There are literally dozens and dozens of movies based on Stephen King short stories, novellas, and novels. Among these many films there are some major league clunkers, but there are also some absolute gems. If you include sequels and TV movies, the list goes well over fifty, and that’s not even including many limited release short films. Out of all those choices, here is my list of the fifteen best movies based on Stephen King works.
This work was also one of Stephen King’s finest horror novels. There is a haunted pet cemetery, spelled cutely with an ‘S,’ where everything buried comes back from the dead, but comes back twisted and evil. This is a great film where the tragic loss of a child proves too much temptation, and what comes back is terrifying and evil beyond belief. The ending of this film is absolutely fantastic, and one of the best endings of a King movie.
Buy the DVD at Amazon: Pet Sematary (Special Collector’s Edition)
Storm of the century started as a two part mini-series and has since been released to DVD. This is an excellent story, which Stephen King wrote the script to, about a stranger appearing just as the worst winter storm in history hits a small isolated Maine island. This stranger has the power to force others to do as he wants, and he demands a child to raise as his own or else. This is a chilling and incredible story.
Buy the DVD at Amazon: Stephen King’s Storm of the Century
This movie with actors John Cusak and Samuel L. Jackson, is based around a Stephen King short story about a haunted hotel room that has an incredibly long and tragic history. This evil room draws so much energy that it is only mildly cleaned once a week, and briefly, and is never rented out. An author who doesn’t believe in the supernatural checks in, only to find himself in an amazing repeating hell that is bent on devouring his very soul, and refuses to let him go.
Buy the DVD at Amazon: 1408 (Widescreen Edition)
Children of the Corn was based on a short story by Stephen King (and all six of the terrible sequels were based on movie studios trying to stretch it for a cheap buck). “Outlander! Outlander! We have your woman!” This classic line and scene helps define the movie, where a child prophet has convinced every child to murder all the adults in town, as they worship “He who walks behind the rows.” Talk about the wrong town to break down in! This is a very solid horror flick, with some really genuinely creepy moments.
Buy the DVD at Amazon: Children of the Corn
This three hour and change movie is a two part movie, with Pennywise the Clown perhaps one of the most disturbing horror villains in movie history. I personally point to him (and watching this movie at the age of ten) as explaining my life long fear/hatred of clowns. This movie is often judged as the first half being excellent and the second half mediocre, in part because of a changed ending. In fairness, the book’s ending would be next to impossible to fully convert into a movie format, but all in all, this movie is still a great view, and the first half is excellent. You might want to skip this one if you have a phobia of clowns.
Buy the DVD at Amazon: Stephen King’s It
A four part mini-series turned into DVD, “Rose Red” is a little over four hours and is a great modern version of the classic haunted mansion ghost story. A professor who has been fired for her paranormal studies takes a bunch of psychics into a haunted manor, secretly hoping that their powers will “jump start” the manor like a jump to a dead car battery and give her the evidence she needs to make her career… or she could be going insane and hoping for immortality. It’s not completely clear on this point, which makes the movie all the more interesting. This movie has good characters, some really scary scenes, and ties together very well at the end. Even better, it’s usually in the cheap DVD rack, so this movie is definitely a steal at a $10 or less buy.
Buy the DVD at Amazon: Rose Red
This is based off a Stephen King novella and stars Johnny Depp and John Turturro. This is one of my personal favorite King movies, and if you’re a writer or a would be writer, this movie will have an added bonus. Johnny Depp’s character, Mort Rainey, is a successful writer struggling with a divorce, when a sociopathic stranger, John Shooter, shows up claiming that Rainey stole his story. Shooter demands credit, and has no issue killing anyone in his way until he gets everything he wants. This story has a fantastic surprise ending, great acting, and a creepiness that is hard to match.
Buy the DVD at Amazon: Secret Window
One of the seemingly great secrets about Stephen King is he’s not just a horror author. Some of the best literary fiction of the past 50 years has been penned by King, and the movie “Hearts in Atlantis” is based on one of those novellas, down playing the supernatural and playing up the amazing story line and lives of the characters involved. The book “Hearts” has four novellas, and this film is only based on one of them, but it is a faithful and quality adaptation with great acting, great direction, and a film that individuals who don’t like King will even enjoy. This movie is a modern classic, in the same vein as “Stand by Me.”
