Filmography › Ken Kesey

All the books by Ken Kesey adapted to cinema and television

Ken Kesey is known for being the author of the book One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, first published in 1962, which was adapted to cinema by Milos Forman in 1975.
Below, we present a ranked list, from best to worst, of 2 movies and TV series based on titles by Ken Kesey. Revisit old favorites or discover hidden gems, whether books or film productions. We invite you to watch, read, and vote for any title, joining the debate of whether the book or the movie is better.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Poster of the 1975 movie and cover of the 1962 book
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One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Ken Kesey, 1962
movie vs book
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Milos Forman, 1975

In Oregon in the fall in 1963 , repeat offender Randle Patrick McMurphy is transferred to a mental institution after serving a few months on a prison farm on charges of assault and statutory rape of a 15-year-old girl. Upon arriving at the hospital, he finds the ward is being dominated by head nurse Mildred Ratched, a cold, passive-aggressive tyrant who uses her authority to intimidate her patients.

Ratched. Poster of the 2020 TV series and cover of the 1962 book, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
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One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Ken Kesey, 1962
TV series vs book
Ratched
Ryan Murphy, Evan Romansky, 2020-

The backstory of Mildred Ratched, an asylum nurse who arrives in Northern California in 1947 to work at a psychiatric hospital where disturbing experiments on the human mind are taking place. Mildred presents herself as a model nurse, but her true intentions are to infiltrate the mental health care system and the people within it. As she delves deeper, her true nature is revealed, showing that monsters are created, not born.