If you’re not much of a comic book reader, then you might think that all comic books are about one kind of superhero or another, except for maybe “Archie.” But in reality, superhero comics make up just a fraction of all comic books, and some non-superhero comics became the basis of some truly excellent movies.
In the same vein, when we hear the phrase “comic book movie,” we also tend to think that the movie is about the most famous comic book characters of all time: superheroes. After all, so many comic book superhero movies have been made in recent years that studios have started tapping some relatively obscure ones to build (potential) franchises around, including Ant-Man, Black Widow, and Black Adam.
You might not even realize that some of these films are based on comic books. In some cases, the films took on a life of their own and the source material has taken a backseat. In others, the comic book spawned a TV show that became more famous than the comics and then inspired the film. But in most of these instances, the film is based on a very well-known comic and thankfully remained faithful to its source material.
To determine the best movies based on comics that aren’t about superheroes, 24/7 Tempo developed an index using average ratings on IMDb, an online movie database owned by Amazon, and a combination of audience scores and Tomatometer scores on Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie and TV review aggregator, as of May 2024, weighting all ratings equally. Only movies with at least 3,500 user reviews on IMDb were considered. Sequels were excluded. Cast information is from IMDb.
There are a lot of great movies based on non-superhero comics out there. If you haven’t heard of these films, we recommend you check them out. And if you’re already a fan of the film but haven’t read the comics, then we definitely recommend you check that out, too. And after that, you can watch the most underrated comedies of all time.
50. Dr. Giggles (1992)
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 5.2/10 (6,134 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 41% (10,068 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 18% (28 reviews)
- Starring: Larry Drake, Holly Marie Combs, Cliff De Young
49. Bulletproof Monk (2003)
Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
- IMDb user rating: 5.5/10 (49,761 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 38% (194,498 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 23% (132 reviews)
- Starring: Chow Yun-Fat, Seann William Scott, Jaime King
48. The Covenant (2006)
Source: Courtesy of Screen Gems
Source: Courtesy of Screen Gems
- IMDb user rating: 5.3/10 (48,240 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 62% (399,950 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 4% (75 reviews)
- Starring: Steven Strait, Sebastian Stan, Toby Hemingway
47. Dennis the Menace (1993)
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
- IMDb user rating: 5.6/10 (59,166 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 38% (256,496 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 27% (26 reviews)
- Starring: Walter Matthau, Mason Gamble, Joan Plowright
46. Bad Kids Go to Hell (2012)
Source: Courtesy of Bad Kids
Source: Courtesy of Bad Kids
- IMDb user rating: 4.5/10 (3,676 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 36% (4,685 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 44% (9 reviews)
- Starring: Cameron Deane Stewart, Ben Browder, Jeffrey Schmidt
45. Oldboy (2013)
Source: Courtesy of FilmDistrict
Source: Courtesy of FilmDistrict
- IMDb user rating: 5.7/10 (71,949 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 37% (26,484 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 39% (151 reviews)
- Starring: Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Olsen, Samuel L. Jackson
44. Surrogates (2009)
Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 6.3/10 (171,879 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 38% (295,069 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 37% (117 reviews)
- Starring: Bruce Willis, Radha Mitchell, Ving Rhames
43. Timecop (1994)
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 5.9/10 (57,881 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 36% (57,735 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 45% (44 reviews)
- Starring: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Mia Sara, Ron Silver
42. Bullet to the Head (2012)
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
- IMDb user rating: 5.7/10 (48,833 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 39% (27,864 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 45% (145 reviews)
- Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Momoa, Christian Slater
41. The Kitchen (2019)
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
- IMDb user rating: 5.5/10 (18,527 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 69% (2,978 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 24% (229 reviews)
- Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Tiffany Haddish, Elisabeth Moss
40. Cowboys & Aliens (2011)
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 6.0/10 (213,740 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 43% (104,810 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 44% (257 reviews)
- Starring: Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde
39. Polar (2019)
Source: Courtesy of Netflix
Source: Courtesy of Netflix
- IMDb user rating: 6.3/10 (82,028 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 69% (2,555 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 19% (47 reviews)
- Starring: Mads Mikkelsen, Vanessa Hudgens, Katheryn Winnick
38. Swamp Thing (1982)
Source: Courtesy of Embassy Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Embassy Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 5.4/10 (13,791 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 40% (22,163 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 63% (38 reviews)
- Starring: Louis Jourdan, Adrienne Barbeau, Ray Wise
37. Tank Girl (1995)
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
