17 Stephen King movies you need to see

From The Shining to The Mist...
Total Film
2022-08-25T11:04:47Z
17 movies to watch if you're a fan of Stephen King, For some forty years, Stephen King’s unique brand of terror has caused sleepless nights the world over – and not just on the page. The cinematic rights to the author's novels have been snapped up left and right by hungry studios, eager to turn...
Silver Bullet (1985), The movie: Hands up – who knew King wrote a werewolf novel? Anybody? Silver Bullet turns the author's scrappy Cycle of the Werewolf novella into a campy good time. This Maine-set tale follows Marty (Corey Haim), a young lad in the town of Harker’s Mill, who rallies together...
Children of the Corn (1984), The movie: On their way to Seattle to start their new life, young couple Vicky and Burt (Linda Hamilton and Peter Horton) make an ill-fated stop in a small Nebraskan town. With its empty storefronts and run-down homes, Gaitlin appears to be abandoned, and there’s a...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 hom