When Stephen Edwin King published Carrie in 1974, little did he (or his publishers) know that the new writer on the block would end up becoming one of the best-selling authors of our time. More than five decades later, he remains a prolific novelist and a modern literary legend, with 64 novels, 200 short stories, five non-fiction books, numerous scripts, and other works to his credit. Often called the King of Horror, Stephen King has become synonymous with horror, dark fantasy, supernatural, gothic, and post-apocalyptic fiction.
King’s work, over the years, has provided rich material for many filmmakers, including the likes of Stanley Kubrick, David Cronenberg, John Carpenter, Mike Flanagan, and Peter Cornwell, among many others, who have adapted his novels and short stories into gripping, chilling, and thrilling movies. King’s portfolio, however, is so diverse and unique that it’s impossible to find a common thread among all his works, let alone the ideas. No two novels of his can be categorized as one single genre, or of the same dimensional existence. Hence, the adaptations of his work also range from straight-up body horror to complex supernatural phenomena, from terrifying thrillers to bloodcurdling horror.
With a couple of his recent stories being adapted into new movies, it seems like a good time to revisit some of Stephen King’s best works that were turned into spine-chilling movies.
The Shining (1977)
The third novel by Stephen King, The Shining is one of his most popular works of the early years. King’s personal life largely influences the setting and the protagonist of this horror thriller. The story follows Jack Torrance, a struggling writer and recovering alcoholic who takes up a temp job as an off-season caretaker at the historic Overlook Hotel in Colorado. His wife and son also accompany him to the exotic locale. His son Danny has a unique psychic ability, which allows him to see into the horrific events that happened at the hotel in the past. When a snow storm leaves them stranded at the hotel, Jack is haunted by supernatural spirits of the past and puts his and his family’s lives in danger.
In 1980, Stanley Kubrick wrote the screenplay and directed an adaptation of the same name, starring Jack Nicholson as Jack Torrance, Shelly Duval, Scatman Crothers, and Danny Lloyd. The movie’s plot is quite distorted, leaning more towards the insanity of Jack, portrayed more as a pompous novelist who is terribly self-involved. There’s also more bloodshed, agony, madness, and stifling situations in the film version. Although not a direct adaptation of the original novel, it remains a classic in the horror genre and a fan favorite.
Doctor Sleep (2013)
Although published many years later, King wrote Dr. Sleep as a sequel to The Shining. A Bram Stoker Award-winning novel, Dr. Sleep ranked at number one on The New York Times Best Seller list. The story takes off years after the events of The Shining and features an adult Danny Torrance. Danny grows up being haunted by the events of the Overlook Hotel and remains psychologically traumatized. Hence, as an adult, Danny, now Dan, ends up inheriting his father’s anger issues and alcoholism. Drifting from town to town across the US, Dan finally settles in New Hampshire, where he quits drinking and starts to change his life. His suppressed psychic abilities resurface, which he uses to comfort dying patients, thus earning the nickname Dr. Sleep.
In 2019, Mike Flanagan directed and scripted the eponymous thriller movie, starring Ewan McGregor as Danny Torrance, along with Rebecca Ferguson, Kyliegh Curran, Cliff Curtis, and Carl Lumbly. The movie was well-reviewed by critics for Flanagan’s direction and McGregor’s convincing performance, although it wasn’t a box office success.
The Green Mile (1996)
Remember when we said earlier that none of Stephen King’s novels fall under one genre? The Green Mile is a great example of that. It is fantasy, supernatural horror, crime thriller, and magic realism, all wrapped into one, convoluted plot. The Green Mile follows the story of Paul Edgecombe, a death row supervisor at the Cold Mountain Penitentiary, nicknamed The Green Mile. Told in a first-person narrative, the story focuses on Paul’s encounter with newly-arrived inmate John Coffey, a tall powerfully-built black man accused of the rape and murder of two young girls. But he is unusual and enigmatic, contrary to his reputation, and seems to possess mysterious abilities to heal and be empathetic. When Paul sees John’s abilities helping other inmates, Paul suspects that he could actually be innocent.
