Ever since Carrie in 1976, adaptations of Stephen King’s expansive bibliography have been consistently finding their way to audiences. But the simple truth is, just because King wrote something doesn’t mean it’s going to work as a movie. So which ones rank low and which ones rank high? That’s what we’re going to figure out today. Whether they went to theaters or debuted on television, every single movie that was based on a King work was included. However, no miniseries. That means no It from 1990. It may feel like a three-hour movie, but it’s a miniseries. On the inverse side of things, short films didn’t count, so nothing like Disciples of the Crow (the first adaptation of “Children of the Corn”). Then there’s The Lawnmower Man, which is so far removed from the short story that it can’t even be considered an adaptation (King even sued to get his name removed from the film’s marketing materials).
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Lastly, no derivative films like A Return to Salem’s Lot, Pet Sematary Two, or any of the seemingly innumerable Children of the Corn sequels. Now, let’s go through every last movie that is either a King adaptation or featured King as a screenwriter.
63) Cell
Those behind Cell must have thought the reason 1408 worked was solely because John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson were in it. But they actually have to be given a meaty script to work with, and Cell doesn’t have it. Furthermore, none of the film’s post-apocalyptic intended vibe actually plays, and it’s an almost impressively bland-looking movie. Laughable throughout.
Stream Cell on Prime Video.
62) The Mangler
Tobe Hooper’s final seven movies are all pretty rough, and that includes The Mangler, his adaptation of the short story by the same name found in Night Shift. There are some King stories that just aren’t going to work as movies, and a narrative about a possessed laundry press is one of them, even if Robert Englund and The Silence of the Lambs‘ Ted Levine are giving it their best shot.
61) Firestarter (2022)
Firestarter seems to exist solely because King adaptations started experiencing a resurgence courtesy of It, so just about every major or semi-major movie found itself getting a modern retelling. As a book, Firestarter is definitely more semi-major than major. Not even the original movie is all that great. But the remake is worse, and while it was wrong of the Razzies to nominate 12-year-old Ryan Kiera Armstrong, the fact remains that this is overall just a movie that doesn’t need to exist.
Stream Firestarter (2022) on Netflix.
60) Trucks
The 1997 television film Trucks was based on the short story by the same name, which can be found in Night Shift. This story was also the inspiration for the one movie King ever (infamously) helmed: Maximum Overdrive. The difference is, Maximum Overdrive was so out there, so blatantly brought to life by copious cocaine usage, that it 100% works as a so bad it’s good movie. Trucks is just the entirely forgettable, needlessly bloody version of Maximum Overdrive. You will forget it as soon as the credits roll, if you get that far.
Stream Trucks for free with ads on Tubi.
59) Dreamcatcher
It may have one of the best casts of an aughts King movie, it may have some money behind it, and it may come from Body Heat and The Big Chill‘s Lawrence Kasdan, but Dreamcatcher is a mess. Like the novel, it starts off well, but it gets far too ridiculous in act two and by act three the viewer has checked out. As both a novel and a film, Dreamcatcher is just a far inferior version of It. Jason Lee and Timothy Olyphant are wasted, Damian Lewis is forced to ham it up, and Morgan Freeman looks like he knows exactly how bad this movie is. But, hey, at least it established Tom Jane as one of those stars who excels in King adaptations. Fortunately, The Mist and 1922 are much better than this Duddits.
Stream Dreamcatcher for free with as on The Roku Channel.
58) Children of the Corn (2020)
It says a lot that the third version of “Children of the Corn” premiered in 2020 and was held until it got a slim theatrical release in 2023. It’s also not all that like King’s source material, instead serving as a prequel of sorts that nonetheless doesn’t stand apart enough to be remotely interesting.
Stream Children of the Corn (2020) on Hulu.
57) Children of the Corn (2009)
In the pantheon of remakes, Children of the Corn (2009) is a poster child for pointlessness. The original isn’t a particularly great film, which makes a remake that is less effective in every way a pretty unbearable slog. But at least it tells the interesting story it wrote, so it’s .01% better than the 2020 version.
56) Carrie (2002)
Even though it was written by Bryan Fuller and has two solid lead performances by Angela Bettis and Patricia Clarkson, the 2002 TV movie version of Carrie simply doesn’t work. The special effects are weak, its overlong, and outside the very end it tells the exact same story a better film does. It’s just a backdoor pilot for a TV show that would never come to fruition.
Stream Carrie (2002) on fuboTV.
55) The Dark Tower
King’s Dark Tower novels are expansive and ambitious. The 2017 movie feels like a wholly cliched actioner that could have come from anyone. The Dark Tower should be a TV series, not a 90-minute movie.
