The 25 best Stephen King adaptations, ranked! From Salem's Lot to Doctor Sleep
Stephen King has caused many a sleepless night over the last 40 years – and thanks to the numerous adaptations of his literary works, book lovers haven't been the only ones spooked silly.
Ever since the success of Carrie in 1976, the cinematic rights to the author's novels have been snapped up left and right by hungry studios, eager to turn his tales of horror into hit blockbusters and TV series. But which are considered the best takes on his material?
The Boogeyman was the latest King movie to creep into cinemas, though it admittedly received lukewarm reviews. Starring Yellowjackets' Sophie Thatcher and Chris Messina, it centers on high school student Sadie and her younger sister Sawyer, who are struggling to reconnect with their therapist father following the death of their mother. One day, a man (David Dastmalchian), who claims to be a patient of their dad's, comes knocking at their house and when the girls let him in, they inadvertently unleash a terrifying entity into their home.
With spooky season well under way, we've looked back at the bounty of works that have been inspired by the author's novels. Whether you care for killer clown fare or tearjerker period dramas, there's plenty to choose from among the best Stephen King adaptations...
25. Cujo (1983)
The movie: Arguably the King adaptation most frequently checked in pop culture, Cujo tells the tale of a rabid St. Bernard who is left alone to slowly succumb to a viciouse disease. Strung up in a dusty yard on a hot day, exacerbating the matter tenfold, things turn sour when a young mother (Dee Wallace Stone) and her child drive onto the lot only to have their car break down. They quickly become the object of Cujo’s attention.
What it got right: Cojo is often rather unfairly maligned from the get-go because of its more “straight” aspirations. There’s no supernatural beast, as this is about a mistreated dog left unchecked that eventually turns monstrous – an allegory for King’s own experiences with addiction. The claustrophobia of the scenario, being captive in a baking hot car with a slobbering beast at your door, is truly frightening.
24. 1408 (2008)
The movie: Mike Enslin (John Cusack) spends his life debunking supposed paranormal occurrences, so he isn’t particularly fazed when he rocks up to his next assignment. The supposedly haunted room 1408 at the Dolphin Hotel may sound like just another tourist trap, but when the manager – a superb Samuel L. Jackson – dubs it “fucking evil”, Enslin begins to consider whether the rumours are true.
What it got right: In 2008, King's influence over the big screen was waning. But director Mikael H?fstr?m reminds us how it should be done, stuffing 1408 full of atmosphere and grisly discoveries. The ending may be a letdown, but this is an effective jumper with a handful of decent twists and turns.
23. Hearts in Atlantis (2001)
The movie: Nabbing its name from a collection of novellas, Hearts in Atlantis adapts the story Low Men in Yellow Coats, which – as King completists will know – has a direct connection to his Dark Tower mythology. Although, you wouldn’t know it based on this film that eschews the sly winks of connectivity for a standalone tale surrounding the mysterious Ted Brautigan (Anthony Hopkins), who moves into town, and changes the lives of young Bobby (Anton Yelchin) and his mother forever.
What it got right: The casting of Anthony Hopkins adds an extra layer of mystery (and inherent menace) to a character that could have been twee in the hands of a lesser talent. Emotionally complex and moving, this is one of the more low-key King adaptations – that doesn’t boast a mess of blood and guts – and it's all the better for it.
22. Cat's Eye (1985)
The movie: Cat’s Eye wraps a loose story – that of a mangy, stray cat – around its trio of tales to form a snug anthology of oddities. Two are based on stories from King’s Night Shift collection – Quitters Inc., which stars James Woods as a guy who signs up with a shady firm to help him stop smoking, and The Ledge, which will do nothing to quash your fear of heights. The third, The General, is an original script that’s a blast as it features Drew Barrymore, a troll, and the aforementioned kitty.
What it got right: The choice to tackle some of King’s best stories in the form of shorter vignettes is, well, genius. Cat’s Eye is a lot of fun, and doesn’t take itself too seriously. Despite it being one of the best Stephen King movies, it would also be worth investigating the idea of a TV anthology series based on these succinct bites.
