Everyone knows who Stephen King is. Officially, he’s one of the best-selling authors in the world. With over 300 million book sales and more than 70 books written, the master of horror is a living legend. He terrified you with Pennywise the clown in his novel It, or you were moved to tears by the movie adaptation of his novella, in the movie “Stand by me”, directed by Rob Reiner. The truth is, in the hands of visionary screenwriters and directors, any novel or short story by the King can turn into a box office blockbuster. Let’s take a look at the 10 best Stephen King movie adaptations that have been made so far:
10. Secret Window
Adapted from his novella “Secret Window, Secret Garden” the movie is about Mort Rainey, a mystery writer with a writer’s block that one day receives a visit from a creepy old guy that accuses him of plagiarism. As the movie unfolds, we start to question the identity of this creepy guy and the mental health of the main character. Johnny Depp delivers a strong performance as always.
9. Apt Pupil
This is a story of how a teenager’s mind can get corrupted and drawn into the atrocities of the Holocaust. Adapted from the eponymous King novella, this one is a lesser known film but an instant favorite amongst psychological horror fans. The chemistry between the two main characters is jus mesmerizing.
8. Stand By Me
One of the most loved coming of age story, based on King’s novella The Body, the movie tells the story of four boys who go on a trip across the countryside to find the missing body of a dead kid. What follows is a deeply realistic portrayal of the pains of being young and pure and the pains that come with the inevitable loss of innocence.
7. Carrie
Brian de Palma’s true cult classic, from Stephen King’s first published novels, is a story about being different and mistreated by other because of that. It’s a bloody revenge story about a girl with telekinetic powers that will make everyone that ever made fun of her feel very, very sorry.
6. The Mist
This one is a true example of a modern sci-fi movie. Great cast, realistic CGI, a dreadful atmosphere and a devastating ending. It’s actually a monster movie with a twist. And what a twist that is. It makes you wonder who the real monsters are, us humans or those slimy, giant creatures.
5. Dolores Claiborne
One of our personal favorite Stephen King movie adaptations, starring a great Kathy Bates and a moody Jennifer Jason Leigh, this tells the intricate story of a mother and her daughter in the aftermath of traumatic experiences shared together. It’s dark and it’s suspenseful.
4. Misery
Kathy Bates, we meet again. For this role she won an Academy Award for best actress in 1990. And she deserved every piece of it. We’re quite certain no other actress could have pulled this one as disturbing as Kathy Bates has. Imagine being stuck in an isolated house (paralyzed from the waist down) with a psychotic, very violent fan that will do anything to keep you with her. Oh, the bed scene!
3. The Shining
From one of the best directors of all time, Stanley Kubrick managed to adapt King’s difficult novel into an even more difficult film. Jack Nicholson stars as a recovering alcoholic who starts losing his mind in the haunted Overlook hotel. It’s a horror cult classic and also exam subject in many film schools. Stephen King didn’t like the adaptations, but we just simply love it.
2. The Green Mile
It seems that Frank Darabont really knows how to make the best of a King novel. Even though more than 3 hours long, the amazing cast and the magic realist story have made this stand out as a cinematic masterpiece.
1. Shawshank Redemption Best Stephen King Movie Adaptations
The number 1 highest rated movie on IMDB, with 7 Academy Awards nominations and numerous awards, Shawshank Redemption is one of the best stories about hope ever put on screen. Based on King’s novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, it is the story of an innocent man sent to life imprisonment for a murder he didn’t commit, the horrors he endures and how he manages to survive it all. It’s a cinematic experience like no other. It truly is the best Stephen King movie adaptation ever made. The critics loved it, the people loved it, we loved it.
