Since he started writing, Stephen King has been one of Hollywood’s favorite authors to adapt. Because his writing is so accessible and cinematic, King stories have long made excellent vehicles for theatrical reinterpretations, although it’s fair to say that the movies we’ve gotten are a mixed bag.
In anticipation of The Long Walk, which is adapting a King story for the very first time, we’re taking a look back at five other great Stephen King movies that remind you just how far back King’s history with Hollywood goes.
Misery (1990)
Stephen King’s default mode is suspense, and Misery is one of the movies that best captures that specific quality. It’s also, notably, one of the more meta novels in King’s oeuvre. The film tells the story of a successful novelist who crashes his car in the middle of the woods and finds himself being cared for by an ultra-devoted fan who insists that he keep writing. Anchored by the best performance of Kathy Bates’s career, Misery is a terrifying movie where nothing all that supernatural actually happens. It’s just two people trying to understand and survive one another.
You can watch Misery on HBO Max.
Doctor Sleep (2019)
King was famously not that happy with how Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of The Shining turned out, but he was much more pleased with Doctor Sleep, the book’s decades-later sequel. The movie version stars Ewan McGregor as a grown-up version of Danny, the child from The Shining, as he’s forced to confront the traumas he’s buried in his past. McGregor is great at the center, but Doctor Sleep is powerful largely thanks to Rebecca Ferguson‘s turn as Rose the Hat, a sadistic, delightful villain who is hunting down a young girl that Danny crosses paths with.
You can watch Doctor Sleep on Amazon Prime Video
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Often cited as one of the best movies ever made, The Shawshank Redemption is also a reminder that King’s stories aren’t always terrifying or suspenseful. Adapted from his short story, this film follows two inmates at Shawshank Prison over the course of decades as they bond with one another, and one of them plots their eventual escape. A film about both hope and what it means to be institutionalized, The Shawshank Redemption has stood the test of time because it leaves you feeling good without ever making you feel like you’re being cheated or lied to.
You can watch The Shawshank Redemption on Philo TV.
The Dead Zone (1984)
A combination horror story and political thriller, The Dead Zone tells the story of a man who is cursed with the ability to see the future following a horrific accident. After initially using his ability to save a boy’s life, he comes across a politician and sees that his ascent to the top of American politics will lead to the end of the world. Understanding that his abilities have left him a hollow man, he becomes determined to save humanity, even if it costs him everything. The Dead Zone is riveting and unsettling, and a reminder of just how great Christopher Walken almost always is.
You can watch The Dead Zone on Pluto TV.
The Shining (1980)
King might not have been happy with it, but it’s hard to deny the sheer power of The Shining. It’s one of the great horror movies ever made, telling the story of a father who slowly goes mad after moving with his family to a secluded resort to care for it during the winter. The slow descent into madness that is this movie’s reason for existing is perfectly depicted by Jack Nicholson, but just as crucial is Kubrick’s total management of the movie’s mood and tone. Few other directors could have crafted something this compelling and creepy without eventually making something feel at least a little too silly.
You can watch The Shining on Amazon Prime Video.
