Best Stephen King movie adaptations, ranked (including 'The Life of Chuck')
Almost as long as that legendary master of horror Stephen King has been keeping book lovers up at night, filmmakers have been adapting his novels and short stories. Which means there have been some stone-cold classics ("The Shining," anyone?) and more than a few clunkers.
For every "The Dark Tower," there's an "It" – though we got two of those, both of them good. So is the new one: Director Mike Flanagan's uplifting film "The Life of Chuck" (in theaters now), based on the novella from King's "If It Bleeds" collection, stars Tom Hiddleston as the title character whose life story gets told in reverse chronological order.
It's a pretty big 2025 for King and his Constant Readers. The year has already seen the release of "The Monkey," and this fall brings dystopian thriller "The Long Walk" (Sept. 12) – with Mark Hamill torturing quite a few members of young Hollywood – and Edgar Wright's new take on "The Running Man" (Nov. 7) starring Glen Powell. And on the book front, King's latest novel "Never Flinch" is new in stores while "Hansel & Gretel," his children's book with Maurice Sendak, is out Sept. 2.
In honor of "Chuck," here are the most essential King movies, ranked:
Carla Gugino and Bruce Greenwood play a couple who go on a romantic getaway to rekindle their marriage. The wife gets handcuffed to the bed, hubby has a heart attack, there are no neighbors to call and she struggles to maintain her sanity in a stressful situation. (Also, good luck trying to unsee the super-duper creepy Moonlight Man.)
Where to watch: Netflix.
So what if this futuristic action flick isn't exactly faithful to the '82 King book (written as Richard Bachman)? It's an enjoyable time watching Arnold Schwarzenegger as a framed military man on a brutally deadly game show, tackling over-the-top bruisers and TV host baddie Richard Dawson in a movie that's more WrestleMania than social satire.
Where to watch: Paramount+, Apple TV, Amazon, Fandango at Home.
Gory and gloriously absurd, the horror comedy stars Theo James in a dual role as twins who thought they got rid of a cursed monkey toy when they were kids until it comes back into their lives and brings a whole heap of bloody death. Sure, it's extremely demented, but this wacky film also has something deep to say about mortality.
Where to watch: Apple TV, Amazon, Fandango at Home.
The sentimental prison drama based on King's serial novel gets its hooks in thanks to the one-two emotional punch of Tom Hanks and Michael Clarke Duncan. Hanks plays a death row prison guard who doesn't know what to make of a gentle but enigmatic giant (Duncan), convicted of murdering two girls, who exhibits strange abilities.
Where to watch: Apple TV, Amazon, Fandango at Home.
In the most underrated King movie, a supernatural skeptic (John Cusack) who writes about haunted places takes interest in the legendarily creepy room of a New York high-rise. It's astoundingly kooky but also a thoughtful study of cynicism and belief.
Where to watch: Apple TV, Amazon, Fandango at Home.
Ewan McGregor stars in "The Shining" sequel as a grown-up Danny Torrance, decades past surviving the horrors at the Overlook Hotel, now sober after years of alcoholism and helping a young psychic girl (Kyliegh Curran). It mines familiar ground by carrying over "Shining" themes and characters, but it's best going its own way as a reluctant hero's journey.
Where to watch: Apple TV, Amazon, Fandango at Home.
King is as much a master of Americana as he is frights, and Rob Reiner's coming-of-age tale of four misfits and their adventures to find a dead body is top notch at capturing the unbreakable bond of friendship and the fleeting nature of childhood innocence.
Where to watch: Paramount+, Pluto TV, Apple TV, Amazon, Fandango at Home.
How do you make a King novella even more bleak? Director Frank Darabont manages to do that rather well with this story of small-town Maine folks stuck in a supermarket, thanks to a mysterious mist and monstrous hidden creatures outside. Come for the paranoia and tribalism, stay for the gut-punch ending.
Where to watch: Paramount+, Apple TV, Amazon, Fandango at Home.
A modern take might have nutty Annie Wilkes making a TikTok or simply sliding into the DMs of author Paul Sheldon to profess her fandom but it wouldn't have been so malevolently perfect as this pre-Internet chiller. Kathy Bates earns her Oscar and then some, taking Annie's terrifying adoration for James Caan's Sheldon to a disturbing, hide-your-eyes level.
Where to watch: Apple TV, Amazon, Fandango at Home.
Christopher Walken is a psychic schoolteacher who 'sees' someone's secrets if he touches them, including a vision of a nuclear holocaust after shaking the hand of a senatorial candidate (Martin Sheen). More than 40 years later, the film's political bent seems timelier than ever.
Where to watch: Pluto TV, Apple TV, Amazon, Fandango at Home.
Sissy Spacek exudes quiet, tortured grace as a teenager just blossoming into womanhood, leading to bullying from classmates and her abusively religious mom (Piper Laurie). The last 30 minutes is a jaw-dropping transformation from childhood innocence to murderous hysteria.
Where to watch: Max, Apple TV, Amazon, Fandango at Home.
Taking the friendship stuff from "Stand by Me" and weaving in a deliciously evil clown in a poufy wardrobe, "It" works magic on a lot of different levels and leaves you desperately seeking more Pennywise. Warning: May not be for those skeeved out by buckets of blood shooting out of a sink.
Where to watch: Max, Apple TV, Amazon, Fandango at Home.
A more life-affirming, dance-filled Stephen King movie than you probably expect. Featuring Tom Hiddleston as a businessman with some sweet moves, it's a proudly unconventional flick that begins with the end of the world and ends with a haunted attic, and everything in between is a thought-provoking delight.
Where to watch: In theaters.
There's not much scary here other than some jail guards. Instead, what makes "Shawshank" an all-timer is the core friendship of two inmates (played by Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman) who figure out they'd better 'get busy living or get busy dying."
Where to watch: Apple TV, Amazon, Fandango at Home.
King notoriously disliked Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece, but it's the best of the entire lot. Come for the infamous scenes – 'Heeeeere's Johnny,' anyone? – and stay for the exceptional exploration of isolation, one man's descent into madness, and the terrifying effect on his family.
Where to watch: Max, Apple TV, Amazon, Fandango at Home.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The best Stephen King movies, ranked (including 'Life of Chuck')
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