Buy the DVD at Amazon: Hearts in Atlantis
Some will argue this movie should be rated higher, and they may have a point, but the fact that there are enough great movies based on Stephen King works that a film this good (rated on the top 250 movies ever on IMDB) could arguably not be in the top five just shows that there are some gems out there. Not only is Tom Hanks great in this film, but this touching movie (a not heavily hidden allegory of the Jesus story) follows the film and is a fantastic watch that generally follows the books very carefully.
Buy the DVD at Amazon: The Green Mile (Single Disc Edition)
While I think the Stanley Kubrik version is a good movie, King didn’t like it on the basis that it didn’t follow his story, so if the author doesn’t like it, it doesn’t make the list. King’s version, appearing first as a mini-series, is an exceptional horror film that really brings the book to life and delivers a terrifying film that is worth the watch every time.
Buy the DVD at Amazon: Stephen King’s The Shining (Two Disc Special Edition)
Based on a long short story (or short novella, depending on how you look at it), this story has long been popular with Stephen King fans. This movie was extremely well done, capturing the terror of what happens when an unexplainable mist moves in, bringing a variety of mutated insects, huge tentacles, and all kinds of terrifying beasts into a town. Locked in a super market, not only do they have to worry about the other worldly terrors outside, but by a religious fanatic creating a child sacrifice cult that splits the survivors inside. This film has an ending that you will never forget… perhaps one of the most memorable in all of movie history.
Buy the DVD at Amazon: The Mist
This epic mini-series is based on the epic novel about a post apocalyptic Earth where most the world was killed by a Super Flu. The good flock to Grandma Moses, while the evil flock to Randall Flagg, setting up an ultimate conflict between good and evil even after most of the world’s population is dead. This was one of King’s greatest works, and the movie did a good job staying close to the storyline considering the massive amount of material it had to ingest into the plot.
Buy the DVD at Amazon: The Stand
This film is also on IMDB’s list of the top 250 movies of all time, and is a fantastic coming of age story about a group of four strange mismatched friends from junior high who try to track down a missing boy, presumed dead, by following some train tracks. Meanwhile they learn about each other and themselves, and end up all changing forever because of that several day journey. This is a very touching film with some sadness, and shows that Stephen King is not “just a horror writer.” This movie is based on the King novella “The Body.”
Buy the DVD at Amazon: Stand By Me (Deluxe Edition)
This was one of the best horror novels written by Stephen King, and the best movie based on a horror work. Annie Wilkes, the number one fan, is the worst nightmare of every celebrity, or every individual who has ever been stalked. An author gets in an accident, but is “rescued” by an obsessive fan, who ends up killing anyone who snoops around and creates the word “hobbling.” Anyone who saw the movie just winced at the mention of that word. Kathy Bates is exceptional as Annie Wilkes, and one of the most convincing movie psychopaths of all time.
Buy the DVD at Amazon: Misery
This movie is one of only three from the IMDB website that has a rating of over 9.0 (out of 10), and is rated as the second best movie of all time on that website, and for very good reason. This amazing movie is based on the equally amazing novella about a banker who is wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife and is sent to a sadistic prison where the guards and warden are both corrupt. The acting is incredible, the storyline is amazing, and everything about this movie works. Not only is this the best movie ever adapted from a Stephen King work, but many cinema fans agree that it was one of the better movies ever made.
Buy the DVD at Amazon: The Shawshank Redemption (Single Disc Edition)
Contributor: Shane Dayton
Hearts In Atlantis is supernatural if you've read the Dark Tower books.
Not all films are made in prsion, but it is an interesting finding, that some great films are related to prsion stories.
The novel It scared me more than the film. And this is a GREAT list. Misery was the 1st King book I read
I don’t quite agree with most of the these, but I agree that nr 1 is a great movie. I remember reading pet semetary, that one was freaky.
Interesting list. I saw several of these and really enjoyed them, especially shawshank redemption.
I had no idea that a lot of these were Steven King. You learn something new every day…
Great list..i’ve watched some of them and they are amazing!
nice list, love shawshank redemption and the shining
Entombed guns on the list, g – but y no Carrie yo?
Oh my god !!! What a terrible list !!!
How can you put in there terrible made-for-tv-movies and forget Carrie (!!!!!), Christine (!!!!), Dead Zone (!!!!), or even lesser works like The Dark Half, Needful Things, Apt Pupil, that are way better than most of the movies listed here….
excuse me, did you forget “creepshow”? Best comic book ever but terrible movie only worth watching at slumber parties when 10
I’m a massive King fan, so awesome list. HOWEVER. The novel ending of Pet Sematary is better than the film one, it’s much more ambiguous but just better cause it’s creepy as hell. Def one of his best, if not my fav. It should be a little higher up.
