The Best to the Worst Stephen King Adaptions
by jwoehr | created - 15 Aug 2011 | updated - 30 Sep 2017 | PublicNightmare and Dreamscapes: Decent since I actually only liked 3 or 4 of the shorts. The Shining Remake: Decent
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1. It (I) (2017)
R | 135 min | Fantasy, Horror
In the summer of 1989, a group of bullied kids band together to destroy a shape-shifting monster, which disguises itself as a clown and preys on the children of Derry, their small Maine town.
Director: Andy Muschietti | Stars: Bill Skarsgård, Jaeden Martell, Finn Wolfhard, Sophia Lillis
Votes: 605,883 | Gross: $327.48M
Instantly my favorite adaptation, so sue me.
2. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
R | 142 min | Drama
Over the course of several years, two convicts form a friendship, seeking consolation and, eventually, redemption through basic compassion.
Director: Frank Darabont | Stars: Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton, William Sadler
Votes: 2,887,211 | Gross: $28.34M
Great
3. Misery (1990)
R | 107 min | Drama, Thriller
After a famous author is rescued from a car crash by a fan of his novels, he comes to realize that the care he is receiving is only the beginning of a nightmare of captivity and abuse.
Director: Rob Reiner | Stars: James Caan, Kathy Bates, Richard Farnsworth, Frances Sternhagen
Votes: 235,435 | Gross: $61.28M
Great
4. Stand by Me (1986)
R | 89 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
A writer recounts a childhood journey with his friends to find the body of a missing boy.
Director: Rob Reiner | Stars: Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry O'Connell
Votes: 441,420 | Gross: $52.29M
Great
5. The Shining (1980)
R | 146 min | Drama, Horror
A family heads to an isolated hotel for the winter where a sinister presence influences the father into violence, while his psychic son sees horrific forebodings from both past and future.
Director: Stanley Kubrick | Stars: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, Scatman Crothers
Votes: 1,106,006 | Gross: $44.02M
Great but can't be the best adaptation when King himself hates the film and thinks it's nothing like his book.
6. Carrie (1976)
R | 98 min | Horror, Mystery
Carrie White, a shy, friendless teenage girl who is sheltered by her domineering, religious mother, unleashes her telekinetic powers after being humiliated by her classmates at her senior prom.
Director: Brian De Palma | Stars: Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie, Amy Irving, John Travolta
Votes: 206,578 | Gross: $33.80M
Should probably be higher, but to me it's too disturbing and f'ed up to watch over and over again.
7. The Dead Zone (1983)
R | 103 min | Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
A man awakens from a coma to discover he has a psychic ability to foresee future events.
Director: David Cronenberg | Stars: Christopher Walken, Brooke Adams, Tom Skerritt, Herbert Lom
Votes: 77,282 | Gross: $20.77M
Fascinating and gripping, with amazing work by Christopher Walken. I just find the end depressing.
8. The Green Mile (1999)
R | 189 min | Crime, Drama, Fantasy
A tale set on death row, where gentle giant John Coffey possesses the mysterious power to heal people's ailments. When the lead guard, Paul Edgecombe, recognizes John's gift, he tries to help stave off the condemned man's execution.
Director: Frank Darabont | Stars: Tom Hanks, Michael Clarke Duncan, David Morse, Bonnie Hunt
Votes: 1,406,541 | Gross: $136.80M
9. Dolores Claiborne (1995)
R | 132 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A big city reporter travels to a small town where her mother has been arrested for the murder of an elderly woman for whom she worked as a housekeeper.
Director: Taylor Hackford | Stars: Kathy Bates, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Christopher Plummer, Judy Parfitt
Votes: 48,366 | Gross: $24.36M
Good
10. Creepshow (1982)
R | 120 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
"Creepshow" is a 1982 movie that tells five grisly tales from a children's comic book: a murdered father rising from his grave, a bizarre meteor, a vengeful husband, a mysterious crate's occupant, and a plague of cockroaches.
