The premiere in style of ‘Sandman’ is serving, above all, so that the name of Neil Gaiman is becoming claimed as one of the great absolutes of fantasy literature and fiction. Adapting his work has always been a titanic task, but the truth is that the author has always had an intimate relationship with the audiovisual world.
Good proof are the movies and series that we are going to talk about today. Several are adaptations of his works, in others he has worked directly and in some he has a special connection. they are all fascinating and good examples of dark fantasyas well as his series for Netflix, and they are also all available to watch on streaming platforms.
‘Nightbreeds’ (‘Nightbreeds’, 1990)
Address: Clive Barker. Distribution: Craig Sheffer, Anne Bobby, David Cronenberg, Charles Haid, Hugh Quarshie.
One of Gaiman’s greatest friends is Clive Barker, a director with an eccentric and very fantastic style whose best-remembered work is ‘Hellraiser’. However, this ‘Night Races’ has many elements of Gaiman’s quirky, choral fantasyincluding a lot of ‘Sandman’ -Barker, in fact, came to collaborate on some issue of the comic-.
In addition, the writer made an appearance in the form of cameo which was deleted from the theatrical version, although it can be found in alternative cuts. Other than that, the film is a deliciously macabre move.
Watch on Netflix
‘The glass mask’ (‘MirrorMask’, 2005)
Address: Dave McKean. Distribution: Stephanie Leonidas, Jason Barry, Gina McKee, Rob Brydon, Dora Bryan.
Another key name during Gaiman’s stint with the ‘Sandman’ comic is Dave McKean, who illustrated the installments’ twisted covers. He was also a designer and film director, highlighting this unique ‘The Glass Mask’ that Gaiman himself wrote from a joint story. The film collects many aspects of those dark and even nightmare stories that the author used to makeas is the case with ‘The Worlds of Coraline’, displaying a twisted adventure around amazing designs that can traumatize a child.
Watch on Amazon Prime Video
‘Lucifer’ (2016 – Present)
Creator: Tom Kapinos. Distribution: Tom Ellis, Lauren German, Kevin Alejandro, DB Woodside, Lesley-Ann Brandt.
If in ‘Sandman’ we see the appearance of Lucifer himself, this series takes the exploration of the lord of hell and the demons that surround him even further. An unexpected but powerful success that Netflix rescued seeing the fervor it had, knowing how to transfer the quirky sensitivity of the author in a effective procedural that does not give up inventive solutions to avoid monotony.
Watch on Netflix | Criticism in Espinof
‘Good Omens’ (2019)
Creation: Neil Gaiman. Distribution: Michael Sheen, David Tennant, Adria Arjona, Jack Whitehall, Sam Taylor Buck.
Until the arrival of the Netflix series, this adaptation of his novel with Terry Pratchett could boast of being the best version of Gaiman in the format of the small screen.
‘Good Omens’ offers a irreverent and fresh approach to the apocalypse through the relationship between an angel and a demon united to try to stop him, leaving interesting touches of the author’s classic metaphysical reflection. Only the fabulous dynamics of Michael Sheen and David Tennant make it a must.
Watch on Amazon Prime Video | Criticism in Espinof