21. Castle Rock (2018 - 2019)
The show: Starring horror faves like Melanie Lynskey, Jane Levy, Sissy Spacek, and It's Bill Skarsg?rd, Castle Rock loosely takes place in King's story-telling multiverse, bringing together a bunch of his stories, locations, and characters. Season 1 took inspiration from Shawshank Redemption, The Dark Half, Needful Things, and The Shining, as it follows Henry Deaver (André Holland), a death-row attorney who is forced to return to his hometown when it's discovered that its recently deceased prison warden was keeping a mysterious, unnamed man captive.
Season 2 sees Lizzy Caplan play a younger version of Kathy Burke's Annie Wilkes from Misery, as she sets up home in Maine while on the run with her daughter Joy (Elsie Fisher).
What it got right: Castle Rock essentially offers up the best of both worlds; an original show that's accessible to newbies, yet boasts links to King's works for fans to enjoy. Its setting, perhaps its biggest nod to the author, is creepy and atmospheric, while its anthology approach keeps things fresh much like the TV take on Fargo did. Back in August 2018, King even gave the show his seal of approval, tweeting: "CASTLE ROCK is really good, each episode better than the last. But put all that Easter egg stuff aside and just enjoy it on its own terms. The cast is incandescent and they support a story worth telling."
20. Christine (1983)
The movie: Based on a doorstopper of a book, Christine is a favourite among fans despite its lukewarm critical reception. Like the novel, the movie follows uber-nerd Arnie Cunningham (Keith Gordon), who isn’t exactly popular, living vicariously through his jock best friend Dennis (John Stockwell). But after Arnie eyes up a dilapidated ‘58 Plymouth tagged Christine, which may have a few secrets hiding under the hood, his life takes an interesting turn.
What it got right: There's a pulpy charm to John Carpenter's haunted vehicle pic, with the auteur's characteristic focus on, er, characters keeping the engine purring nicely. Carpenter's score is also another streamlined beauty. The best film about a haunted car you're ever likely to see. Take that, Transformers.
19. Firestarter (1984)
The movie: A shady organisation offers college students serious cash to participate in experiments where they are dosed with a hallucinogen. Andy and Vicky (David Keith and Heather Locklear) meet during these sessions and it’s only afterwards they realise they’ve acquired skills: he can change people’s will and she can read minds. Once their young daughter Charlie (Drew Barrymore) turns 9, she exhibits pyro-kinetic abilities: she can start fires with her mind. Once “The Shop” – the agency behind the experiments – realises, they’ll do anything to capture her...
What it got right: Casting Barrymore, hot off E.T., as the young Charlie is a masterstroke and it’s largely her performance that makes this early ‘80s thriller worth a watch. A mish-mash of King’s tried-and-tested subjects – telekinetic ability in young women, paranoia, and shady government projects – Firestarter’s a blast.
18. Salem's Lot (1979)
The miniseries: The small town of Salem's Lot may look quaint on the surface, but beneath lies an ancient evil in the form of an old vampire desperate to take over. When novelist Ben Mears (David Soul) returns home, he quickly discovers the new antique store owners are hiding something. Yes, corpses. It’s up to Mears and a young horror fanatic to stop the vampire that's laying siege to their town.
What it got right: With Tobe Hooper behind the camera, Salem's Lot has a potent mood and a great protagonist in Mears, who transforms slowly from bookish author to all-out vampire slayer. Genuinely chilling in places – especially that window scene. Plus, you’ve got to give King credit for calling a vampire Kurt Barlow.
Continue to Page 2 for more of the best Stephen King adaptations
17. The Running Man (1987)
The movie: The one where Arnie wears lycra. In a post-apocalyptic future, it’s hard to tell where the government ends and pop culture begins. Convicts compete on a reality TV show where they must run to escape the clutches of Gladiator-like opponents. Not for fun, you see, but in order to avoid being horribly butchered by these professional hitmen. Ben Richards (Arnold Schwarzenegger), a former cop set-up by the government, is one contestant whose only chance of freedom is to endure the savagery of the arena.
