Stephen King is, without question, one of the most beloved and prolific horror writers of all time. His books and short stories have terrified and mesmerized readers for nearly 50 years, and throughout that time, Hollywood has consistently mined his work for adaptations—some great, some good, some forgettable, and some downright awful.
Like any lifelong fan, I've seen just about every movie based on his work. And trust me, there have been some absolute disasters.
Which brings me to why I'm putting this list together.
This past weekend saw the release of The Monkey, an adaptation of one of King's short stories. And let me tell you, it is not just a bad Stephen King movie—it's a bad movie, period. In fact, it might be the worst Stephen King adaptation of all time.
An incoherent, unscary, and laughless mess, The Monkey fails as both horror and comedy, delivering one of the most painful cinematic experiences I've had in recent years. It's one of those movies that makes you ask: Did anyone read the script before greenlighting this? But The Monkey isn't the only trainwreck King adaptation out there.
Over the decades, we've had our fair share of disasters: Lawnmower Man, the never-ending Children of the Corn sequels, the absurd Sleepwalkers, and The Mangler, to name a few.
And let's not forget the endless remakes and reboots—so many versions of Carrie, Pet Sematary, and Children of the Corn that I've lost count. But perhaps the worst offender of all (besides The Monkey) is Maximum Overdrive, a film not just adapted from a King short story but directed by King himself in what can only be described as a chemically-fueled fever dream gone horribly wrong. Let's just say it's not on this list.
So, instead of dwelling on the worst, let's focus on the best. The following is my list of the 15 Best Stephen King Movie Adaptations of All Time. Some of these are based on his full-length novels, others on short stories, and a few are original screenplays that King wrote himself.
Some massive fan favorites didn't make my cut, and some of my picks might surprise you.
Let's get into it.
The 15 Best Stephen King Movies of All Time
Brian De Palma's Carrie remains the greatest King adaptation ever put to film. It's stylish, terrifying, emotional, and pure De Palma cinema. The split-screen prom sequence is legendary, and the movie contains two of the best performances in horror history from Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie, both of whom were nominated for Oscars. The supporting cast is stellar (young John Travolta! Nancy Allen! Amy Irving!), and the final jump scare is still one of the best ever. A masterpiece.
David Cronenberg adapting Stephen King? Yes, please. This is the best performance of Christopher Walken's career, and the movie is a masterclass in slow-burn tension, emotional devastation, and quiet horror. It's eerie and moving and features an unsettlingly prescient villain in Martin Sheen's Greg Stillson, a character who feels way too relevant today. It's one of Cronenberg's most restrained films and one of his best.
Mike Flanagan took King's Shining sequel and did the impossible—he made a movie that honored King's book and Kubrick's iconic (and very different) film version. The result? A deeply satisfying, unsettling, and hauntingly beautiful movie, with Ewan McGregor delivering a fantastic performance as a grown-up Danny Torrance. Rebecca Ferguson, as Rose the Hat, is one of the best King villains to have ever hit the screen. This movie deserved more love.
John Carpenter directed a Stephen King story about a killer car—that's all you need to know. The film elevates a simple concept into something stylish, creepy, and darkly funny. The practical effects of Christine "healing" herself still hold up today. It's a perfect mix of Carpenter's craftsmanship and King's knack for creating compelling, relatable characters who get caught up in supernatural horror.
Frank Darabont's The Mist is one of the bleakest horror films ever made. It's an intense, nerve-shredding movie about paranoia, survival, and humanity's lack of hope. The ending (which is not in King's novella) is soul-crushing, so much so that even King himself admitted he wished he had thought of it. This movie will ruin your day, and I mean that in the best possible way.
6. CUJO (1983)
A lot of people overlook Cujo, but they shouldn't. It's a relentless, sweaty, claustrophobic horror film that plays like Jaws with a rabid St. Bernard. The setup is simple, but the execution is phenomenal. Dee Wallace gives one of the greatest performances in horror history. The last act is an unrelenting exercise in tension, and the film doesn't let you breathe until the credits roll.
Kathy Bates is Annie Wilkes. There's a reason she won an Oscar for this role—it's an all-time great horror performance. James Caan is also fantastic, and Rob Reiner's direction keeps the suspense dialed up to eleven. The "hobbling" scene alone ensures this film's place in horror history.
A match made in horror heaven—George Romero directing a King-penned script inspired by EC Comics. The result? A fun, gory, wonderfully campy horror anthology that's one of the best ever made. The cockroach segment alone is enough to traumatize you for life.
Yeah, I know. People hate this movie. It's weird, it's messy, it features alien butt parasites… but I love it. It's bonkers in all the best ways; the cast is solid, and Lawrence Kasdan directs the hell out of it. It doesn't make much sense, but it's an absolute blast.
It's not a horror movie, but it's one of the best King adaptations ever. A heartfelt coming-of-age story based on King's novella The Body, featuring fantastic performances from its young cast (River Phoenix, Wil Wheaton, Corey Feldman, Jerry O'Connell) and a killer Kiefer Sutherland as the local bully. Beautiful, nostalgic, and timeless.
King's scariest novel translated into film, and while the movie isn't as terrifying as the book, it's still pretty damn effective. Fred Gwynne's performance is iconic ("Sometimes dead is better"), and there are some genuinely disturbing moments.
I know, I know. Most people put this at number one. I don't. Kubrick's version is a great film but not a great Stephen King film. It's visually stunning, but it lacks the heart and psychological depth of the novel. Jack Nicholson is already unhinged from the start, and King's themes of addiction and redemption are pretty much ignored. Still, as a piece of cinema, it's unforgettable.
One of the more underrated King adaptations, The Dark Half, directed by the legendary George Romero, is a creepy, slow-burn psychological thriller with an excellent Timothy Hutton performance. It's not perfect, but it's a worthy entry on this list.
One of the better recent King adaptations, this one delivers genuine scares. The film expands a simple short story into a tense, well-crafted horror film. Solid performances and some great atmospheric horror make this one stand out.
A goofy but endlessly entertaining werewolf movie. Gary Busey chews the scenery, and the werewolf effects are questionable, but they are all part of the charm. This is one of those "if it's on TV at 2 AM, I'm watching it" movies.
And there you have it! My top 15 Stephen King adaptations. Disagree? Have a favorite that I missed? Let me know!
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