Stream The Dark Tower for free with ads on Prime Video.
54) Needful Things
There’s a good time to be had watching a small town tear itself apart, but the movie version of Needful Things turns that into a total slog. Even though Max von Sydow is suitably creepy, this is a movie that had a seriously difficult time settling on a tone. It oscillates between cheese and self-seriousness to an extent that makes you check out.
53) Riding the Bullet
Riding the Bullet is a movie that is consistently tripping over its own potential for momentum. Mick Garris has had some success adapting King, but this is one that doesn’t successfully convey any of the messages it’s attempting to relay to the audience. At least David Arquette is having fun in it, though.
Stream Riding the Bullet for free on Plex.
52) Quicksilver Highway
Another Garris King joint, Quicksilver Highway is an almost entirely forgotten anthology film (if you can consider a movie with two separate stories a true anthology film) that squanders two solid stories by the two major masters of horror: King and Clive Barker. It plays like the extended pilot of a Tales from the Crypt-type show that never got picked up.
51) Mercy
Based on “Gramma,” seen in Skeleton Crew, Mercy may actually be the most forgotten King adaptation in existence. But it’s easy to see why because, even with an excellent cast (Frances O’Connor, Shirley Knight, The Walking Dead‘s Chandler Riggs, and Dylan McDermott) and the fact it comes from Blumhouse, there’s really nothing here that hasn’t been in other, better supernatural horrors. Thankfully, it’s only 79 minutes, so its yawn-inducing effect is short-lived.
50) The Dark Half
When it comes to King novels (and adapted films) that fall apart after an engrossing beginning, The Dark Half is nearly as bad an offender as It. If you turned it off at the halfway point, you’d be doing yourself a favor. Easily the lesser of George A. Romero’s two King-based works.
Stream The Dark Half on fuboTV.
49) The Night Flier
To The Night Flier‘s credit, it does establish a creepy ambiance and sticks to it. There’s value in that. There’s also value in casting the late Miguel Ferrer in the role of an ambitious individual who plays fast and loose with ethics (see RoboCop for further proof). But the vast majority of this mostly forgotten HBO movie is very slow. Just read the short story in Nightmares & Dreamscapes instead.
48) Hearts in Atlantis
Hearts in Atlantis is less drama and more melodrama. Anthony Hopkins and Anton Yelchin are as terrific as one might imagine, but there are better drama-focused King adaptations out there. This is more of a Saturday afternoon movie you have on in the background while working in the kitchen.
Stream Hearts in Atlantis on Prime Video.
47) A Good Marriage
A Good Marriage follows a woman who finds out her husband was once a serial killer. That sounds more interesting than the movie makes it, because not enough major, intriguing events occur to justify a 102-minute runtime. However, Joan Allen keeps you somewhat hooked throughout.
Stream A Good Marriage for free with ads on The Roku Channel.
46) Desperation
In spite of the presence of stalwart King adapter Mick Garris, a screenplay by King himself, and a standout cast, Desperation is nonetheless a slight film. Ron Perlman is fantastic as the possessed sheriff Collie Entragian, but none of the other characters manage to make much of a dent in the viewer’s memory. It also, like many King projects, has a stronger opening half than closing half.
45) Thinner
Thinner may be the most unpleasant King movie ever made. Like in the book, the lawyer protagonist is insufferable. We don’t even really mind that a curse has been placed on him. However, it’s one of the few instances where a King (well, Bachman, in this case) book ends on a note that is better than everything that came before.
Stream Thinner on MGM+.
44) Maximum Overdrive
We are now in the so bad it’s good section of King movies. And, given that, what better place is there to start than the movie he himself has directed, Maximum Overdrive? An absurd movie that raises the question whether it’s even trying to be scary, Maximum Overdrive is nonetheless a lot of fun. It’s not a good movie by traditional metrics, but it does have a man being killed by a soda machine. There is a good time to be had here.
Stream Maximum Overdrive for free on Tubi.
43) Sleepwalkers
Only one movie has been written by King that wasn’t an adaptation of one of his previous works, and that’s Sleepwalkers. This is a werecat camp fest with a bunch of cameos from horror legends like Joe Dante and Clive Barker. In other words, for horror fans, they should give it a single watch and enjoy it for the wacky thing it is.
Stream Sleepwalkers for free with ads on Tubi.
42) Graveyard Shift
Graveyard Shift is a perfectly fine movie to catch on cable at midnight in your younger years. King himself called it a “quick exploitation picture,” which is totally accurate. But it does have a spooky vibe, a bat monster, a typically excellent (but woefully underutilized) Brad Dourif, and one of the more memorable jerk character performances by Stephen Macht. It also had a great poster, which brings to mind the 1981 My Bloody Valentine one sheet.
