The success rate for movies adapted from Stephen King stories seems small, and factoring in only his horror stories, that rate gets even smaller. Many times, it’s because the dread and horror from the main characters is internalized in a way only easily conveyed when reading their thoughts on print. Because of this, the likes of a few iconic Stephen King novels have never been properly and successfully adapted to the big screen.
But there have been a few over the years that rise to the top. In fact, a few of the movies on this list are not only some of my favorite movies of all time, but also critically acclaimed, canonical films considered among some of the medium’s best ones. This list features a few of Stephen King’s horror movies, as well as a few of his lighter dramas. There is still plenty of his material out there to adapt, so I’m sure this list could change in the future. But for now, here are the 10 best Stephen King movie adaptations:
10. It (2017)
9. Children of the Corn (1984)
8. Christine (1983)
7. Stand by Me (1986)
6. Misery (1990)
5. The Mist (2007)
4. The Green Mile (1999)
3. Carrie (1976)
2. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
1. The Shining (1980)
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