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Test Collections Summary
Literary adaptations often get a bad press, with the books’ fans lamenting the necessary excision of events in the book or the loss of tone and character. Yet the best film adaptations capture the mood of the original or completely reimagine the stories in their transition to the big screen. Works by Emile Bronte, Joseph Conrad, Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker, Thomas Hardy and more inspired these great films, with Francis Ford Coppola transporting Heart of Darkness to Vietnam in Apocalypse Now and Michael Winterbottom reimagining Tess of the d’Urbervilles in 21st century India in Trishna. Shelley and Stoker certainly couldn’t have predicted the influence their books would have in the future, with Frankenstein and Dracula having been adapted countless times for the big screen.
Thriller
Who Can You Trust?
Trust few and fear all in a collection of films packed with paranoia and conspiracy.
Věra Chytilová
Defiance and compassion: celebrating the work of a true original and a pioneer of Czech cinema.
Coming of Age
Filmmakers love it, audiences live it. The rites-of-passage film enables us the chance to relive the past with wisdom, but not angst.
Documentaries (deprecated)
From actuality to direct cinema and the film essay, the documentary form is one of cinema’s pre-eminent mediums.
Sight & Sound Poll
It is the most respected of guides: a census of cinema’s best, as voted for by the most respected names in the business. Here's a selection.
Comedy Genius
Celebrating side-splitting cinema, from slapstick legends to today's anarchic voices.
Experimenta
Bringing together films and videos by artists that have transformed our experience of the moving image. Our collection includes films from outside the sphere of experimental filmmaking, including the celebrated surrealists and challenging works of narrative fiction.
Working Class Heroes
A collection of films lit up by the charisma of working-class stars; a celebration of fine actors and remarkable leading roles.
Japanese Classics
From the samurai thrillers of Kurosawa and the beautiful melodramas of Naruse to classic sci-fi, this collection celebrates the extraordinary diversity of Japanese cinema. Yes
Great Debuts
First impressions count. These features launched some of cinema's highest achievers, showing the themes and techniques to which many would return.
Eric Rohmer
Ten classics from cinema’s master of humanity and compassion.
Award Winning
With garlands and glamour, cinema’s spirit of self-congratulation has long fascinated, allowing great works to gain recognition and reach wide audiences.
Sonic: Music in Movies
Pump up the volume for this selection of music-themed films; compiled in a long-player with copious sleeve-notes.
South India
A journey through the temples of Tamil Nadu via Kerala to spectacular ceremonies and processions in Mysuru and Hyderabad.
Italian Classics
Antonioni, Bertolucci, Pasolini, Rossellini – the melodic names that conjure up the greatest era of Italian cinema.
Academy & Awards
Cinema's ultimate prize, the Academy & Awards. These nominees and winners show the medium at its electric best. £15 discount on an annual subscription.
Our partner Sofas and Stuff invite you to enjoy some of their favourite films on BFI Player, revealing the uncommon threads that make their festive season special. Make a purchase from Sofas and Stuff between 15 December 2025 and 6 February 2026 can claim a £15 discount on an annual subscription.
Thriller
Who Can You Trust?
Trust few and fear all in a collection of films packed with paranoia and conspiracy.
Divine Comedies
Welcome to a place for zingers and sass, from marmots and swearwolves to darker things.
Where the male ego is dissected and God's daughter can rewrite the rules.
BFI Flare LGBTQ+
Here are the pioneers, the iconoclasts, the brave - from landmark LGBTQ+ portraits to the next generation of gay classics from the BFI Flare festival.