Stream Graveyard Shift for free on Hoopla.
41) Dolan’s Cadillac
One of King’s more narrow-scoped works, “Dolan’s Cadillac” is a fine thriller of a novella and one of the better segments of Nightmares & Dreamscapes. And, while it’s constrained by the typical limitations of every other direct to video movie, the 2009 movie isn’t half bad either. And it’s criminally underseen.
The narrative follows Tom Robinson (Wes Bentley), who alongside his wife witnesses a murder at the hands of gangster Jimmy Dolan (Christian Slater, always great in a slick-haired villain role). Dolan kills Tom’s wife, and Tom sets a trap for Dolan in which his armored car gets plummets into a hole. A hole which Tom is now filling all while a screaming Dolan begs him not to.
40) In the Tall Grass
It may be the worst of the four Netflix King movies, but points go to In the Tall Grass for ambition. However, that’s also the movie’s downfall to an extent. King and Joe Hill’s novella is about an hour read, but the movie is 101 minutes. That means a good bit was added to flesh out a well-functioning story into a feature length narrative, and the result is a convoluted time loop movie that nonetheless features an intimidating villainous performance by Patrick Wilson.
Stream In the Tall Grass on Netflix.
39) Big Driver
Big Driver is a Lifetime revenge thriller. With that alone you pretty much know what to expect, which is to say nothing revolutionary, but at least Maria Bello is giving it her all. Joan Jett also has a role, and very few movies can say that.
Stream Big Driver on Prime Video.
38) The Boogeyman
With a nice mixture of red and black in its color tone, The Boogeyman is an easy movie to look at. But there isn’t much meat on its bones and never plays as though it’s bringing anything new to the table of 2020s horror.
37) Carrie (2013)
A needless, overly glossy remake and Julianne Moore is no Piper Laurie (in this particular case, anyway). But Portia Doubleday is wonderful as Chris Hargensen and, overall, it does a decent enough job of capturing the novel’s tragic core.
Stream Carrie (2013) on fuboTV.
36) Mr. Harrigan’s Phone
While it was marketed as a horror film, Mr. Harrigan’s Phone is really a drama about grief with a bit of a mystery at its core. It’s not quite the type of movie that sticks with you, but it’s a pleasant experience bolstered by some admirable work from Jaeden Martell and the late Donald Sutherland.
Stream Mr. Harrigan’s Phone on Netflix.
35) Sometimes They Come Back
A surprisingly solid TV movie, Sometimes They Come Back is a good old fashioned ghost revenge tale with a game lead performance from Tim Matheson. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it’s an enjoyable small town horror flick.
Stream Sometimes They Come Back for free with ads on Tubi.
34) Firestarter (1984)
Firestarter basically places this high because of the score by Tangerine Dream and the impressive work by Drew Barrymore in a difficult role. Otherwise, this is one of the lesser early King adaptations.
33) Children of the Corn (1984)
It carries a suitably desolate tone, and John Franklin and Courtney Gains are great as, respectfully, Isaac and Malachai, but this is another weak early King adaptation. How it led to 147 sequels is a mystery.
Stream Children of the Corn (1984) for free with ads on Tubi.
32) It Chapter Two
If there’s any King book that is known for having a letdown of an ending, it’s It, and not even Andy Muschietti could save it. It Chapter Two was never going to live up to It, and it indeed does fall quite short, with Pennywise having lost the majority of his fear factor (that tends to happen when he’s terrorizing adults, not children), but at least Jessica Chastain and Bill Hader elevate it.
Stream It Chapter Two on HBO Max.
31) Secret Window
If there’s a predictable King movie, it’s Secret Window. But as a chiller to have on in the background it’s perfectly suitable diversionary fare. John Turturro is clearly having fun, and that’s infectious.
30) The Green Mile
This is probably the most controversial placement on this list, but as a whole The Green Mile is kind of a letdown. It’s saccharine throughout but is at least partially saved by Michael Clarke Duncan’s iconic performance. Just watch The Shawshank Redemption, instead.
Stream The Green Mile on Netflix.
29) Pet Sematary (2019)
Pet Sematary is another needless remake, but it’s overall a more competently made than Carrie six years prior. Some have complained about the changes it makes to the source material, but for a movie that didn’t need to exist this one makes the case that those behind it were at least trying to be fresh.
Stream Pet Sematary (2019) on Paramount+.