I have to disagree with 13 and 9. 1408 was a slow clunker, and 9 was predictable without reading the original story.
I’ve been on the fence about watching The Mist, as it’s one of my favorite short stories, but this recommendation has pushed me over the edge; I’ll be picking it up soon.
As this list so adeptly demonstrates, King stories are one of the few that have made for some really great made-for-tv viewing.
I would have put Children of the Corn and The Stand at 2 and 3, and had Stand By Me hold the #1 spot. But then, I’m the lazy one critiquing the list, and not the clever bugger who put it together.
All in all, well done, Shane!
I don’t think you are the only person to blame It for your fear of clowns. Lots of adults that I know are afraid of clowns because of It…..babies!
had to be shawshank
Great list, and does a great job of illuminating just how much cinematic impact Stephen King has had.
I kinda agree with comment 10 actually. There are parts of thst movie that are greater than the whole.
Good call on the Shining mini series. The woman in room 217 (not 237!) in that is one of the most terrifying things I’ve ever seen. I can’t express here how awful and mind-tearing it is to see.
“it didn’t follow his story, so if the author doesn’t like it, it doesn’t make the list”
i dont really think that this should be a criteria, for this list, seeing as it is titled “top 15 movies BASED on stephen king stories, not movies that stephen likes that follow his books exactly.
i think stanley kubricks the shining should definately be on there, and maybe even higher up.
I will never understand why “It” is so popular. I find it to be extremely boring. The rest of the movies on the list, however, are great.
I had no idea that some of these were adapted from Stephen King’s books. Gives me a new appreciation for him! He’s always just been seen as a horror writer but is far more talented than that.
Well, The Mist is quite terrible compared to the actual novel. The acting is absolutely pathetic. I can’t believe the Mist is on here. Oh well…
I’ve read em all and watched em all. Loved all of them.
To anyone else who saw ‘The Mist,’ was it just me or did the first half of the movie really blow, but then it did a 180 and turned into a great movie. The special effects could of been A LOT better.
Also, my fav on this list is the Stand. I read it when I was like 10 and ended up getting grounded by my mom because I stayed up for almost 48hrs straight reading it.
And btw, 1408 was a really bad movie even though I love John Cusack and supernatural-type movies. Would rather go out and read the book.
OH my goodness I love The Shawshank Redemption! It is one of my favorite movies of all time. Good list!
he’s a great writer..love his thriller-suspense-horror themes..
Man, how can you leave The Dead Zone of this list, thats my favorite King adaptation of all time. A restrained David Cronenberg directing, Christopher Walken before he became a cliche. It looks a little dated now but its still a solid film. It should have at least been number 4 cause after 1,2 and 3 the rest of these movies are pretty average.
Sadly most movies made from Stephen King novels just plain suck. I absolutely despised The Shining mini-series, I wanted to punch that kid that plays the son in the face. But those select few, Shawshank, Misery, The Green Mile, IT and a few others were terrific. Thinner actually wasn’t horrible, the ending was pretty sick and almost as bad as the Mist when it comes to “That just sucks for you.” endings.
Although I agree with 3-2-1 (Shawshank is the best movie of all time, period), I am different from those that decry TV adaptations.
“It” was superb, featuring an all-star cast that rose above themselves. It also captured the *theme* of the book quite well… who cares about the final denouement, It is all about characterization and the bonds of friendship.
Also do not agree that if the author isn’t happy, that’s a list-killer. Kubrick’s The Shining was much better. And King himself wrote some of the most gawd-awful screenplays in history (Maximum Overdrive, anyone?) and thus is NOT an authority on what it takes to bring his print writing to excellence on the screen. In fact, Shawshank itself has noticeable differences.
And I’m one who almost always HATES it when Hollywood screws with a book (Battlefield Earth, Starship Troopers).
Next, Kathy Bates won Best Actress in Misery… it is rare for a non-hottie to do so, and she did because her performance was nothing short of stellar. Misery not being included is an omission that cannot be forgiven, especially since gone-tomorrow things like The Mist are included.
Finally, I was stoked at opening night of Pet Sematary. But from the very beginning with the Exorcist-ripoff pseudo-scare, I knew we were in trouble. One of my favorite books TRASHED in the hands of an incompetent director.
However, this list literally CANNOT be agreed with by everyone down the line, given the surprisingly (to the uniformed) large number of adaptations from which to choose.
