It’s probably no secret that King is an extremely prolific author, and directors, sometimes outstanding ones, love to bring King’s stories to the big screen. Today, we’ll look back at the top, internationally acclaimed film adaptations of the King of Horror’s prose.

Carrie

High school senior Carrie White suffers constant bullying because her strict, devout mother raised her unprepared for life among peers.

The bullying peaks at prom, but her merciless tormentors have no idea they will soon become victims themselves.

It all started with Carrie, directed by Brian De Palma in the best traditions of Hitchcock. It was King’s first published novel, as well as the first film adaptation of his work – and it was an instant success!

After its release, the film boldly voiced the anxieties of puberty and earned universal acclaim, with critics naming it one of the year’s best.

The Shining

Writer Jack Torrance arrives at the remote Overlook Hotel, located in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, with his wife Wendy and young son Danny.

He takes a winter caretaker job, hoping the isolated, snowbound hotel will be the perfect place to write his new novel. But soon the planned idyll comes to an end when Jack encounters sinister visions and begins to literally go mad.

It’s hard to believe now, but at the time of its release, The Shining received a lukewarm reception, with King himself criticizing it for deviating too much from the original source material. He didn’t like how Kubrick conveyed the main themes of the book and how he interpreted Wendy’s character.

Fortunately, time has set everything in its place, and critics now regard The Shining as an undisputed masterpiece whose influence on pop culture is immeasurable.

Christine

One day, struggling schoolkid Arnie Cunningham discovers a red-and-white 1958 Plymouth Fury rusting in a suspicious old man’s yard. The same man will later terrify Kevin McCallister, but for now Arnie instantly falls in love with the car.

He buys the neglected vehicle, dreaming of restoring it into a perfect ride. Arnie fails to notice how the car slowly pulls him under its dark, seductive influence.

Christine joins The Shining as another adaptation on our list that Stephen King himself openly dislikes.

Nevertheless, the film has numerous fans around the world and has ultimately acquired cult classic status. George Thorogood’s Bad to the Bone revved ears long before leather-clad Iron Arnie rode his Harley into the night.

Stand by Me

In the late 1950s, in the town of Castle Rock, Oregon, in the midst of summer vacation, four young friends – Gordon Lachance, Chris Chambers, Teddy Duchamp, and Vern Tessio – set off on an adventurous journey in search of the body of Ray Brewer, a young man who had recently disappeared.

According to one of the boys, he overheard a conversation between his older brother Billy and a friend, who had found the dead body. An exciting and dangerous adventure awaits the boys, after which each of them will return home a little more mature.
Once again, this shows that King writes about more than horror: the cult classic Stay with Me represents the brighter side of his work, less often recalled but vital to his legacy. The film also earned an Oscar nomination and two Golden Globe nominations.

Misery

After an unpleasant incident on the road caused by a severe snowstorm, Paul Shelton, author of romance novels about Misery Chastine, finds himself in the home of Annie Wilkes, a woman who seems friendly at first glance.

Bedridden, he is unable to move on his own, but Annie promises to take care of him, as she is his biggest fan. Over time, the fan’s behavior turns increasingly sinister, and Paul realizes the madwoman is holding him captive.

Misery became another successful adaptation of King’s literary legacy by director Rob Reiner: the film received good press and did well at the box office.

The Shawshank Redemption

Banker Andy Dufresne meets terrible luck: the court sentences him to two life terms for murders he did not commit and sends him to Shawshank Prison, where he endures hellish trials.

But Andy shows unheard-of fortitude and courage, which help him survive in this cruel world. Moreover, at some point, he sees the light at the end of the tunnel.

It probably goes without saying that The Shawshank Redemption still tops numerous rankings of the best films on popular movie websites.

This film truly won the nation’s hearts, and it’s hard to believe it initially flopped at the box office before a re-release corrected that injustice.

The Green Mile

In 1935, authorities sent John Coffey, a powerful Black man accused of a horrific crime, to Cold Mountain Prison in Louisiana. His sentence is the electric chair. Over time, local guard Paul Edgecomb and his colleagues discover that the harmless Coffey has a kind heart, but also possesses a magical gift.

However, this is still not enough to overturn the cruel sentence that awaits the condemned man.
Good box office performance, four Oscar nominations, critical acclaim, and the sincere love of viewers that continues to this day – this is how one can characterize the reception of The Green Mile.

The Mist

The town of Bridgeton, Maine. Artist David Drayton was finishing up his painting of Clint Eastwood’s iconic look from those legendary westerns when he noticed a crazy storm outside. In the morning, David, along with his 5-year-old son Billy and neighbor Brent Norton, head to the local supermarket to buy the necessary materials to repair their hurricane-damaged homes.

Upon arriving at their destination, they, like other shoppers, hear the familiar sound of an air raid siren and then discover with horror that an ominous fog has enveloped the entire city. And within it lies a mysterious and deadly danger.
Interestingly, Frank Darabont planned to make the film adaptation of The Mist his directorial debut, but fate had other plans. And perhaps it was for the best. This time, the director decided to move away from the inspired sentimentality of his previous works and produced a dark, suspenseful, extremely tense film that is impossible to tear yourself away from.

And the ending, which was changed from the original novella (and approved by King himself), hits the viewer just as accurately and powerfully.

“1408”

Michael Ansling is an author of books on the paranormal who is skeptical of any manifestations of the supernatural in real life. Convinced that everything Ed and Lorraine Warren have encountered is utter nonsense, Michael heads to the Dolphin Hotel in New York, or more precisely, to room 1408, where staying there risks suicide for anyone who ends up there. Not believing in all the superstitions surrounding 1408 and ignoring the warnings of hotel manager Gerald Olin, Michael checks into the room, and his initial skepticism quickly disappears.
The film was a critical and financial success, and along with The Mist, which premiered just a few months later, viewers were treated to two high-quality film adaptations of King’s prose in such a short period of time.

“It”

In the town of Derry, guess which state it’s in, a group of teenagers encounter the terrifying clown Pennywise. To overcome this irrational evil, the kids must face their worst fears head-on.
What kind of King-themed selection would this be without his legendary dancing clown? When Andrés Muschietti’s first film was released in 2017, everyone started saying that finally, after a very long time, there was a worthy adaptation of King’s work. A number of critics were generous with their praise, calling it “one of the best film adaptations of King’s work.”