28) Cat’s Eye
The four theatrical anthology films featuring at least one segment based on a King work are all around pretty solid. But Cat’s Eye is the least effective of the quartet. However, it says a lot that the only reason it takes that spot is because of the third segment, which is the only one not based on a King short story. The other two, “Quitters, Inc.” and “The Ledge” (both found in Night Shift), are quite enjoyable.
27) Creepshow 2
It’s not on par with the original, and it feels comparatively slight, but man is “The Raft” fantastic. It makes sense that is the only one of the film’s three segments based on a King work. The other two segments aren’t half bad, either. Creepshow 2 is underrated. Not perfect by any means but underrated.
Stream Creepshow 2 for free with ads on Tubi.
26) ‘Salem’s Lot (2024)
Hooper’s ‘Salem’s Lot may be the best ‘Salem’s Lot, but the direct-to-HBO Max version from 2024 really is quite a bit better than it’s given credit for. The main issue is that it should be longer, but at least it does come close enough to capturing the spirit of the novel, it has a memorable blue visual tone, brings back the look of Kurt Barlow from Hooper’s miniseries classic, and served as a showcase for Lewis Pullman as a leading man.
Stream ‘Salem’s Lot (2024) on HBO Max.
25) The Monkey
If you like dark comedies, The Monkey is for you. If you want to see someone’s head get impaled on a mailbox, same thing. If you want a straightforward horror film, look elsewhere.
Stream The Monkey on Hulu.
24) Apt Pupil
An intriguing thriller that tackles some serious issues, Apt Pupil is an admirable capturing of one of King’s more against-type novellas. It excels thanks to the lead performances by Brad Renfro and Ian McKellen.
Stream Apt Pupil on Prime Video.
23) The Running Man (1987)
If you want to see a goofy gladiator match that is almost nothing like the King (or Bachman) novel, check out the 1987 cult classic with Arnold Schwarzenegger. If you want to see an adaptation that sticks to the source material, see the next entry on our list.
Stream The Running Man on fuboTV.
22) The Running Man (2025)
A fine display of Glen Powell’s leading man charms, The Running Man (2025) is a relatively breezy on-the-run movie. It also sticks to the text, up until the ending (this is one of the few times where the novel ended way better than the adaptation).
21) Pet Sematary (1989)
Cheesy to the max (it has the best screaming of “No!” in film history), Pet Sematary is a delightful midnight movie. Not high art by any means, but enjoyable, nonetheless. Not to mention, Fred Gwynne and Miko Hughes couldn’t have been better in their roles, and their performances stand as iconic to this day.
Stream Pet Sematary (1989) on MGM+.
20) 1922
The best Tom Jane King movie and the second-best Netflix King movie, 1922 is a haunting period piece. This is slow-burn 2010s horror at its finest. And it’s all held together by Jane, who delivers the best performance of his career.
Stream 1922 on Netflix.
19) Silver Bullet
One of the more underrated King movies, Silver Bullet is a charming coming of age ’80s movie with a wonderful supporting performance by Gary Busey. The werewolf may look silly, but we barely see it. Instead, we mostly get Everett McGill, who was always great for a villain role
Stream Silver Bullet for free on Hoopla.
18) Cujo
Cujo ranks this high because its third act is so intense, so claustrophobic, and so well acted. All of the marriage-related stuff…well, that’s what fast-forward buttons are for.
Stream Cujo on fuboTV.
17) The Long Walk
Once thought unfilmable, The Long Walk is nonetheless done great justice by Francis Lawrence. This is a timely dystopian movie, and a well-acted one at that (Mark Hamill, in particular, is excellent).
16) 1408
A tightly crafted single locale supernatural thriller, 1408 is the antithesis of Cell. In other words, it’s a success. King really does have a way with haunted hotel rooms.
Stream 1408 on Starz.
15) Dolores Claiborne
It’s not the better of the two Kathy Bates King movies, but Dolores Claiborne is nonetheless a solid, heavy drama with a melancholic overtone and a wonderfully loathsome performance by the great David Strathairn. Like the book, Dolores Claiborne very much feels like it came from King’s heart.
14) The Mist
Atmospheric and well-acted, The Mist was another well-respected Darabont King adaptation. But what gets it this high up the list is its ending, which is amazingly devastating.
Stream The Mist on MovieSphere+.
13) Tales from the Darkside: The Movie
Tales from the Darkside: The Movie is the real Creepshow 3, and it remains an under loved ’90s horror minor classic. Only one of its three stories, The Cat from Hell, is based on a King work, and it’s executed with precision. And, while it’s not based on a King work, Lover’s Vow alone makes this one worth a rental.
12) It (2017)
It may be slightly reliant on CGI, but Muschietti’s It was a blockbuster for good reason. It captures the innocence of youth, Bill Skarsgård delivered an iconic turn as Pennywise, and the young cast is uniformly excellent.
