Top 10 Stephen King Adaptations

Stephen King is one of the most prolific novelists of the last 50 years, and out of his dozens of books have sprung almost as many TV, film, and comic book adaptations. There’s a wide range of adaptations, ranging from traditional horror to straightforward dramas to some pretty trippy cinematic interpretations of King’s ultra-violent visions. A number of visionary directors have taken on the job of adapting King’s books and short stories over the years, including The Walking Dead‘s Frank Darabont, 2001: A Space Odyssey‘s Stanley Kubrick, and more. 

With King’s birthday this week, and spooky season on the horizon, we dug through some archives to find some of our favorite Stephen King adaptations. This list, which considers our own opinions, those from the fans who rated his movies on our site, and the IMDb ratings, still barely scatches the surface of the hits that have been made based on King’s work. When you sit down and look at it all, it’s remarkable exactly how much King’s work has reshaped horror since the release of Carrie.

You can see our personal list of the ten best King adaptations below.

The Green Mile

Another Darabont joint, and another example of King stepping out of the horror space but still managing to connect with his audience, The Green Mile is one of the most-awarded films based on King’s work, and a true standout in more ways than one.

The Mist

Another Frank Darabont joint, The Mist is a smart and tense movie with some great performances, including one by future The Walking Dead standout Jeffrey DeMunn.

Pet Sematary

As a book, Pet Sematary was one of King’s biggest blockbusters at the time, and the movie was no different. Hugely anticipated, the movie was a box office hit and went on to be a phenomenon on the VHS market, spawning a (not very good) sequel. Eventually, the movie was remade again, and now there’s even a prequel series coming.

Creepshow

A tribute to the oddball sensibilities of ’80s horror, Creepshow was a hugely compelling project that teamed King with director George A. Romero (Night of the Living Dead) for a rare horror anthology movie. It was popular enough that there were a few more tries at anthologies in its wake, and in the years since, it’s been brought back as a TV series for Shudder.

Misery

Along with Carrie and The Shining, this movie was the “good” King adaptation in the eyes of film critics for years. A cultural touchstone with powerhouse performances by Kathy Bates and James Caan, Misery has been homaged and parodied more than almost anything else on this list.

Carrie

Maybe Stephen King’s most often adapted work, Carrie is a powerful story that was done more or less perfectly the first time, with diminishing returns since.

Stand By Me

Stand By Me, based on King’s short story The Body, is the first time King had a huge hit outside of the horror genre, and put up a big sign for Hollywood that there was more depth to King than necessarily meets the eye.

It (Part One)

By the time he got around to making the second half, director Andy Muschietti delivered a movie that was good, but not great. Still, that doesn’t change the absolute phenomenon that Stephen King’s IT was when Muschietti delivered the first installment.

It also introduced audiences to Sophia Lillis, who has gone on to impress in projects like Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.

The Shining

The Shining might be a controversial choice, especially since King himself doesn’t like it. But while the movie is not a particularly close adaptation of the novel, it’s also a brilliant film on a technical level, with great performances and iconography that shaped popular culture.

(Bonus points for getting name-dropped in the Barbie movie!)

The Shawshank Redemption

The Shawshank Redemption is widely regarded as one of the best films of the last 30 years. The movie, based loosely on a short story by King, centers on a wrongfully-convicted man who spends much of his life in prison.