Every Sci-Fi Movie Based On Books By Stephen King, Ranked

Stephen King is best known as the master of horror, having made a name for himself with his first three books all becoming certified hits of the genre, including Carrie, Salem’s Lot, and The Shining. In the time since his first book was published, he’s released over 60 different novels and though most of them are found in the scariest section of the bookstore, he has managed to work his way out and touch on other genres a well. Eyes of the Dragon and The Dark Tower are fantasy epics from King, while the likes of Billy Summers and Mr. Mercedes are crime thrillers.

Though science fiction may not really be the genre that fans most associate with King, it’s one that he’s dabbled in from time to time. King may have only a few titles that fit this label under his belt, but what’s most impressive about it is that almost all of the ones he’s written have been adapted in some form, be it feature films for the big screen or television miniseries. Below are the ten sci-fi movies that have adapted King, all ranked, and the gulf between its best titles and its worst is a deep one.

10) Lawnmower Man

The Stephen King adaptation so bad that the author himself famously sued to have his name removed from the marketing materials, The Lawnmower Man is an exercise on the audience’s patience, and one with special effects so poor that they not only fail to stand up to time but are expelled entirely. A mentally disabled man is given drugs to enhance his mental capacity, culminating in his desire to be born into a fully digital being. It’s a film that failed at being noteworthy at the time and has now fallen into the category of infamy.

9) Cell

The 2016 adaptation of King’s 2006 novel, in which cellphones cause everyone to turn into rampaging, zombie-like monsters, is a disaster from start to finish. Cell was conceived as a reunion of John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson, hoping that lightning would strike twice after their 2007 hit King adaptation, 1408. The lightning did strike, but it fell on a pile of dry brush and ignited a fire. Cusack and Jackson sleepwalk their way through the film, whose script reveals all the flaws of the text itself, which is as puddle-deep as the Black Mirror meme, “what if phone, but too much.”

8) Firestarter (2022)

This 2022 revival doesn’t fail because of its lead, as young star Ryan Kiera Armstrong does her best with what she’s given. The trouble, of course, is that the material she’s given fails to make itself noteworthy on any real level, coming across as a remake for the sake of doing it and not because there’s anything new to say.

Bland production design, and with no real direction for adapting the story itself (once again about a young pyrokinetic girl and the government office hunting her), this new take on Firestarter is a failure as both a sci-fi movie and a King adaptation. Firestarter only lands this high because the previous two movies on the list are appalling, while this reboot is simply dull.

7) Dreamcatacher

The strength of Dreamcatcher (what little it can claim) is that it does boast an ensemble cast that is never that boring to watch, even if the content itself is not especially noteworthy. Following a group of young men with a telepathic connection who are forced to quell an alien invasion, it has all the makings of a wild sci-fi tale, but in practice, it’s sluggish (pun intended).

One good quality that can be afforded to Dreamcatcher is that the larger plot of the extraterrestrial encounter is one that at least takes new forms in the genre, literally. In that regard, the film never quite does what you’re expecting, for better and worse. It may be surprising for King aficionados to see Dreamcatcher this high, but look what precedes it, the bar to clear for “good Stephen King sci-fi adaptation” is LOW.

6) Firestarter (1984)

The strength of the original Firestarter is threefold: the effects are quite remarkable (with no CGI to be found, thanks to the era), the score by Tangerine Dream is top-notch, and the performances by stars Drew Barrymore and George C. Scott are transfixing. The trouble, of course, is that Firestarter itself is not among King’s best stories, with a sci-fi premise that he successfully explored better in the horror hit Carrie than in this genre itself. When all is said and done, Firestarter may not be memorable, but it at least tries.

5) The Running Man (1987)

The original version of The Running Man largely pushed away King’s satirical sci-fi in favor of a more bombastic summer blockbuster, but it’s still an entertaining one that takes a dystopian view of the world. After refusing the shoot unarmed civilians, Ben Richards is thrown onto the deadliest game show in America, where he must survive while being hunted for sport.

On the whole, the movie is not “Good,” but it has two major things working for it that few other movies can claim. The first is its wild collection of antagonists that are thrown at Arnold Schwarzenegger, who utilizes his star power perfectly here, and the second is the performance by Richard Dawson as the sleazy presenter of “The Running Man.” The former Family Feud host subverts expectations in the role he was born to play, giving the movie its real superpower: tricking the audience.

4) The Running Man (2025)

Edgar Wright’s version of The Running Man is just a hair better than the original film. Part of this is due to the script itself being one of the most accurate adaptations of King’s works in terms of its story beats, which means that it really gets to explore some of the sci-fi qualities of the story much better while putting a distinctly modern spin on some of them. The second thing that gives it an edge is Wright’s signature action style, which is a more kinetic and visually interesting take on the material than what came before it.

The only downside to this version of The Running Man is its ending, which is the only place it really skews away from King’s original work. Though the film’s finale may be more palatable to modern audiences, the movie itself is still building toward the book’s conclusion, making the sudden pivot stand out even more.

3) Maximum Overdrive

The only film that Stephen King ever directed has taken many decades to be recognized for the campy classic that it was always intended to be. In the film, like the “Trucks” short story, a rogue comet passes over Earth and brings all technology to life, with ATMs and vending machines attacking people, giving way to all the cars on the road slowly taking their vengeance on every human they can find.

King’s film gets to the heart of his story in a way that the text on a page never can: cars coming to life and attacking people is inherently silly. Maximum Overdrive embraces its silly tone and offers impressive visual effects that still mostly hold up.

2) The Long Walk

Though there’s nothing in the larger content of The Long Walk that might make it seem like science fiction to the same degree as other entries here, the film’s dystopian setting is a classic trope of the genre, so it deserves inclusion. Moreso than that, the film, considered something of an unadaptable novel, manages to push through the barriers of the text it’s based on and create a wholly unique film experience.

Though Francis Lawrence’s direction is what keeps the audience interested, the performances of The Long Walk are what define it and make it a classic. Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson are the heart and soul of the film, delivering work that contributes to their already impressive resumes, while Mark Hamill adds another unique entry to his storied career, playing the terrifying Major. The Long Walk is home to acting that makes it worthy of standing alongside other King mainstays like Stand By Me.

1) The Mist

Frank Darabont’s third (and so far final) Stephen King adaptation may not be his most critically lauded, but The Mist is far and away the best science fiction movie to carry the name of the author. Telling the story of a mysterious…mist that rolls into town and brings a slew of otherworldly monsters with it, The Mist is a terrifying experience. King’s novel and Darabont’s film examine the question of monstrosity in a world gone mad in subtle and thrilling ways, outdoing any other “who are the real monsters” type movies with finesse.

There are three things that a filmmaker needs to work with a movie of this calibre: a relevant story that wastes no time, scary monsters unseen on the big screen before, and actors that make it all believable. The success of The Mist lives and dies by its ensemble, which is anchored by Thomas Jane and Marcia Gay Harden in their most memorable roles. The Mist has aged like fine wine, and is among the best King adaptations of the 21st century.

This Overlooked Mike Flanagan Horror Tried To Fix 1 of the Biggest Stephen King Problems (& It Deserved Better)