In 1999, filmmaker Frank Darabont wrote, produced, and directed the film adaptation, featuring Tom Hanks as Paul Edgecomb and Michael Clarke Duncan as John Coffey. The Academy-Award-nominated movie is regarded as emotional, sensitive, and mystical, thanks to the brilliant and devoted performances of the cast. Though it might not be a particularly scary movie, it still has a sense of eerieness and tension that terrifies in a very different way.
The Mist (1980)
A part of the Dark Forces anthology, The Mist is a psychological horror novella that blends religious fanaticism and man-made fears. This story takes inspiration from the author’s personal experience of a trip to the local supermarket after a thunderstorm, where he imagined prehistorical creatures taking over the building. The novella is set in the small town of Bridgton, Maine, which is hit by a severe thunderstorm. After the storm passes the next morning, the town remains covered in a thick blanket of mist, with an entire population of unearthly creatures hiding inside. David Drayton, the narrator and protagonist, goes on a grocery run to the local supermarket with his son, when an earthquake-like jolt hits the building. This is followed by the creatures attacking the people in the store, leading to violence and aggression towards each other while they struggle to survive these deadly beasts. Nominated for the World Fantasy Award and the Locus Award, The Mist is often considered to be one of King’s most classic works in the horror genre
In 2007, director Frank Darabont adapted The Mist, featuring Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, Toby Jones, William Sadler, and Melissa McBride, among an ensemble cast. The movie marked the end of Darabont’s Stephen King trilogy (the others being The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile). The film leans more towards sci-fi horror and has a different climax than the original novella.
Needful Things (1991)
Needful Things is one of those stories that leave you sleepless at night and watchful of your friendly neighborhood shop owner. It is essentially the story of a demonic store owner wreaking havoc in a small town.
Leland Gaunt, a small business owner, comes to Castle Rock, Maine, and sets up a shop selling collectibles, antiques, and rare items for dirt cheap prices. His only ask from his customers is that in exchange for their buys, they play a small prank/trick on one of the townsfolk. This eventually leads to aggression and chaos and even the deaths of some people. This story is kind of a moral fable if you want to look at it that way, where greed and endless material desires lead to doom.
In 1993, a film adaptation was directed by Fraser C. Heston, starring Max von Sydow as Gaunt, and Ed Harris, Bonnie Bedelia, Amanda Plummer, and J. T. Walsh in other roles. While there are mixed reviews about the movie, it managed to evoke the fear and thrill that the story aims at, particularly with Sydow’s Leland Gaunt.
Secret Window, Secret Garden (1990)
This horror novella is another story about writer’s block, which King has explored quite a bit in his works. A part of the Four Past Midnight collection that won the Bram Stoker Award in 1990, this is a chilling thriller with a psychological horror angle. The story follows Mort Rainey, a successful writer, who is suddenly confronted by a man named John Shooter, who claims that Mort has plagiarized his novel and published it as his own work. Mort denies it but John seems insistent and leaves his manuscript of the novel in question. When Mort reads through the manuscript, he realizes that it’s exactly the same story as his published short story, except for the title, characters, and ending. This sends Mort down a spiral and challenges his professional and personal life.
In 2007, David Koepp wrote and directed an adaptation titled Secret Window, which features Johnny Depp as Mort Rainey and John Turturro as John Shooter. The movie adaptation offers more of a Hitchcockian twist and does the job of creating an intense atmosphere quite right.
In the Tall Grass (2012)
This horror novella is co-written by Stephen King and his son, Joe Hill. This story, although primarily horror, also touches upon mysticism. In the Tall Grass follows siblings Cal and Becky Demuth on a cross-country trip. They stop at a field of very tall grass after hearing a little boy crying. When Becky heads into the field to help the boy but can’t find him, Cal follows her and gets lost. Within minutes the siblings lose each other in what seems like a never-ending maze of nine-foot-high grass and it only seems to get deeper and mysterious. What follows is a terrifying tale involving life, death, and mystical beings.
In 2019, the novella was adapted into a horror film written and directed by Vincenzo Natali. The Netflix original film features Harrison Gilbertson, Laysla De Oliveira, Avery Whitted, Will Buie Jr., Rachel Wilson, and Patrick Wilson and makes a few changes to the plot of the novella, especially in the later half.