 2019-00-00
Writers: Luke Davies, David Michôd

Reasons for book banning: Controversial content and profanity

The story follows a young Air Force bombardier named Yossarian in WWII who tries to get out of war by claiming that he’s insane. However, he gets trapped in a paradoxical rule that says that asking to get relieved for insanity is the decision of a rational mind.

Because the 1961 book Catch-22 is so prolific, there was never any chance that any adaptation would live up to the genius of Joseph Heller. That being said, the 2019 miniseries was a fantastic adaptation of the original story and its important anti-establishment, anti-war messages.

With just six episodes, Catch-22 is quick to binge-watch but extremely impactful.

The actors give the characters their all, and the added time of a miniseries makes it a much deeper exploration of the story than the 1970 movie. With just six episodes, Catch-22 is quick to binge-watch but extremely impactful.

1

Brave New World (2020)

Reasons for book banning: Sexual promiscuity, drug use, “anti-religion, anti-family, and blasphemous content” (via Banned Books Library)

The perfect follow-up for individuals who love the dystopian themes of The Handmaid’s Tale is the 2020 TV adaptation of Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World. The dystopian story examines a world where the population is oppressed while thinking they’re happy. Although it only lasted one season, the story, cast, and visuals are captivating.

Huxley’s book includes some casual racism and misogyny, but the show minimizes the parts that haven’t aged well while keeping the best elements. Like The Handmaid’s Tale, Brave New World warns against the control of female bodies and reproduction. While the Handmaids are forced to breed against their will, the women in Brave New World aren’t allowed to reproduce even if they want to.

At their heart, both stories debate conformity and control versus freedom and individuality. The Handmaid’s Tale and Brave New World also delve into the questions: “What is humanity?” and “What does it mean to be truly human?”