- IMDb user rating: 5.4/10 (31,251 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 63% (49,666 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 40% (43 reviews)
- Starring: Lori Petty, Ice-T, Naomi Watts
36. TMNT (2007)
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
- IMDb user rating: 6.2/10 (62,848 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 60% (368,253 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 34% (119 reviews)
- Starring: Patrick Stewart, Mako, Chris Evans
35. Ghost in the Shell (2017)
Source: Courtesy of Lionsgate Films
Source: Courtesy of Lionsgate Films
- IMDb user rating: 6.3/10 (205,418 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 51% (40,244 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 43% (297 reviews)
- Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Pilou Asbæk, Takeshi Kitano
34. The Losers (2010)
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
- IMDb user rating: 6.3/10 (97,569 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 54% (144,691 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 48% (168 reviews)
- Starring: Idris Elba, Zoe Saldana, Jeffrey Dean Morgan
33. Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017)
Source: Courtesy of STX Entertainment
N/A
Source: Courtesy of STX Entertainment
- IMDb user rating: 6.5/10 (171,181 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 53% (27,931 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 47% (297 reviews)
- Starring: Dane DeHaan, Cara Delevingne, Clive Owen
32. The Empty Man (2020)
Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 6.1/10 (18,602 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 39% (112 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 73% (22 reviews)
- Starring: James Badge Dale, Marin Ireland, Sasha Frolova
31. 30 Days of Night (2007)
Source: Courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Source: Courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
- IMDb user rating: 6.6/10 (170,267 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 56% (458,993 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 51% (159 reviews)
- Starring: Josh Hartnett, Melissa George, Danny Huston
30. Oblivion (2013)
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (501,300 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 61% (163,506 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 53% (257 reviews)
- Starring: Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman, Andrea Riseborough
29. Barbarella (1968)
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 5.8/10 (34,952 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 56% (25,000 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 74% (46 reviews)
- Starring: Jane Fonda, John Phillip Law, Anita Pallenberg
28. Constantine (2005)
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
- IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (322,106 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 72% (468,712 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 46% (230 reviews)
- Starring: Keanu Reeves, Rachel Weisz, Djimon Hounsou
27. From Hell (2001)
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
- IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (157,785 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 66% (203,256 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 57% (153 reviews)
- Starring: Johnny Depp, Heather Graham, Ian Holm
26. The Rocketeer (1991)
Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
- IMDb user rating: 6.5/10 (55,535 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 65% (57,493 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 66% (65 reviews)
- Starring: Billy Campbell, Jennifer Connelly, Alan Arkin
25. 2 Guns (2013)
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
N/A
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (203,855 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 66% (109,535 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 65% (189 reviews)
- Starring: Denzel Washington, Mark Wahlberg, Paula Patton
24. Heavy Metal (1981)
Source: Michael Ochs Archives / Moviepix via Getty Images
Source: Michael Ochs Archives / Moviepix via Getty Images
- IMDb user rating: 6.6/10 (35,191 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 67% (25,000 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 66% (35 reviews)
- Starring: Richard Romanus, John Candy, Joe Flaherty
23. Wanted (2008)
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (373,953 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 69% (1,546,210 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 71% (209 reviews)
- Starring: Angelina Jolie, James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman
22. Atomic Blonde (2017)
Source: Courtesy of Focus Features
Source: Courtesy of Focus Features
- IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (184,515 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 64% (34,758 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 79% (364 reviews)
- Starring: Charlize Theron, James McAvoy, John Goodman
21. I Kill Giants (2017)
Source: Courtesy of RLJ Entertainment
Source: Courtesy of RLJ Entertainment
- IMDb user rating: 6.2/10 (31,565 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 74% (2,222 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 78% (63 reviews)
- Starring: Madison Wolfe, Zoe Saldana, Imogen Poots
20. RED (2010)
Source: Courtesy of Summit Distribution
Source: Courtesy of Summit Distribution
- IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (298,515 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 72% (136,260 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 72% (212 reviews)
- Starring: Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, Morgan Freeman
19. The Adventures of Tintin (2011)
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (223,091 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 74% (77,565 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 74% (233 reviews)
- Starring: Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Daniel Craig
18. Dredd (2012)
Source: Courtesy of Lionsgate