Director: George A. Romero | Stars: Hal Holbrook, Leslie Nielsen, Adrienne Barbeau, E.G. Marshall
Votes: 53,203 | Gross: $21.03M
11. The Stand (1994)
Not Rated | 90 min | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
After a deadly plague kills most of the world's population, the remaining survivors split into two groups - one led by a benevolent elder and the other by a malevolent being - to face each other in a final battle between good and evil.
Stars: Gary Sinise, Molly Ringwald, Jamey Sheridan, Laura San Giacomo
Votes: 38,398
Could use the IT remake treatment. Despite a great cast, the mini-series is outdated. While I say IT remake treatment. I mean it needs to be made with love. Over half-assed just to get the movie out there, like Dark Tower. While some say it's not the book enough.
12. 11.22.63 (2016)
TV-MA | 60 min | Drama, Mystery, Romance
Jake Epping, a teacher, gets a chance to travel back in time to avert the death of John F. Kennedy. However, history's aversion to alteration and his love for the era and a woman endanger him.
Stars: James Franco, Sarah Gadon, George MacKay, Chris Cooper
Votes: 99,224
13. The Mist (2007)
R | 126 min | Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
A freak storm unleashes a species of bloodthirsty creatures on a small town, where a small band of citizens hole up in a supermarket and fight for their lives.
Director: Frank Darabont | Stars: Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, Laurie Holden, Andre Braugher
Votes: 340,159 | Gross: $25.59M
Crappy ending that makes the insane woman seem right along, still I'd give it 3 stars for being good up to that point.
14. 1408 (2007)
PG-13 | 104 min | Fantasy, Horror, Mystery
A man who specialises in debunking paranormal occurrences checks into the fabled room 1408 in the Dolphin Hotel. Soon after settling in, he confronts genuine terror.
Director: Mikael Håfström | Stars: John Cusack, Samuel L. Jackson, Mary McCormack, Tony Shalhoub
Votes: 294,000 | Gross: $71.99M
More creepy and weird than scary but still good.
15. Mr. Mercedes (2017–2019)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A demented killer taunts a retired police detective with a series of lurid letters and emails, forcing the ex-cop to undertake a private, and potentially felonious, crusade to bring the killer to justice before he can strike again.
Stars: Brendan Gleeson, Holland Taylor, Jharrel Jerome, Breeda Wool
Votes: 26,581
I read the chilling beginning of the book. The beginning of this show is very faithful. I unfortunately didn't get too far in the book before the show came out. But unlike Dark Tower, this is at least faithful to the book and wasn't hacked down to PG-13. Sad that the late Anton Yelchin was oddly attached to play the part of the villain who runs down people. Which to me makes his death more horrible. The villain though, singing "I don't want to be buried in the Pet Cemetery!"....perfect! Nice shout out to King and Pet Cemetery.
16. Cujo (1983)
R | 93 min | Horror, Thriller
Cujo, a friendly St. Bernard, contracts rabies and conducts a reign of terror on a small American town.
Director: Lewis Teague | Stars: Dee Wallace, Daniel Hugh Kelly, Danny Pintauro, Christopher Stone
Votes: 50,947 | Gross: $21.20M
17. Salem's Lot (1979)
PG | 100 min | Horror
A novelist and a young horror fan attempt to save a small New England town which has been invaded by vampires.
Stars: David Soul, James Mason, Lance Kerwin, Bonnie Bedelia
Votes: 27,461
Good but outdated
18. Christine (1983)
R | 110 min | Horror, Thriller
A nerdish boy buys a strange car with an evil mind of its own and his nature starts to change to reflect it.
Director: John Carpenter | Stars: Keith Gordon, John Stockwell, Alexandra Paul, Robert Prosky
Votes: 92,398 | Gross: $21.20M
19. Pet Sematary (1989)
R | 103 min | Fantasy, Horror, Thriller
After tragedy strikes, a grieving father discovers an ancient burial ground behind his home with the power to raise the dead.
