Summary
- Anne Frank's diary continues to inspire filmmakers worldwide, with adaptations spanning different decades and countries.
- The story of Anne Frank and her time in hiding during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands has been portrayed in various movies and TV series.
- Some adaptations, like "The Diary of Anne Frank" (1959), are highly acclaimed, while others, such as "Love All You Have Left" (2018), face criticism for their execution.
This article contains discussions of concentration camps.
The story of Anne Frank has been portrayed many times since her diary was first published in the 1940s with some versions of her story ranking higher than others. Born in Frankfurt, Germany in 1929, Annelies Marie Frank was a young Jewish girl who kept a diary while she was in hiding with her family during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands in what she called The Secret Annex. She and her family were eventually discovered in August 1944, and Anne later died with her sister Margot in the Bergen Belsen concentration camp in early 1945 (via Anne Frank House).
The sole survivor of the Annex, Anne's father, Otto Frank, had Anne's diary published in 1947 and it was a huge success worldwide, particularly with teenage girls. The diary continues to be a bestseller to this day, with film and television adaptations coming from all over the world. From an Italian version that came out in 2009 to an Oscar-winning movie in 1959, Anne's story has continued to inspire millions of filmmakers and actors everywhere.
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11 Mi ricordo Anna Frank (2009 TV film)
Starring: Rosabell Laurenti Sellers (Anne Frank), Panna Szurdi (Hanneli Goslar), Emilio Solfrizzi (Otto Frank)
This version of Anne's story may not be as well known, but it is one of the few movies on this list to feature scenes in a concentration camp. Following Anne's relationship with her friend Hanneli Goslar, the film jumps back and forth quite a bit to make sure that the entire story is covered. The film even covers Otto Frank years later as he tells his daughter's story to children in a classroom. Unfortunately, the jumping back and forth makes it hard to follow all the action, and unless audiences decide to read a complete biography of Anne Frank, it can be confusing.
10 The Diary of Anne Frank (1980 TV film)
Starring: Melissa Gilbert (Anne Frank), Maximillian Schell (Otto Frank), Joan Plowright (Edith Frank), James Coco (Hans Van Daan), Doris Roberts (Petronella Van Daan)

Anne Frank's years in the attic inspired multiple movies about her life in the 1980s and this movie was one of the first in the United States. With Little House on the Prairie's Melissa Gilbert as the titular character and Maximillian Schell as Otto Frank, it is one of the few on the list where the casting does not work for the film. Gilbert's American accent feels out of place in the setting of the film and some of the pronunciations, such as the name of Anne's cat, are way off. The only versions of the film that are available to watch on YouTube have too much background noise.
9 Love All You Have Left (2018 movie)
Starring: Caroline Amiguet (Juliette Forster), Sara Wolfkind (Anne Frank), Michael Christopher Shantz (Jeff Forster), Kathleen Sheehy (Melanie Forster)

Love All You Have Left may not be about Anne Frank's story, but it does cover the depths of how losing a child can impact someone's life. It is also one of the only movies that is set during modern times. After she loses her daughter in a shooting, Juliette Forster soon finds out that a girl is hiding in her attic who claims to be Anne Frank. With very stiff acting and camera angles that are repetitive, the movie borders on being disrespectful to Anne's memory. According to Kimber Myers from the Los Angeles Times, the film is "a maudlin drama that inspires eye rolls rather than tears."
8 The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank (1988)
Starring: Mary Steenburgen (Miep Gies), Paul Scofield (Otto Frank), Lisa Jacobs (Anne Frank), Huub Stapel (Jan Gies)

Another adaptation that came out in the 1980s, The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank focuses on Miep Gies as the central character. While it may not be the most accurate in terms of how each character looks compared to the real-life version, it is one of the most historically accurate versions made. The Attic: The Hiding of Anne Frank won an Emmy Award in 1988 for the script and has a beautiful music score by Richard Rodney Bennett that accompanies the scenes perfectly. Mary Steenburgen has a long and interesting acting career and this film compliments her ability to act out each scene with grace and poise.
7 My Best Friend Anne Frank (2021 Netflix film)
Starring: Aiko Beemsterboer (Anne Frank), Josephine Arendsen (Hanneli Goslar), Stefan de Walle (Otto Frank)