Stream It on HBO Max.
11) The Life of Chuck
The Life of Chuck is almost certainly the most heartwarming, joyous King adaptation ever made. It’s the type of movie that makes you ponder life’s meaning and appreciate for the given gift it is. And, alongside The Long Walk, it serves as further proof that Mark Hamill is wonderful in King films.
10) Doctor Sleep
As both a book and a movie, Doctor Sleep really shouldn’t have worked. How do you follow up The Shining? As it turns out, the answer is by delivering something that is mostly different. Here’s hoping Flanagan’s movie develops the audience it didn’t attract while in theaters.
Stream Doctor Sleep on Netflix.
9) Christine
Christine may have been more of a money gig for John Carpenter than a passion project, but he still knocks it out of the park. But while his direction and score are great, the real highlight is Keith Gordon’s startling work as Arnie Cunningham.
Stream Christine on Netflix.
8) Creepshow
It says a lot that Creepshow has five stories and all of them are extremely entertaining. This is one of King’s better scripts, and it’s a wonderful way for him to wear his love for EC horror comics on his sleeve in a way both funny and frightening.
7) Gerald’s Game
The best of Flanagan’s three (thus far) King cinematic adaptations, Gerald’s Game is like The Long Walk in that it was a successful adaptation of source material once thought flat-out unadaptable. But Flanagan pulls off the novel’s claustrophobic aura, and he’s ably assisted by Carla Gugino, who gives the best performance of her career. Points are also due for it not shying away from diving into the same themes the book embraces. Namely, trauma and abuse.
Stream Gerald’s Game on Netflix.
6) Misery
Mick Garris, Frank Darabont, and Mike Flanagan are three directors who really seem to get how to adapt King, but they’re still vying for second after the late, great Rob Reiner. Reiner directed two King movies and both of them are absolutely top tier. And, while it’s phenomenal and Kathy Bates’ performance is the best one to ever grace a King movie (apologies, Mr. Nicholson), Misery still comes in second to Reiner’s other Master of Horror film.
What’s incredible about Misery is that this was Reiner’s first through and through thriller. He was almost exclusively known as a comedy director, given how four of his five previous movies were members of the genre. But with his first try he showed himself fully capable of delivering a work that consistently ratchets up tension until it’s practically unbearable. King’s book was already fantastic, but there’s an argument to be made the film is even better.
5) The Dead Zone
David Cronenberg is mostly known for body horror, but with The Dead Zone, he showed himself as someone who could also master narratives that tug on the heartstrings. The Dead Zone is one of King’s best books, and it really couldn’t have been adapted better than this, with Christopher Walken nailing Johnny Smith’s heartbreak and altruistic nature and Martin Sheen selling just how dangerous his power-mad, selfish, morally bankrupt potential future president is.
Stream The Dead Zone on fuboTV.
4) Stand by Me
We’ve already touched on the tragic murder of Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, so we’ll keep this one fairly brief. Just as he nailed upping tension in Misery, he nailed youth camaraderie in Stand by Me.
This is the greatest coming of age movie ever made, full stop. It makes you believe these four kids are real human beings, it makes you feel for them when they break down just as it makes you believe their curiosity is true.
Stream Stand by Me on Netflix.
3) The Shawshank Redemption
Unlike his The Green Mile, Frank Darabont’s The Shawshank Redemption has a plethora of emotional story beats that ring true. It also isn’t burdened with an excessive three-hour runtime.
The film’s core themes of hope and friendship carry weight, Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman have wonderful chemistry, and the supporting cast was all perfectly picked. This is the apex of Darabont’s King adaptations, and one of the most beloved movies of all time.
2) Carrie (1976)
The first one is one of the best ones. Brian De Palma doesn’t disappoint after helming smaller movies like Sisters and Hi, Mom! while Sissy Spacek delivered a performance that is both believable and devastating
Then there’s Piper Laurie, who is genuinely frightening as Margaret White. Not as frightening as the two Jesus eyes that flash at one point, but frightening. Spacek and Laurie’s Oscar noms were well-deserved.
Stream Carrie (1976) for free with ads on Tubi.
1) The Shining
Much has been written about The Shining, so it almost feels redundant to sing its praises. But, even if King himself has problems with it, this is the definitive adaptation of his work.
Stanley Kubrick makes the Overlook Hotel feel like an ominous entity. And while, yes, as King has said, Nicholson’s Jack Torrance is clearly a little off from moment one, he’s still amazing in his role. As are Shelley Duvall and Scatman Crothers in theirs.
Stream The Shining on The Criterion Channel.
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