Director: Mary Lambert | Stars: Dale Midkiff, Denise Crosby, Fred Gwynne, Brad Greenquist
Votes: 114,979 | Gross: $57.47M
Creepy and disturbing. Just do yourself a favor and avoid the sequel!!
20. Gerald's Game (2017)
TV-MA | 103 min | Drama, Horror, Thriller
A couple tries to spice up their marriage in a remote lake house. After the husband dies unexpectedly, the wife is left handcuffed to their bed frame and must fight to survive and break free.
Director: Mike Flanagan | Stars: Carla Gugino, Bruce Greenwood, Chiara Aurelia, Carel Struycken
Votes: 127,242
21. Secret Window (2004)
PG-13 | 96 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
A successful writer in the midst of a painful divorce is stalked at his remote lake house by a would-be scribe who accuses him of plagiarism.
Director: David Koepp | Stars: Johnny Depp, Maria Bello, John Turturro, Timothy Hutton
Votes: 209,464 | Gross: $48.02M
22. It (1990)
TV-14 | 96 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
In 1960, seven pre-teen outcasts fight an evil demon who poses as a child-killing clown. Thirty years later, they reunite to stop the demon once and for all when it returns to their hometown.
Stars: Richard Thomas, Tim Reid, Annette O'Toole, Harry Anderson
Votes: 140,833
Not amazing, but it will creep you out and scare the carp out of you, the first half anyway. Tim Curry is superb throughout.
23. Cat's Eye (1985)
PG-13 | 94 min | Comedy, Horror, Thriller
A stray cat is the linking element of three tales of suspense and horror.
Director: Lewis Teague | Stars: Drew Barrymore, James Woods, Alan King, Kenneth McMillan
Votes: 28,157 | Gross: $13.09M
An under-rated film that does a good job adapting Stephen King's short stories.
24. Apt Pupil (1998)
R | 111 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A boy blackmails his neighbor after suspecting him to be a Nazi war criminal.
Director: Bryan Singer | Stars: Ian McKellen, Brad Renfro, Joshua Jackson, Mickey Cottrell
Votes: 41,601 | Gross: $8.84M
25. Storm of the Century (1999)
PG-13 | 86 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
A dangerous blizzard hits an isolated town and brings along a mysterious stranger intent on terrorizing people for his own desires.
Stars: Tim Daly, Colm Feore, Debrah Farentino, Jeffrey DeMunn
Votes: 24,369
Insane, but good
26. The Running Man (1987)
R | 101 min | Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller
In a dystopian America, a falsely convicted policeman gets his shot at freedom when he must forcibly participate in a TV game show where convicts, runners, must battle killers for their freedom.
Director: Paul Michael Glaser | Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Maria Conchita Alonso, Yaphet Kotto, Jim Brown
Votes: 167,590 | Gross: $38.12M
Not the book but is a goofy good time.
27. Rose Red (2002)
PG-13 | 85 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
A college professor and a team of psychics investigate mysterious deaths and disappearances at an old abandoned mansion.
Stars: Nancy Travis, Matt Keeslar, Kimberly J. Brown, David Dukes
Votes: 27,016
I haven't seen it in awhile, but I remember liking it.
28. Needful Things (1993)
R | 121 min | Crime, Drama, Fantasy
A mysterious new shop opens in a small town which always seems to stock the deepest desires of each shopper, with a price far heavier than expected.
Director: Fraser C. Heston | Stars: Max von Sydow, Ed Harris, Bonnie Bedelia, Amanda Plummer
Votes: 27,488 | Gross: $15.19M
Over the top at times but still good. Especially the Director's Cut of you can find it.
29. Silver Bullet (1985)
R | 95 min | Horror
In a small town, brutal killings start to plague the close knit community. Marty Coslaw, a paraplegic boy, is convinced the murders are the doings of a werewolf.
Director: Daniel Attias | Stars: Gary Busey, Everett McGill, Corey Haim, Megan Follows
Votes: 31,490 | Gross: $5.40M
30. Dolan's Cadillac (2009)
R | 89 min | Crime, Thriller
A young man attempts to seek to avenge his wife's death after she is murdered by a Las Vegas mobster.