This is another film that focuses heavily on Hanneli Goslar's friendship with Anne over the years, including the last time she saw her at Bergen Belsen. It is the first Dutch film made about Anne and is currently streaming on Netflix. The film does not hold back from the realities of living in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam during World War II, which includes a concentration camp scene. While the film goes back and forth from happier times in Amsterdam to the concentration camp reality, it is a strong film with plenty of touching and intense moments that remind audiences to value the friendships they have.
6 Anne no Nikki (1995 anime film)
Starring: Reina Takahashi (Anne Frank), Seiko Tano (Margot Frank), Fumie Kashiyama (Edith Frank), Gō Katō (Otto Frank)

One of the two animated films on this list, 1995's Anne no Nikki is an anime film following Anne's story. Similar to other films and TV series on this list, Anne no Nikki follows Anne's story up to the arrest. While there are a few differences in the plot, such as who accompanies Anne to the Annex, this movie tries to stay as loyal to the book as possible in terms of setting. With beautifully painted backgrounds that represent certain moments, Anne's story is brought to life for audiences with sensitivity and emotion. There is no sugarcoating anything and the music also helps balance out the mood.
5 Where Is Anne Frank (2021 animated film)
Starring: Emily Carey (Anne Frank), Ruby Stokes (Kitty)

The second animated film on this list, Where Is Anne Frank follows the tale of Kitty, Anne's imaginary friend and the recipient of the diary entries. Kitty tries to learn where Anne is and what happened to her in modern-day Amsterdam while learning more about Anne's life. The film is a good introduction for children who are learning about Anne Frank in a kid-friendly setting and teaches messages of tolerance and goodwill. Like Anne's real story, the film does not end on a happy note, but it is a good introduction to the diary for children and spreads Anne's message of helping others from a fresh perspective.
4 The Diary of Anne Frank (2009 TV series)
Starring: Ellie Kendrick (Anne Frank), Tamsin Greig (Edith Frank), Geoff Breton (Peter van Daan), Iain Glen (Otto Frank), Felicity Jones (Margot Frank)

Starring Ellie Kendrick as Anne, the BBC version of the story follows Anne's life in hiding. While there are brief moments of her life before she went into hiding, the series makes sure to stay true to real life. Kendrick's portrayal of Anne is feisty and kind, just as Anne was in real life. The show stays true to the book and even quotes from the diary on several occasions. All the actors also bear a resemblance to their real-life counterparts, which makes this series one of the best adaptations out there in terms of historical accuracy.
3 A Small Light (2023 TV series)
Starring: Bel Powley (Miep Gies), Liev Schreiber (Otto Frank), Joe Cole (Jan Gies), Amira Casar (Edith Frank), Billie Boullet (Anne Frank), Ashley Brooke (Margot Frank)

Based on Miep Gies' story, A Small Light shows the reality of what the helpers went through while they were assisting the people in hiding. The series shows how Miep Gies and her husband Jan helped hide the Franks and their friends while trying to live a normal life themselves. While there are a few creative liberties that are added for drama, the series was well received by the public and by critics, even boasting a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes. The series also shows aspects of Miep's story that are not commonly shown in other Anne Frank adaptations, making this one of the best ones out there.
2 Anne Frank: The Whole Story (2001 TV film)
Starring: Hannah Taylor-Gordon (Anne Frank), Jessica Manley (Margot Frank), Tatjana Blacher (Edith Frank), Ben Kingsley (Otto Frank), Brenda Blethyn (Auguste van Pels), Lili Taylor (Miep Gies)
This film is broken up into two different parts, through Anne's life in hiding and her life in Bergen Belsen. As the film's intro states, Anne Frank: The Whole Story is based on Melissa Müller's biography of Anne and is one of the few films on this list that shows Anne in the concentration camps. There is no sugarcoating anything for drama and the film uses events seen in the diary to help move the story along. With an all-star cast including Schindler's List actor Ben Kingsley as Otto and a then 13-year-old Hannah Taylor-Gordon as Anne, there is a good balance of telling the facts without making it maudlin.
1 The Diary of Anne Frank (1959)
Starring: Millie Perkins (Anne Frank), Joseph Schildkraut (Otto Frank), Richard Beymer (Peter van Daan), Shelley Winters (Petronella van Daan), Diane Baker (Margot Frank), Ed Wynn (Albert Dussel)

The very first film about Anne Frank, 1959's The Diary of Anne Frank is considered to be the best adaptation of Anne's story. It was an instant success, garnering public and critical praise as well as winning three Oscars. Otto Frank personally approved Millie Perkins to play the title role. There are a fair number of creative liberties to allow for drama, but the film stays with the spirit of the story. While it is one of the longest movies on this list, at exactly 3 hours even with some events being left out, it is a good version of Anne's story and honors her memory in every way.
Sources: Anne Frank House, Los Angeles Times