Tubi is one of the best streaming services out there, providing free access to thousands of TV shows and movies. What viewers may not know is that Fox’s free streaming service is a treasure trove for Stephen King fans. The famed horror author has established himself as the King of Horror through genre-defining and genre-spanning novels released over the course of more than 50 years, beginning with 1974’s Carrie, and many of his books have since been adapted for the screen, most recently in Neon’s The Monkey from director Osgood Perkins and Francis Lawrence’s upcoming The Long Walk.
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Some of King’s TV and film adaptations have found streaming homes on platforms including Hulu, Netflix and HBO Max, while a handful of others are available to stream for free (with ads) on Tubi. From one of the most classic horror films to a more obscure adaptation that should be a must-watch for any of King’s fans, these are seven perfect movies for fans of the author to watch on Tubi.
7) A Good Marriage
One of the newest and more obscure installments in King’s film library, A Good Marriage pulls from his novella of the same name about a union that is anything but. Directed by Stephen Askin, the movie stars Joan Allen as Darcy Anderson, a woman who discovers that her husband is hiding a chilling and deadly secret when she discovers a trove of evidence in their garage linking him to the serial killer known as “Beadie.” A Good Marriage was mostly received poorly by critics, but it did earn some praise for its haunting and compelling storyline and its exploration of a marriage on the brink.
6) Sometimes They Come Back
Sometimes They Come Back is not the most well-known adaptation, nor did it ever release on the big screen, but this 1991 horror film is a solid offering in King’s horror catalog. Directed by Tom McLoughlin from a screenplay written by Lawrence Konner, the movie is based on the 1974 short story of the same name and centers around a high school teacher who returns to his hometown only to find himself tormented by the spirits of those connected to a tragedy from his childhood. The movie, released as a TV movie on CBS after getting its start as a segment of Lewis Teague’s Cat’s Eye anthology, features solid performances from a cast that includes Tim Matheson, Brooke Adams, and Chris Demetral, as well as a strong script and creepy atmosphere.
5) Maximum Overdrive
Sitting in the bottom half of King’s movies on Rotten Tomatoes with a 14% critics’ score, Maximum Overdrive is not the best adaptation of King’s works, but it’s certainly memorable. Based on the author’s short story “Trucks” from his Night Shift anthology, the movie feeds off the fear of technology as it spins a tale of sentient objects brought to life with homicidal notions when a comet passes by Earth. The film, which has become something of a cult classic, marked the first and only time King has stepped behind the camera to direct.
4) Apt Pupil
Apt Pupil may not be as well-known as the two other adaptations from King’s 1982 novella collection Different Seasons, 1986’s Stand By Me and 1994’s The Shawshank Redemption, but this 1988 thriller helmed by Bryan Singer is respectable in its own right. The movie features compelling performances from Brad Renfro and Ian McKellen, who star as a high school student and his neighbor who develop an unhealthy relationship after Renfro’s Todd Bowden discovers his neighbor is actually a former Nazi death-camp officer.
3) Creepshow 2
Five years after Creepshow established itself as one of the best horror anthology movies, director Michael Gornick’s 1987 sequel, Creepshow 2, proved to be another solid entry into the genre. Written by George A. Romero and based on a selection of King’s works, the film features three segments, including “The Raft,” which had a lasting impact on audiences due to its use of suspense and creature effects and remains one of the best entries in the franchise.
2) Children of the Corn
One of the most iconic horror films from the ‘80s, Children of the Corn, is streaming on Tubi for free. An adaptation of the author’s 1977 short story of the same name directed by Fritz Kiersch, the movie centers around a murderous cult of children in the Midwest who, following an entity referred to as “He Who Walks Behind the Rows,” ritually murder all the town’s adults. Children of the Corn isn’t the best in the long roster of King adaptations, and it’s certified rotten on Rotten Tomatoes, but the film had a significant impact on pop culture and the horror genre and even spawned a film franchise that now includes a total of 11 films.
1) Stand By Me
Directed by Rob Reiner and featuring a cast of young stars including Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, and Jerry O’Connell, the nostalgia-packed 1986 coming-of-age classic Stand By Me is not only one of the best adaptations of King’s works, but also one of the best movies of the ’80s. Based on King’s 1982 novella The Body, the film explores themes of companionship and the loss of innocence as it follows a group of young boys on the verge of teenagehood as they embark on a journey to find a missing dead body. The movie is one of King’s highest-rated films on Rotten Tomatoes, and even King himself has dubbed it the best adaptation of his work.
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Image courtesy of Netflix