Dang it, I wanted to write this list myself. It woulda been different, but no one would have agreed with me, either.
dreamcatcher was great
I have seen exactly one of these, and it’s at #1, so I can’t argue with that. (Sort of like the over-rated novels list, where I’d only read #1. Emma meets Shawshank; is there any connection there?)
Agree with mister, I don’t understand why “Dead Zone” is not on this list ????
Sorry, but the miniseries adaptation of The Shining is a pile of *****. The acting is terrible and it just doesn’t have the atmosphere needed for a film of its kind. Kubrick’s version is far superior, even if it deviated from the source material (the hedge maze is a much better idea than the animated hedge creatures, and the hotel blowing up seemed too excessive and out-of-place in the novel). I haven’t seen a lot of these, but I thought that Secret Window wasn’t so great and The Green Mile is really overrated. Shawshank and Misery deserve their places, but I thought that The Dark Zone should have definitely made the list, what with Christopher Walken’s great performance and Martin Sheen’s crazy President. Needful Things was also a pretty decent adaptation of the source material, and while Carrie is a good flick, the book is far better – ditto to Firestarter.
Though I can’t thank you enough for omitting tripe like Rose Red and the truly atrocious Desperation. In fact, why not a list of the WORST Stephen King movie/tv adaptations?
oh i know. i cant STAND to watch the re make of the shining. its just completely awful. thats all i have to say!!
I don’t care what you say, the Stanley Kubrick version of The Shining should be on here not the *****ty other one.
And where the hell is Carrie?
I am a massive fan of Stephen King but this list fails.
Not happy.
The Shawshank Redemption is the most overrated movie in IMDB. It is great and it is well acted, but, hell, no way it is better than “the Godfather”, “Il Buono, il brutto, il cattivo” or “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”.
I can’t believe Stephen Kings only not overrated movie is not on this list, I’m sure I’m one of a 100+ people that will say that but it needs to be said.
Almost every one of Stephen kings movies are completely unwatchable, he is by far one of the worst horror authors on the planet and he has systematically undermined the horror genre with predictable, stupid movies with zero likable characters and little to no redeeming value. The only thing saving his movies are brilliant directors doing work that Mr. King would hate.
He is well loved among trailer trash and people too old for harry potter.
Are you judging him by the movies or by his books? Cause I can agree that a lot of the movies on this list are "unwatchable" and I DO consider myself a huge King-Fan. And I get that people might not enjoy the stories he writes, it's simply not everybody's bag of crisps, but to call his characters unlikeable…that seems to imply, that you haven't really read the books, just watched some god-awful movie-adaptions with bad acting. Because even in the weaker stories, the characters always were what kept me reading.
I'm truly sorry, but you're a worthless idiot.
Do you normally go around to websites and post things that make you look like a complete moron?
” Trailer trash ” ???? you must have a very inflated opinion of yourself to consider people trailer trash because they happen to like something you don’t. You must be one of those people that has spent 32 years in college thinking that some how makes you elite………
I’d say its a toss up between Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile. hmmmm… Nah – Green Mile wins in my book!
Overall, I didn’t think much of The Mist as a movie, but the ending was fantastic. I have to completely agree with No. 1. The Shawshank Redemption was an amazing book and an equally amazing movie.
And by the way Tj, I am neither trailer trash or too old for Harry Potter (whatever age that happens to be) and I’ve been a King fan for most of my life.
I suppose having a wide range of tastes is not something you are particularly familiar with.
i love misery!
I think you’ll find that the good characters in ‘The Stand’ flock to Mother Abigail, not Grandmother Moses
I cannot believe Cujo didn’t make the list. That dog deserved an Oscar!
Lea, you said it before i could!
Good list, but Kubrick’s The Shining was far superior…glad to see Shawshank Redemption made numero uno. And Tj, i’m pretty sure that Stephen King is the AUTHOR of his books, not the DIRECTOR of movies based on his books. And if by undermined the horror genre, you mean influenced it and almost all the writers in horror nowadays, then i agree with you…and i don’t even consider myself a King Fan, but he is a *****ing amazing writer.
now thatsmore like it!!!!
my favorite s kng book is a collection of shorts titled everything is eventual… i plan to do a concept album with my band based on that book,,,, is that legal?
I would have included Cujo and Carrie on this list. Other than that agree with most of it, although Stephen King is the only person on the planet who prefers the Shining mini-series to the Kubrick version.
completely agree with shawshank redemption being #1. it is an extremely underrated movie, and has a brillient ending.
much kudos on the list
Carrie ought to have made at least the top 5. I’d also place Firestarter and Christine above some of the TV miniseries listed. While the book was excellent, the first SK I ever read, I couldn’t stand The Stand (punny, huh?).