What it got right: Its premise was light-years ahead of its time (Hunger Games, anyone?) and director Paul Michael Glaser did well to bag an on-the-rise Schwarzenegger as his profanity-screaming hero. Sure, it's B-movie schlock at heart, but there’s nothing wrong with that.
16. Creepshow (1982)
The movie: Not a straight-up adaptation, per se, as the author penned the original script as an homage to EC Comics. Two of the tales told in Creepshow, “Weeds” and “The Crate”, are both based on short stories, while the rest of the gore-soaked vignettes are new. The subsequent film gave us this collection of five stories to chill the spine, all courtesy of King and director George A. Romero.
What it got right: Its ambition is up there, by trying to achieve that same sensation of what it’s like to actually read a comic, by throwing up interstitial comic panels between segments. And let’s not forget the biggest win of all: uniting those two prolific horror names, of course. If the end result isn't quite as earth-shaking as you were hoping, there's always the thrill of having King and Romero together in the opening credits.
15. Pet Sematary (1989)
The movie: Based on the most shock-filled, horrific novels of King’s career, the big screen version pulls no punches either, choosing to delight in the terror of the Creed family’s predicament. Having moved cross country into a new home, the family soon learn that the ground near their abode is “sour.” When the family cat Church dies, dad Louis (Dale Midkiff) decides to bury it in a cemetery near their residence, starting a chain reaction of events that begin when it comes back to life...
What it got right: Director Mary Lambert isn't afraid to shove the gore up front and centre with this grizzly offering, a film that goes to surprising extremes, not least in the dead kid department. Like all good King pics, it’s unnerving in all the right places.
14. The Mist (2007)
The movie: Artist David Drayton (Thomas Jane)’s day starts like any other. He works on a few pieces, then heads out to the store, waving a casual goodbye to his wife before hitting the road. And then, everything promptly goes to hell. He holes up in a supermarket with a mixed assortment of townsfolk when a freak storm descends on his town, bringing with it godforsaken nasties.
What it got right: Director Frank Darabont's third stab at a King text resulted in this rip-your-own-eyes-out-because-its-just-that-depressing mood-killer. The atmosphere is palpable, Marcia Gay Harden gleefully cuts everybody around her down with poisonous barbs, and the finale will haunt you for days. It’s still hard to believe that the ending was even approved by the studio heads...
13. 1922 (2017)
The movie: A truly surprising adaptation that burns slow until revealing its horrific underbelly. In 1922, Nebraska Wilf James (Thomas Jane) struggles to deal with his wife Arlette’s (Molly Parker) aspirations. After inheriting a large plot of land, her plan is to sell it so they can move to the city with their son. Wilf, a rancher at heart, is reviled by her plans, so plots to kill her and ropes in their kid to help. This is not your typical King adaptation.
What it got right: Forget the slobbery and evil beasts that you might expect from King – 1922 isn’t concerned with an outside source of villainy. Instead, the movie looks towards the darkness inside men and what they can be driven to do. Plus: you’ll do a double take when you realise that that totally is Thomas Jane.
12. It Chapter Two (2019)
The movie: After 27 years, Pennywise returns to once again terrorise the residents of Derry. Meanwhile, the Looser's Club have all drifted apart and forgotten their oath to bring down the spectre should it ever return. That is, apart from Mike, who has remained in Derry and vows to bring back the gang and defeat, once and for all, the terrifying menace who has haunted their town all these years.
What it got right: With a balooning runtime of almost three hours, Chapter Two features both more scares and more laughs than most other King adaptations. The adult cast – including Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy – have brilliant chemistry and are perfect replacements for their younger selves. Saying that, the children from Chapter One still make an appearance here, and get a heartwarming send-off by director Andy Muschietti.
11. Doctor Sleep (2019)
The movie: Directed by The Haunting of Hill House's Mike Flanagan, and it's not the only entry on this list that was so, Doctor Sleep sees adult Danny Torrance still wrestling with his traumatic experiences at the Overlook Hotel. After decades of suppressing his Shine, present-day Danny (Ewan McGregor) is forced to embrace his powers again when a young girl named Abra (Kyliegh Curran) makes telepathic connection with him. Together, the pair try to stop Rose the Hat (Rebecca Ferguson) and her murderous cult of Shine-consuming almost-immortals.
