Best Stephen King Movies
Best book-to-movie adaptations by author Stephen King.
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The Shawshank Redemption
Can you believe they turned a short story into about a 3-hour movie? This story, whether it be the movie or original short story, was the work of a genius. Amazing story with a touch of how things work in the real world. Just amazing.
The greatest movie to ever grace the big screen. The Shawshank Redemption made me laugh, cry, and smile. The ending will always make me want to see more. This film is absolute masterclass. A work of art. Utter perfection.
This is by far my favorite movie of all time. The acting is amazing, and Morgan Freeman in the movie and narrating is exceptional. Brooks was here, and so was Red. After this, I would say number 2 is Misery and number 3 is It.
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The Green Mile
This film has a great director and great performances (Hanks, Rockwell, Clarke Duncan, and Hutchison in particular). It is stunningly close to the book, and the ending is so effective. Shawshank is the most popular of Darabont's adaptations, but I personally prefer this one.
This film holds up so well, and it's just a damn good movie. It's also pretty funny at times. Seriously, some of the lines are just hysterical.
Hooked from start to finish. I agree Shawshank is possibly one of the best movies ever, but this can't be far off. My kids never said a word all the way through, and I don't think they moved either. I made them watch both The Green Mile and Shawshank, not because they wanted to, but because I thought it should be compulsory.
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The Shining
The Shining secures a spot as the greatest movie ever made. I have read the novel. It was fantastic, but not as good as the movie. Three differences that make the movie superior are: the climax is more intense and interesting (an axe is so much cooler than a roque mallet), Room 237 (which is Room 217 in the book) is more horrifying, and the movie leaves more questions at the end.
The acting is marvelous, with one of the greatest performances of all time by Nicholson and unforgettable performances by Duvall, Lloyd, and Crothers. I would highly suggest watching this if you haven't seen it. It is easily the greatest movie ever. If you have watched this movie and loved it, I would really suggest watching The Shawshank Redemption and Stand By Me.
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Stand By Me
It's my favorite movie. I can't even describe how much I love it. It tells an amazing story in a very honest way. Not to mention how incredible each and every single cast member is!
I highly recommend it to anybody. I think it's a movie that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. At the end, it leaves you with a bittersweet feeling and makes you think about your life and your friendships.
It was a wonderful movie, filled with emotion. The movie had a creepy vibe to it (dead body), and the characters had so much depth to them. The humor was on point throughout the movie, and the end was a tear-jerker, but it left you satisfied.
Overall, Stand By Me is a heartwarming coming-of-age story. It is one of my favorite movies.
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It
I watched "It" over 20 years ago and still shiver when I recall Pennywise saying, "You'll float. They all float when you are down here with me!" Hope the remake lives up to the hype.
It may leave a ton out from the book, but Tim Curry gives me nightmares, and that's what makes this movie good.
This was a great film! I can't wait to see the 2017 remake in September!
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Misery
Misery and Stand By Me are the best. Shawshank is pretty basic, and The Shining is one of the most overrated movies ever.
Such a good adaptation, you'd think King himself wrote the screenplay. Brilliantly cast.
I think it should be higher. It is such an amazing adaptation. The characters are acted phenomenally.
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Carrie
I know it isn't as good as the book, but Carrie was an instant classic and is still favored by lots of people today.
Carrie is a unique horror film with an emotionally disturbing but outstanding power.
My favorite! So good, better than It, better than Christine, better than everything!
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Pet Sematary
This is not only one of the scariest movies I have ever seen but also very enjoyable. Very interesting and unique story and ideas.
Yes, it's cheesy, but it's still a fun and entertaining flick!
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1408
I think of this and get scared. I can see myself stuck in that room. In the scene where he's walking on the edge of the building and can't find another window: I would've just jumped there. One of the scariest movies I've ever seen.
This movie blew me away! Though not the best, it should be in the top 10. John Cusack was amazing, and the hotel room was very creepy.
Don't watch the TV version. I made that mistake. Once I saw the DVD version, I realized what they didn't take out. TV cut it down to 2 hours.
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The Mist
By the way, in the book, it ends differently. The survivors travel away from the supermarket in a car and stop at a hotel when David hears a voice on the radio saying, "I'm going to bed now. But first I'm going to kiss my son and whisper two words in his ear. Against the dreams that may come, you know. Two words that sound a bit alike. One of them is Hartford. The other is hope." This leaves you with open-ended survival and ambiguous hope, not the depressing kill-everyone ending. Though Stephen King did praise the movie ending as connecting to the theme of survival. So yes, he liked the ending, but didn't write it.
Literally gave me nightmares, and I don't even have dreams! I want a remake!
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The Monkey
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Doctor Sleep
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The Stand
Cried six times when Nick died and every time they mentioned him afterward. Pretty amazing movie though.
Rented it from Movie Gallery (only 4 VHS tapes long). Got back at 9:00 pm and figured I'd just watch one. 3 am later, finished them all.
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Christine
On the surface, it appears to be far-fetched, but thanks to John Carpenter's directing and well-developed characters, you are immediately invested in the story.
That car is amazing, and the story is just so good.
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Children of the Corn
Pretty good, an 8/10, but this movie can't be compared to The Shawshank Redemption and The Shining, which are 10/10.
An absolute horror masterpiece. The soundtrack with the children chanting is super creepy.
Great horror movie. It's number 3 on my list after Stand By Me and Shawshank.
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Cujo
Cujo is unlike other Stephen King movies. It has a twist that the others don't: An innocent dog gets bitten and terrorizes people. Scary, with a touch of drama, magnificent!
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It (2017)
One of my favorite films of all time. It is an adventure thriller that cuts deep. The cast is great, especially Eddie Kaspbrak. He stands out for me.
Far better than the miniseries! The only reason the miniseries is ranked above this is because this list is quite old.
It lived up to the hype (for me, that is).
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The Dead Zone
The movie, with Christopher Walken, is great storytelling. Christopher Walken was brilliant casting, starting out as a boy-next-door type who becomes an outsider in his own life, dealing with powers that frighten and alienate others.
Definitely my favorite. Nice story and great acting!
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Creepshow
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Dolores Claiborne
Another fantastic performance from Kathy Bates in an SK movie!
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The Langoliers
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Silver Bullet
This movie should be in the top 20. The chemistry between Busey and Haim was great.
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Gerald's Game
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Thinner
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Firestarter
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Salem's Lot
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Pet Sematary Two