Source: Courtesy of Lionsgate
- IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (263,296 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 72% (153,915 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 79% (168 reviews)
- Starring: Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby, Lena Headey
17. Alita: Battle Angel (2019)
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
- IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (246,568 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (34,249 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 61% (328 reviews)
- Starring: Rosa Salazar, Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly
16. 300 (2006)
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
- IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (824,987 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (1,435,275 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 61% (236 reviews)
- Starring: Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, David Wenham
15. The Diary of a Teenage Girl (2015)
Source: Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics
Source: Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics
- IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (30,812 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 73% (12,015 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (168 reviews)
- Starring: Bel Powley, Alexander Skarsgård, Kristen Wiig
14. Frank Miller’s Sin City (2005)
Source: Courtesy of Dimension Films
Source: Courtesy of Dimension Films
- IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (749,873 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 78% (32,222,563 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 77% (256 reviews)
- Starring: Mickey Rourke, Clive Owen, Bruce Willis
13. Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
- IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (616,503 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (125,800 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 75% (262 reviews)
- Starring: Colin Firth, Taron Egerton, Samuel L. Jackson
12. A History of Violence (2005)
Source: Courtesy of New Line Cinema
Source: Courtesy of New Line Cinema
- IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (230,130 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 76% (280,092 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87% (217 reviews)
- Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, Ed Harris
11. Snowpiercer (2014)
Source: Courtesy of RADiUS-TWC
Source: Courtesy of RADiUS-TWC
- IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (375,408 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 73% (60,347 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (266 reviews)
- Starring: Chris Evans, Jamie Bell, Tilda Swinton
10. From Up on Poppy Hill (2011)
Source: Courtesy of Gkids
Source: Courtesy of Gkids
- IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (39,630 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 79% (11,384 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 86% (88 reviews)
- Starring: Sarah Bolger, Chris Noth, Anton Yelchin
9. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (401,541 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (142,303 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 82% (273 reviews)
- Starring: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin
8. Men in Black (1997)
Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
- IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (535,658 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 79% (1,049,562 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (89 reviews)
- Starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, Linda Fiorentino
7. Road to Perdition (2002)
Source: Courtesy of DreamWorks Distribution
Source: Courtesy of DreamWorks Distribution
- IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (257,017 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (188,984 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 81% (214 reviews)
- Starring: Tom Hanks, Tyler Hoechlin, Rob Maxey
6. V for Vendetta (2005)
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
- IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (1,066,529 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (904,466 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 73% (256 reviews)
- Starring: Hugo Weaving, Natalie Portman, Rupert Graves
5. Ghost World (2001)
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
- IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (117,647 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (73,554 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (162 reviews)
- Starring: Steve Buscemi, Thora Birch, Scarlett Johansson
4. American Splendor (2003)
Source: Courtesy of HBO Films
Source: Courtesy of HBO Films
- IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (48,914 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (44,582 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (187 reviews)
- Starring: Paul Giamatti, Shari Springer Berman, Harvey Pekar
3. Only Yesterday (1991)
Source: Courtesy of Gkids
Source: Courtesy of Gkids
- IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (29,563 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83% (218 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (58 reviews)
- Starring: Miki Imai, Toshirí´ Yanagiba, Yoko Honna
2. Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
- IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (631,189 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (148,067 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (325 reviews)
- Starring: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton
1. Persepolis (2007)
Source: Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics
Source: Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics
- IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (91,738 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (50,465 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (162 reviews)
- Starring: Chiara Mastroianni, Catherine Deneuve, Gena Rowlands