What it got right: Horror movies so rarely allow us to check in with the characters we've seen experience terrible things, and see how they're doing years on. Doctor Sleep isn't afraid to guide us into the dark depths of Danny's trauma before flipping the switch and centering magic and hope. It finds the light in its own way, and proves that no one is ever too far gone. Ferguson is also fantastic as its vampiric villain.
10. The Green Mile (1999)
The movie: Less emphasis on obvious horror, The Green Mile hews closer to Shawshank Redemption (more on that later). Outside of the obvious prison comparisons, it shares thematic similarities, dabbling with the good verses evil of men. Gentle giant John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan) is arrested for rape and murder, but as he gets to know the guards on Death Row, in particular Paul Edgecomb (Tom Hanks), and they learn of his unusual powers, their opinions of him begin to change.
What it got right: In short, heartstring-pluckage. Long-time King fan Frank Darabont handles the source material with obvious reverence, and his film is a tender, moving portrait of miscarried justice. Great performances, too.
9. Gerald's Game (2017)
The movie: The supposedly “unfilmable” book about a woman who spends the majority of the story chained to a bed is transformed into one of the best Stephen King movies ever made. Flanagan brings his eye for detail and love of the genre to the eerie-as-hell story of Jessie Burlingame (Carla Gugino). Handcuffed to a bed in the middle of nowhere, with the slowly-decaying corpse of her husband (Bruce Greenwood) on the floor, she must figure a way to escape her restraints. It’s either that or she succumbs to the wild dog lingering outside, or the figure behind the curtains...
What it got right: Never skimping on the small elements that truly made the novel terrifying, Flanagan’s attention to Jessie’s heart-breaking scenario is what makes this sublime. He cranks up the tension and throws in curveballs that made the book so unusual.
8. The Dead Zone (1983)
The movie: Happy and in love, New England school teacher Johnny Smith (Christopher Walken) heads home from a date with his girlfriend (Brooke Adams) and has a horrific car accident. When he wakes up from a coma five years later, he discovers that he's developed psychic abilities: with a mere touch he can learn a person’s secrets and details about their future. Skyrocketing to fame due to his skills, he becomes an unwitting overnight celebrity. Mind-bogglingly on point is Martin Sheen’s character, the right-wing politico with ambitions to kick start World War Three.
What it got right: Telekinesis as body horror? With director David Cronenberg on hand, that's what we get here, though the gore and violence is notably more restrained compared to the filmmkaer's other work. There’s also Christopher Walken playing manic like only he can. Delicious.
7. Dolores Claiborne (1995)
The movie: Undoubtedly a King adaptation that will continue to garner more fans with age. When she's accused of killing her old employer, a senile millionairess, Dolores Claiborne's (Kathy Bates) estranged daughter Selena (Jennifer Jason Leigh) returns home to help. But as the case proceeds, flashbacks abound, stirring up long-buried secrets that reveal the brutality of their lives.
What it got right: Five years after she blew our minds as Annie in Misery, Kathy Bates nails it with another King property, bringing her A-game as the eponymous Dolores. Convincing as both the old and young Dolores, Bates wraps her tongue around some fantastic lines and manages to earn genuine empathy. An overlooked classic.
6. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
The movie: It’s hard to believe Frank Darabont's film was a flop in cinemas, but this modern classic found its audience on home entertainment, with King fans and non-King fans alike lapping up this tale of Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), a banker wrongly charged with double homicide. He befriends Ellis Redding (Morgan Freeman), and a handful of other inmates, yet it’s his ambitious goal to break out of prison, which serves as the main driving force. As fans will attest, this is more than a mere 'prison break' movie.
What it got right: If the film’s two leading turns aren’t enough to satiate your movie needs, then what of the film’s central lesson, “Get busy livin’, or get busy dyin’”? What's not to love about this movie?