Director: Jeff Beesley | Stars: Christian Slater, Emmanuelle Vaugier, Wes Bentley, Greg Bryk
Votes: 7,606
Kinda feels like the revenge story Amy Adams was reading in Nocturnal Animals. Except needed Jake Gyllenhaal instead of Wes Bentley. But hey my cable box gives the movie ****. It actually isn't that bad.
31. Firestarter (1984)
R | 114 min | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi
A couple who participated in a potent medical experiment gain telepathic ability and then have a child who is pyrokinetic.
Director: Mark L. Lester | Stars: Drew Barrymore, David Keith, Freddie Jones, Heather Locklear
Votes: 36,888 | Gross: $15.10M
32. Salem's Lot (2004)
TV-14 | 91 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
Writer Ben Mears returns to his childhood home of Jerusalem's Lot and discovers that it is being terrorized by vampires.
Stars: Rob Lowe, Andre Braugher, Donald Sutherland, Samantha Mathis
Votes: 11,302
Good, but the ending is weird
33. Haven (2010–2015)
TV-PG | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Fantasy
Many in the coastal town of Haven, Maine have a dormant curse or "trouble" that could trigger at any time for any reason. FBI agent Audrey Parker, the sheriff and the town's black sheep must deal with the troubles' deadly effects.
Stars: Emily Rose, Lucas Bryant, Eric Balfour, Richard Donat
Votes: 41,330
34. Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King (2006)
TV-14 | 48 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
A television mini-series adaptation of Nightmares and Dreamscapes, Stephen King's collection of short horror stories.
Stars: Robert Mammone, Kodi Smit-McPhee, William H. Macy, Ron Livingston
Votes: 5,517
35. Big Driver (2014 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 87 min | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
A famous mystery writer sets out for revenge after a brutal attack.
Director: Mikael Salomon | Stars: Maria Bello, Ann Dowd, Will Harris, Joan Jett
Votes: 6,593
Good
36. The Shining (1997)
Not Rated | 91 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
A recovering alcoholic must wrestle with demons within and without when he and his family move into a haunted hotel as caretakers.
Stars: Rebecca De Mornay, Steven Weber, Wil Horneff, Courtland Mead
Votes: 18,279
The Stephen King version made just for him. Since he hated the Nicholson version. Has some creepy moments but Mick Garris as a director is no Stanley Kubrick.
37. Riding the Bullet (2004)
R | 98 min | Horror, Thriller
When a man finds out his mother is dying and tries to hitchhike his way to the hospital, he is picked up by a stranger with a deadly secret.
Director: Mick Garris | Stars: Jonathan Jackson, David Arquette, Barbara Hershey, Cliff Robertson
Votes: 10,767 | Gross: $0.10M
Should probably be higher, since I have it on the list of good adaptions after all. It's something I doubt you'll hate, but probably not love either.
38. Sometimes They Come Back (1991 TV Movie)
R | 97 min | Drama, Horror, Thriller
A man and his family return to his hometown, where he is then harassed by teenagers who died when he was a kid.
Director: Tom McLoughlin | Stars: Tim Matheson, Brooke Adams, Robert Rusler, Chris Demetral
Votes: 12,015
39. Kingdom Hospital (2004)
608 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
The quirky staff and patients of an ultramodern (albeit increasingly dilapidated) Maine hospital gradually become familiar with the supernatural occurrences that take place there, uncovering a dark secret in the process.
Stars: Jamie Harrold, Diane Ladd, Bruce Davison, Jack Coleman
Votes: 7,941
40. A Good Marriage (2014)
R | 102 min | Action, Crime, Drama
After 25 years of a good marriage, what will Darcy do once she discovers her husband's sinister secret?
