Cinema is full of films based on literary works, but another type of film is related to writing and worth watching.

We are referring to those films that show different aspects of the writer’s life, whether it is his influences, his creative processes, or even the realities of the profession. Here, we have compiled a selection of films from different years, genres, and themes that have something in common: in one way or another, their plots revolve around the writer and his craft.

Midnight in Paris (2011)

Gil Pender (Owen Wilson), a successful but disillusioned Hollywood screenwriter and an essay writer free, and his fiancee, Inez (Rachel McAdams), are vacationing in Paris. Gil is struggling to finish his first novel and is frustrated, but that doesn’t stop him from falling in love with the city. He thinks he and Inez should move there after they get married, but Inez doesn’t share his romantic notions of the city or the idea that the 1920s was the golden age. When Inez goes dancing with friends, Gil takes a midnight stroll and discovers what could be a surreal source of writing inspiration.

Little Women (2019)

In 19th century Massachusetts, the patriarch of the March family has been drafted to fight in the Civil War, while his wife Marmee (Laura Dern) and their four daughters, Jo (Saoirse Ronan), Meg (Emma Watson), Amy (Florence Pugh) and Beth (Eliza Scanlen), are left alone to fend for themselves. Eventually, each sister goes her own way. Jo March is a fledgling author trying to make a living writing in New York City; the thoughtful Meg is now married, and Amy, artistically inclined, is in Paris. However, news of Beth’s illness will unite the sisters under the same roof.

Infamous (2006)

On November 16, 1959, Truman Capote (Toby Jones) read about the murder of the Clutter family. He heads to that town in the company of his best friend, Harper Lee (Sandra Bullock), to investigate what influence such a gruesome crime can exert on the relationships of the members of a small rural town. Capote is relentless in his inquiries, believing the book he will write will establish a new form of reportage.

The Ghost Writer (2010)

An ordinary ghostwriter (Ewan McGregor) has landed a lucrative contract to write the memoirs of Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan), the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. After dominating British politics for years, Lang is campaigning on behalf of his foundation with his wife in the U.S. but soon finds himself embroiled in a major scandal with international ramifications. Still, before the controversy has even begun, even before he has closed the deal with the publisher, the ghostwriter receives unmistakable signals that he will be involved with susceptible material.

Stan Lee (2023)

For many years Stan Lee was the publisher and face of Marvel Comics and co-creator of some of its most significant characters, such as Iron Man, Spider-Man, and the Incredible Hulk. In this documentary by David Gelb, he uses interviews and various materials to allow the iconic comic book writer to tell the story of his life and, at the same time, the evolution of the comic book industry since the 1940s.

The Hours (2002)

Narrates a day in the life of three women, Virginia Woolf (Nicole Kidman), Laura Brown (Julianne Moore), and Clarissa Vaughan (Meryl Streep), whose lives connect through the novel written by Woolf, “Mrs. Dalloway.” Although separated by nearly 80 years, all three face family crises and share the feeling that they have been living their lives for someone else.

Secret Window (2004)

Mort Rainey (Johnny Depp) is a successful writer going through a rather hostile divorce from his wife of ten years, Amy (Maria Bello). Alone and bitter in his cabin, he continues to work on his next book when a stranger named John Shooter (John Turturro) shows up at his door, claiming that Rainey stole his story and gives him three days to prove otherwise.