Continue to Page 3 for more of the best Stephen King movies
5. It (2017)
The movie: The small town of Derry appears normal on the surface, but beneath its perfect veneer lies a dark, ebbing truth: every 27 years an ancient evil rises to terrorise the town’s children. This cycle of brutality has perpetuated for centuries. During the summer of 1989, young Georgie Denborough (Jackson Robert Scott) is the first youngster murdered by this shape-shifting evil, snatched into a storm drain. It’s this act which forces his brother Bill (Jaeden Lieberher) and his six friends, the self-dubbed Losers Club, to make a pact. They must kill It. No matter the cost.
What it got right: This is the perfect amalgam of King’s specialties: a deep love of slow, solid world-building, a band of childhood friends with fierce loyalty in their hearts, and of course, a terrifying monster that is beyond anything you could cook up. The It movie nails what makes Pennywise so scary, never letting him linger too long in japery and keeping him evil to the core.
4. Misery (1990)
The movie: Considering King cranks out a lot of books featuring authors as the main character, it’s quite a feat that he barely retreads the same terrain. Take Misery, for example: a tense, nerves-shot-to-hell horror that puts the writer in a very unfortunate position. After a horrific car crash, author Paul Sheldon (James Caan) is rescued by his biggest fan, Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates). Convalescing at her home, Sheldon soon realises that fans aren't always the nicest of people and would quite like to completely take over his life.
What it got right: Hiring Kathy Bates, for a start. As the hobblesome fanatic, she's terrifyingly believable not least when lurching from crazy-happy to plain crazy-crazy. It's a testament to director Rob Reiner that the single-location ploy doesn't get stale, too, in fact, it aids the tense, claustrophobia Paul experiences when trying to escape Annie’s clutches.
3. Stand By Me (1986)
The movie: King’s Different Seasons collection, featuring four novellas, has proven fertile ground for adaptations. The final tale, entitled The Body, serves as the inspiration for this Rob Reiner-directed drama, which stars River Phoenix, Wil Wheaton, Jerry O’Connell, and Corey Feldman as four best friends in ‘50s Oregon who journey into the wilderness in search of a dead body. But it isn’t about the fabled body of a boy a little older than themselves – this is about their journey together down the railroad tracks, telling tall tales and getting in trouble. Stand By Me is the quintessential coming-of-age story.
What it got right: King's always excelled at two things. First, eking out an element of truth in even the most fantastical premise, and second, writing kids. With Stand By Me, he hit the motherlode, crafting a quartet of believable nerds and letting them tell the story at their own pace. Marvellous.
2. The Shining (1980)
The movie: A writer-turned-teacher Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson), is struggling with alcoholism, so opts to relocate his family to an isolated hotel in the mountains for the winter. The plan? He’ll take on the role of caretaker for the season, work on his novel, and his family can relax. Soon after their arrival, his son Danny (Danny Lloyd) discovers his gift, his wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall) discovers her husband’s changing, and Jack? Well, Jack’s making friends with the staff...
What it got right: According to Stephen King, Stanely Kubrick got nothing right when adapting the terrifying tale. Yet the director's immaculate chiller has so many well placed scares and unforgettable images that we have to respectfully disagree. This is a masterclass in dismantling a story, and rebuilding it with chosen fragments, intentionally so as to craft a mood of utter terror. And sure, while it strays from the story on the page, it matches the fear beat-for-beat.
1. Carrie (1976)
The movie: The age-old story of ‘woman as monster’. Unlike its title character, Carrie does not shy from its own truth. Brian De Palma’s adaptation, while taking liberties here and there, sinks its teeth into the crux of the novel: just how horrible can teenage girls truly be? The answer arrives, slowly, drip-by-bloody-drip, through the story of Carrie White (Sissy Spacek), an outcast in high school. Her own suspicions that she has telekinetic powers coincide with her first period and an impromptu invite to the prom.
What it got right: De Palma's film is a love letter to cinema. With its meticulously planned camerawork, its long takes, its crash zooms and its careful-careful tension-cranking, Carrie is a wonder to behold. You’ll be holding your breath throughout the entire last act. Sissy Spacek's far from bad, too, making you feel buckets of empathy for poor Carrie, while at the same time being utterly terrified of her power.
