Are you wondering if ‘All the Light We Cannot See’ has made its way from the bookshelves to the big screen or perhaps onto your favorite streaming platform? Let’s dive into that question!
So, has ‘All the Light We Cannot See’ been turned into a movie, or is it available in another format entirely? That’s what we’re here to find out.
It’s Not a Movie, but a Netflix Miniseries
As of 2023, ‘All the Light We Cannot See’ is not a movie. Instead, it has been adapted into a limited television miniseries by Netflix. This came to fruition after Netflix and 21 Laps Entertainment acquired the rights for the adaptation.
The miniseries consists of four episodes, written by Steven Knight and directed by Shawn Levy. The adaptation features a stellar cast, including Aria Mia Loberti as Marie-Laure, Louis Hofmann as Werner, and Mark Ruffalo, among others. The miniseries premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2023 and made its Netflix debut on November 2, 2023.
Critical Reception and Adaptation Choices
Initial critic reviews of the Netflix adaptation have been generally negative. On Rotten Tomatoes, only 33% of the nine reviews were positive. Critics who loved the novel felt the adaptation made superficial and unnecessary changes, making the story feel cliché and monotonous without the compelling perspective of the novel’s central character.
Producer Shawn Levy made the executive decision to remove potentially upsetting scenes late in the story to aim for an optimistic ending. Despite these intentions, some critics, such as Ben Travers of IndieWire and Daniel Fienberg of The Hollywood Reporter, found the plot by the third episode to barely resemble the novel, arguing that the changes made the material less emotionally rich.
The Novel’s Unique Style
The novel, written by Anthony Doerr, is known for its lyrical writing style, with a focus on sensory details and ethical themes. It tells the interconnected stories of Marie-Laure, a blind French girl, and Werner, a German boy with a talent for radio technology, set against the backdrop of World War II. The book’s distinct style and structure have captivated readers worldwide, contributing to its critical and commercial success, including a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
While the miniseries seeks to bring the novel’s world to the screen, critics and some fans argue that it falls short of capturing the novel’s essence. Despite this, the adaptation provides a new way to experience the story for those who are curious about how ‘All the Light We Cannot See’ translates into a visual medium.