In 2017 Andy Muschietti’s It—an adaptation of horror legend Stephen King’s 1986 novel—became the highest-grossing horror film of all time. It was a fitting badge of honor for King, the prolific horror novelist who has seen many of his books and stories transferred to film, often with only mixed success.
Fortunately, there’s still plenty of King-inspired material that lives up to his name. Take a look at 12 movies and television shows currently streaming that capture the essence of King’s work.
1. Stephen King’s It (1990)
The special effects might be less than impressive, but this 1990 made-for-television miniseries adaptation of King’s epic is still a treat thanks to the performance of Tim Curry as Pennywise, a clown who’s the living embodiment of evil.
Where to stream it: Hulu
2. Creepshow 2 (1987)
A macabre King vibe inspired this anthology, a sequel to 1982’s Creepshow that the writer collaborated on with horror master George A. Romero. The standout: “The Raft,” about a group of college kids who find a sentient blob of sludge at a lake that makes their weekend getaway anything but relaxing.
Where to stream it: Amazon Prime
3. 11.22.63 (2016)
King’s revisionist take on JFK’s assassination comes to life in this Hulu original series. James Franco stars as a professor who discovers he can travel back in time to prevent Lee Harvey Oswald from shooting at the motorcade in Dallas. Unfortunately, those heroics have consequences in the future.
Where to stream it: Hulu
4. Gerald’s Game (2017)
Carla Gugino’s weekend getaway with her husband turns into an endurance test when she finds herself alone and handcuffed to a bed. Slowly, creeping horrors both real and imagined begin to materialize. To keep her sanity—and her life—she’ll need to escape by any means necessary.
Where to stream it: Netflix
5. In the Tall Grass (2019)
King’s 2012 novella—co-written with his son, Joe Hill—is a classic King conceit of taking the mundane and making it terrifying. After chasing a boy into a thick patch of farmland grass, two siblings realize that it harbors dangerous and mystifying entities. Patrick Wilson co-stars.
Where to stream it: Netflix
6. Christine (1983)
In what may be some kind of record, this 1983 adaptation of King’s novel was released the same year as its source material. Teenage outcast Arnie Cunningham (Keith Gordon) buys a 1958 Plymouth Fury, a car that appears to have its own plans for Arnie and the high school bullies taunting him.
Where to stream it: $3.99 on Amazon Prime
7. The Shining (1980)
Widely regarded as the best King adaptation of all time, this Stanley Kubrick film is actually not all that well-liked by King himself: He felt it failed to capture key elements of his 1977 novel (in 1997, King remade it as a miniseries starring Steven Weber). But it’s an undeniably rich and evocative horror show, with writer Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) slowly becoming unwound as he and his family settle in for an isolated winter at the Overlook Hotel.
Where to stream it: HBO Max
8. The Mist (2007)
King’s 1980 novella sees a group of strangers trapped in a grocery store as a malevolent mist outside is seemingly obscuring monstrous predators. As their peril increases, the danger inside becomes just as threatening. The ending, changed from King’s own, remains one of the biggest gut-punch twists in film.
Where to stream it: $3.99 on Amazon Prime
9. Secret Window (2004)
Johnny Depp stars in this adaptation of King’s 1990 novella “Secret Window, Secret Garden” from his Four Past Midnight collection. In Secret Window, Depp is Mort Rainey, a writer ambling through a divorce who gets a visit from a man who claims Rainey has stolen his stories. Things don’t get better from there.
Where to stream it: Amazon Prime
10. The Dead Zone (1983)
Christopher Walken has the weight of the world on his shoulders as Johnny Smith, a teacher who emerges from a coma with psychic powers. When he encounters a power-mad politician (Martin Sheen) with destructive tendencies, Johnny must decide whether to take drastic action. King’s 1979 novel also inspired a USA Network television series starring Anthony Michael Hall, which is available on Amazon Prime.
Where to stream it: Amazon Prime
11. Children of the Corn (1984)
King’s short story from 1978’s Night Shift collection imagines a small town in which children are free to explore their most violent impulses without any parental supervision. Peter Horton and Linda Hamilton are a couple who stumble upon their community and quickly come to regret it.
Where to watch it: Amazon Prime or Hulu
12. A Good Marriage (2014)
When Joan Allen finds some incriminating evidence pointing to her perfect husband (played by Anthony LaPaglia) being a serial killer, she must decide between the love of her life and a monster who takes lives. The film is based on the novella of the same name in King’s 2010 collection Full Dark, No Stars.
Where to stream it: Amazon Prime via IMDb TV
A version of this story ran in 2019; it has been updated for 2021.
The 12 Best Stephen King Movies and TV Shows You Can Stream Right Now
Source: Philippines Wonders
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