Director: Peter Askin | Stars: Joan Allen, Anthony LaPaglia, Stephen Lang, Cara Buono
Votes: 12,725
Decent
41. Dreamcatcher (2003)
R | 134 min | Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
Friends on a camping trip discover that the town they're vacationing in is being plagued in an unusual fashion by parasitic aliens from outer space.
Director: Lawrence Kasdan | Stars: Morgan Freeman, Thomas Jane, Jason Lee, Damian Lewis
Votes: 96,447 | Gross: $33.72M
The Bad: Yes, even this is better than the watered down Dark Tower adaption. That wasn't sure which book it was based on or if it was based on any at all.
42. The Dark Tower (2017)
PG-13 | 95 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
A boy haunted by visions of a dark tower from a parallel reality teams up with the tower's disillusioned guardian to stop an evil warlock known as the Man in Black who plans to use the boy to destroy the tower and open the gates of Hell.
Director: Nikolaj Arcel | Stars: Idris Elba, Matthew McConaughey, Tom Taylor, Dennis Haysbert
Votes: 145,795 | Gross: $50.70M
Should be the start of an epic series of movies, like the Lord of the Rings. Definitely wasn't epic though. Was too short and Dark Tower definitely shouldn't be PG-13. Akiva Goldsman who hasn't made many good adaptations of anything shouldn't have been handed this. It was overstuffed with a incoherent plot. With Roland and Walter doing things and saying things that they wouldn't in the books. Except this is supposed to be a sequel. Which I also find stupid. Make a sequel to something that not everyone read and the he expected a hit ?
43. The Mist (2017)
TV-14 | 42 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
After an eerie mist rolls into a small town, the residents must battle the mysterious mist and its threats, fighting to maintain their morality and sanity.
Stars: Morgan Spector, Alyssa Sutherland, Gus Birney, Danica Curcic
Votes: 27,768
Who's the likeable one ? Who should we root for ? The Mist ? lol.
44. The Langoliers (1995)
PG-13 | 90 min | Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Most of the passengers on an airplane disappear, and the remainder land the plane in a mysteriously barren airport.
Stars: Patricia Wettig, Dean Stockwell, Tom Holland, Kate Maberly
Votes: 31,878
45. Maximum Overdrive (1986)
R | 98 min | Action, Comedy, Horror
A group of people try to survive when machines start to come alive and become homicidal.
Director: Stephen King | Stars: Emilio Estevez, Pat Hingle, Laura Harrington, Yeardley Smith
Votes: 35,799 | Gross: $7.43M
Stephen King, Emilio Estevez and AC/DC means this movie should have been much better.
46. The Dark Half (1993)
R | 122 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
A writer's fictional alter ego wants to take over his life...at any price.
Director: George A. Romero | Stars: Timothy Hutton, Amy Madigan, Michael Rooker, Julie Harris
Votes: 19,326 | Gross: $9.58M
Bad
47. Golden Years (1991)
Not Rated | 232 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
An elderly janitor hurt in an explosion at a secret army lab run by "The Shop" starts to grow younger. A ruthless operative is sent to cover it up, so the janitor and his wife go on the run with help from a sympathetic female agent.
Stars: Keith Szarabajka, Felicity Huffman, Ed Lauter, R.D. Call
Votes: 3,232
48. Carrie (2013)
R | 100 min | Drama, Horror, Thriller
A shy girl, outcast by her peers and sheltered by her religious mother, unleashes telekinetic terror on her small town after being pushed too far at her senior prom.
Director: Kimberly Peirce | Stars: Chloë Grace Moretz, Julianne Moore, Gabriella Wilde, Portia Doubleday
Votes: 148,156 | Gross: $35.27M
49. Under the Dome (2013–2015)
TV-14 | 1,668 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
An invisible and mysterious force field descends upon the small town of Chester's Mill, Maine, USA, trapping residents inside, cut off from the rest of civilization. The trapped townspeople must discover the secrets and purpose of the "dome" or "sphere" and its origins, while coming to learn more than they ever knew about each other and animals too.
Stars: Mike Vogel, Rachelle Lefevre, Alexander Koch, Colin Ford
Votes: 112,475
Became like a bad version of Lost eventually.
