If You Loved ‘East of Eden,’ There’s One Movie You Need to Watch Next
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One of the best things about truly great stories is how they can be endlessly adapted and reinterpreted. John Steinbeck published “East of Eden” in 1952, and each time it’s adapted to a screen, it looks a little different. Netflix’s try at this huge, complex story offers up some searing performances, especially from Florence Pugh as the notorious Cathy Ames. Ames is one of the best characters ever crafted in American literature, but her sociopathic nature has sometimes made her into a simple villain—but the series, and Pugh’s performances, adds depth to the charcter. If the limited series has you wanting more complex female characters from classic novels, your next move is obvious: Vanity Fair, starring Reese Witherspoon as Becky Sharp.
If you enjoyed East of Eden, check out Vanity Fair next
First published in the mid-19th century, “Vanity Fair” by William Makepeace Thackeray is an enduring classic of American literature, satirizing the artificial manners and pretensions of Victorian society. At the center of the story is Becky Sharp, whose moral ambiguity and self-serving actions were surprising and unexpected at the time—and have made her a kind of antihero in the modern age. Sharp is a complicated character who, like Cathy Ames, can easily be flattened into a villain, a social climber who uses people.
The 2004 adaptation leans into the more modern take on Sharp’s character, giving her more justification for her actions and humanizing her more than the novel. Sharp is orphaned at a young age, but is almost feral in her determination to secure a position in society—which, at the time, meant securing an advantageous marriage. The story doesn’t have the same sweep as East of Eden, chronicling a relatively short period of time—but that period is the Napoleonic Wars, so there’s a lot going on. This gives the film a similarly epic feel even as it focuses on Sharp’s constant scheming and endless flirtations with people who she thinks can help her out.
In many ways, Sharp is simply playing by the rules imposed on her by men, and if that was scandalous in 1848, it’s almost heroic by today’s standards, and Reese Witherspoon imbues her Sharp with a bit of grace to reflect that. But she’s still someone who does what she must to survive and thrive, and that prickly edge will appeal to fans of Pugh in East of Eden. Rent Vanity Fair on Prime Video.
More movies like East of Eden
Need more historical epics with fascinating, complex characters? Luckily, the movies tend to specialize in that—here are a few more movies that fans of East of Eden will love.
Lady Macbeth (2016)
If you thought the best thing about East of Eden was Florence Pugh, you’re going to love Lady Macbeth. Pugh plays Katherine, a young woman pushed into an arranged marriage with wealthy landowner Alexander Lester (Paul Hilton) in England in 1865. The marriage is solely intended to produce an heir, and Katherine is initially imprisoned in the house. When Alexander and his father leave Katherine alone for some time, she walks the estate and begins a brazen affair with a worker, setting off a chain of violent events that gets bleaker with each scene. Pugh’s portrayal of another dark, determined woman is mesmerizing. Stream Lady Macbeth on Kanopy or Tubi, or rent it on Prime Video.
Legends of the Fall (1994)
If you want more sprawling family drama in a historical setting, look no further than Legends of the Fall. Set in the early 20th century, it follows Colonel William Ludlow (Anthony Hopkins) and his sons Tristan (Brad Pitt), Alfred (Aidan Quinn), and Samuel (Henry Thomas) as they navigate life choices and deal with the emotional wounds they inflict on each other. From World War I to Prohibition, the Ludlows fall in love (sometimes with each other’s wives), suffer crushing loss, and remain connected to their ranch and the natural beauty of Montana through it all. Anchored by a star turn by Brad Pitt, this movie will scratch the itch left behind by East of Eden. Rent Legends of the Fall on Prime Video.
East of Eden (1955)
If you want to see a different take on the novel, check out the 1955 adaptation directed by Elia Kazan (grandfather of Zoe Kazan, who co-wrote and directed the 2026 series). Starring James Dean (who would die a few months after its release), it’s an old-school Hollywood epic that only covers the final third of the book. That makes it a very different narrative experience from the series, which has more room to explore the novel’s complexities—but the film looks amazing, Dean’s performance is terrific, and Kazan directs the heck out of it. Rent East of Eden on Prime Video.
Giant (1956)
Another choice for epic family drama, Giant was James Dean’s last film, and offers family drama in heaps. Like East of Eden, it follows a family over the course of decades as patriarch Jordan “Bick” Benedict, Jr. (Rock Hudson) tries to maintain his family’s ranching legacy in the face of changing times and a flood of oil money, while his former ranch hand Jett Rink (Dean) pines for Bick’s wife, Leslie (Elizabeth Taylor), and strikes it rich with oil. As money’s corrosive effect takes its toll on Jett, the Benedict family grows and changes, with plenty of drama to spare along the way. Rent Giant on Prime Video.
The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
If East of Eden makes you curious about other adaptations of Steinbeck’s work, your next stop should be John Ford’s 1940 version of The Grapes of Wrath. Set during the Great Depression, it follows Tom Joad (Henry Fonda) after his release from prison for manslaughter. He finds his family has been forced off their land, and joins them in a desperate migration to California in hopes of finding work and security. Along the way, Joad kills again and undergoes what can only be described as radicalization, dedicating his life to organizing labor and fighting back against the predations of capitalist society. It’s a remarkable film pulsing with emotional heft and deep family drama, and if its story and setting are very different from East of Eden, the impact will be similar. Stream The Grapes of Wrath on Hoopla, or rent it on Prime Video.
