7 Shakespeare Adaptations For People Who Hate Shakespeare

4) Roman Polanski’s Macbeth

Made following the death of his wife at the hands of the Manson gang, Roman Polanski’s take on Macbeth is uncompromising and nasty. Quite easily the most faithful and conventional Shakespeare adaptation on this list, Polanski’s Macbeth nonetheless stands out from the rest of the pack because of its unique otherworldly aura: It’s hard not to see parallels with Polanski’s personal life in the many scenes of butchery, so chilly because they’re shot with the eye of someone who knows what it’s like to lose it all and come face-to-face with death.

Grimy and humorless like Justin Kurzel’s most recent adaptation, there’s none of the stylization that Kurzel brought to the table – this is a cold, austere adaptation that doesn’t care how audiences receive it. The dialogue may still be a turn-off for some Shakespeare dismissives, but it really shouldn’t matter: this is one Shakespeare adaptation that viewers are meant to feel and carry the haunting sensation with them long after it’s over.