I do agree that Shawshank Redemption should be #1. One of my top ten movies of all time.
We omit The Shining because King didn’t like it? These are movies “based” on King stories… methinks it should have fulfilled the criteria. I haven’t seen the mini series, but wasn’t it widely considered to be utterly terrible? I guess I can’t really judge since I haven’t seen it. But I can say that I read the book and saw the Kubrick version and I really don’t see why King got his knickers in a twist. The Shining was a fantastic film. Creepy, compelling, and very well cast.
I am also very surprised not to see Carrie and Christine here. I would dump, say, 1408 and Secret Window and put those in there, except higher.
the Shawshank Redemption. A story that probably shows some close reality to what really happens in the prison population.
Long time lurker…
First time poster.
I’ve been a Steven king fan since I was old enough to read. Pet Sematary was the tops as far as pure horror in a novel. I was unfortunately dissapointed when I saw it on the screen. Carrie, Dead Zone, Cujo or even Christine were better films.
This list also ignored one of my favorite King works ever to be filmed. It wasn’t a book or short story, it was a screenplay he wrote and had George Romero direct. Creepshow was the best.
Shane, this list was a good read, and I am not a Stephen King fan. I thought Misery was anything but scary. The Shining is the only King-based film that’s ever held my interest. I find that King seems to start out with a great premise, but that they go to hell when he finally puts them down on paper. I tried for a whole month to read Misery and kept falling asleep. I finally gave up. I will grant you though, Stand By Me is a fantastic story. Maybe I only like King when he’s not trying to scare me to death?
The best movies are from King’s shorter novels and short stories (Carrie and Dead Zone). The longer novels (It, The Stand, Rose Red) become long mini-series events that drag out over 2, 3, and 4 nights and become tedious and boring with run-on sentences and paragraphs and chapters and novels that really need a good editing job but never do because nobody would dare make Stephen King re-write anything; like most of his novels.
1408 better then Carrie and The Dead Zone? Srsly wtf?
I was a huge SK fan in high school, but reading–or rather trying to read–Pet Sematary pretty much killed it. It wassn’t until my then-boyfriend and I went to see Shawshank Redemption that I began to explore his non-freakout-horror stories/movies and found that he really is a great story teller. I’m going to have to go get Secret Window now.
@ TJ: I fully agree with TeaPixi’s comments! Hmmmm….I wonder, if SK is “the worst horror writer on the planet”, (as you put it)why so many of his stories have been published, and why there have been so many directors eager to bring his stories to the big screen? So Mr King’s work may not be everyone’s cup of Poison, but then again, neither is your attitude.
I don’t wanna be buried in a Pet Sematary…
Gotta love the Ramones.
Good list, I am a big Stephen King fan and most films made of his work hardly ever do it justice. Like mentioned though, I would argue that the Green Mile should be further up – it sticks so closely to the book and the actors were perfectly chosen for their respective roles. Fantastic film. And I’m glad Christine didn’t make it onto the list – it is one of my favourite King novels but (no disrespect to John Carpenter) the film absolutely REEKED!!!
I’ve seen most all of these movies and agree with the list mostly so good job. The movie I seem to enjoy most is the Green Mile.
“I try’d to take it back but it was too late.”
Grandma Moses in The Stand?
Cat’s Eye anyone?!?!?! hahahaha I watched it every day when I was little. The little gremlin guy in the bedroom scared the crap out of me. It’s my number one, only for nostalgia sake though: )
@ Leah #43: Shawshank Redemption UNDERRATED? Puh-lease. It’s one of only three films to get above a 9.0 on IMdB (as the list states). I would call Shawshank many things (I would go so far as to say vastly overrated myself, it works wonderfully as a sleeping aid for me) but never underrated.
I thought The Mist was terrible – bad acting,bad CGI,not scary at all..cant believe you put it above The Green Mile..and 1408 was pretty silly too.Misery and Shawshank on the other hand – brilliant films that deserve the top spots.
I usually agree with IMDB ratings, and I do believe I have a good taste in movies, but honestly The Shawshank Redemption wasn’t really that appealing to me. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed it, but I don’t really understand all that hype surrounding it.
The Mist was a huge surprise for me, I had never heard about it before watching it on DVD, I didn’t even know what to expect, so I was quite pleasantly surprised. The ending is pretty damn hardcore, but apparently different from the short story.
I’ve seen most of the movies but will certainly check out the others thanks to this great list.