50. The Tommyknockers (1993)
R | 94 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
The small town of Haven becomes a hot-bed of inventions all run by a strange green power device. The whole town is digging something up in the woods, and only an alcoholic poet can discover the secret of the Tommyknockers.
Stars: Jimmy Smits, Marg Helgenberger, John Ashton, Allyce Beasley
Votes: 12,255
decent but never really got into it
51. The Lawnmower Man (1992)
R | 108 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
A simple man is turned into a genius through the application of computer science.
Director: Brett Leonard | Stars: Jeff Fahey, Pierce Brosnan, Jenny Wright, Mark Bringelson
Votes: 39,014 | Gross: $32.10M
52. Thinner (1996)
R | 93 min | Fantasy, Horror
An obese attorney is cursed by a gypsy to rapidly and uncontrollably lose weight.
Director: Tom Holland | Stars: Robert John Burke, Joe Mantegna, Lucinda Jenney, Bethany Joy Lenz
Votes: 33,590 | Gross: $15.17M
53. Bag of Bones (2011)
Not Rated | 82 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
After his wife's sudden death, a bestselling author returns to his cabin retreat, where he receives paranormal visitations and becomes involved in a custody battle.
Stars: Pierce Brosnan, Melissa George, Annabeth Gish, Anika Noni Rose
Votes: 9,395
Incoherent and uneven.
54. The Night Flier (1997)
R | 97 min | Fantasy, Horror, Mystery
A reporter is on the trail of a vampiric murderer who travels by plane.
Director: Mark Pavia | Stars: Miguel Ferrer, Julie Entwisle, Dan Monahan, Michael H. Moss
Votes: 12,008 | Gross: $0.13M
55. Desperation (2006 TV Movie)
R | 131 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
When a sheriff arrests a writer, a family, a couple, and a hitchiker and throws them in a jail cell in the deserted town of Desperation, they must fight for their lives.
Director: Mick Garris | Stars: Tom Skerritt, Steven Weber, Annabeth Gish, Charles Durning
Votes: 11,765
Bad I liked Tom Skerritt and the fact that Ka is mentioned. Still, this isn't too good.
56. Cell (I) (2016)
R | 98 min | Action, Adventure, Horror
When a mysterious cell phone signal causes apocalyptic chaos, an artist is determined to reunite with his young son in New England.
Director: Tod Williams | Stars: John Cusack, Samuel L. Jackson, Isabelle Fuhrman, Clark Sarullo
Votes: 30,676
John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson reteam in a movie that is searching for a reason it even exists. The end especially is "what the hell did I was just watch ?"
57. Sleepwalkers (1992)
R | 91 min | Fantasy, Horror
A mother-and-son team of strange supernatural creatures move to a small town to seek out a young virgin to feed on.
Director: Mick Garris | Stars: Brian Krause, Mädchen Amick, Alice Krige, Jim Haynie
Votes: 24,552 | Gross: $30.52M
I used to sing the song "here comes Johnny with his pecker in his hand and he's off to the rodeo!" after seeing this film lol. But that's all that's memorable about this dumb horror film.
58. Graveyard Shift (1990)
R | 86 min | Horror
In a very old textile mill with a serious rat infestation, deadly accidents start happening, but the corrupt foreman continues to put his workers in danger, until they discover a horrifying secret deep in the basement.
Director: Ralph S. Singleton | Stars: David Andrews, Kelly Wolf, Stephen Macht, Andrew Divoff
Votes: 12,641 | Gross: $11.58M
59. The Mangler (1995)
R | 106 min | Horror, Mystery
A laundry-folding machine has been possessed by a demon, causing it to develop homicidal tendencies.
Director: Tobe Hooper | Stars: Robert Englund, Ted Levine, Daniel Matmor, Jeremy Crutchley
Votes: 9,962 | Gross: $1.78M
Tobey Hooper was a master of horror but this isn't his best at all. Poltergeist is a favorite of mine.
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