Every Stephen King adaptation, ranked

• Stephen King is one of the most prolific authors of all time in any genre, but especially horror.
• His novels, short stories, and novellas have been adapted for TV and movies over 75 times.
• The latest adaptation of one of his works, “The Running Man,” comes out on November 14.

Spooky season may be over, but any true horror fan can tell you: Stephen King is terrifying all year round.

Across a 50-year career, King has written 65 novels and over 200 short stories, giving directors, screenwriters, and actors plenty of material to work with.

And they have — King’s works have been adapted a whopping 76 times, with a 77th on the way.

“The Running Man,” directed by Edgar Wright and starring Glen Powell, is set to release on November 14. It will be the second adaptation of King’s 1982 novel.

We’ve used Rotten Tomatoes to rank every single King adaptation — or at least, all the ones with critics’ scores — to determine the classics from the forgettables.

Here’s how every King adaptation stacks up.

76 (tie). “Graveyard Shift” (1990)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 0%

“Graveyard Shift” is based on King’s short story of the same name, which was published in 1970.

It follows John Hall (David Andrews), a recent hire at a rat-infested mill. However, what turns out to actually be haunting the basement of this textile mill is no simple rat.

Matt Brunson of The Film Frenzy called it a “heapjack horror yarn.”

76 (tie). “Children of the Corn” (2009)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 0%

The third adaptation of King’s 1977 short story has been ruled the worst. It stars David Anders and Kandyse McClure as a couple, Burt and Vicky, who accidentally stumble upon a death cult of children and teenagers who have sacrificed all the adults in their town to an unseen force known as “He Who Walks Behind The Rows.”

“This lazy reimagining of a terse Stephen King short story drags itself through the horror paces, with a predictable slow build toward a couple of splashy gore sequences,” wrote Jeremiah Kipp for Slant Magazine.

75. “Firestarter” (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 10%

This was the second adaptation of King’s 1980 novel about Charlie (Ryan Kiera Armstrong), a young girl who struggles with destructive pyrokinetic powers, and her father Andy (Zac Efron), who will do anything to keep her safe.

“The effects are dodgy and unconvincing. The emotional investment is nil. The running time is only 94 minutes long, thus proving there may, in fact, be a merciful higher power out there. It’s still a four-alarm disaster,” wrote Jason Bailey for Rolling Stone.

73 (tie). Children of the Corn (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 11%

The 2020 remake of “Children of the Corn” is a pretty significant departure from the source material, excising the original characters of Burt and Vicky entirely and focusing on how the children of this town came to power in the first place, starting with a young girl named Eden (Kate Moyer).

“Boring and bland. What a shucker,” wrote The Guardian’s Cath Clarke.

73 (tie). “Cell” (2016)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 11%

“Cell” costars John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson, reuniting after their previous collaboration in a different King adaptation (more on that later), as two survivors of a catastrophic electronic signal that causes cellphone users to turn into rabid killers. It’s based on the 2006 novel by King of the same name.

“This is the undead equivalent of fast food. Some might find comfort in all these known quantities. Those looking for anything of substance would do better to wait for an upgrade,” wrote Steve Greene of IndieWire.

72. “Maximum Overdrive” (1986)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 14%

Somewhat based on a 1973 short story by King called “Trucks,” “Maximum Overdrive” is the only film that King wrote and directed himself.

It follows the people of Earth after a comet passes by and causes all machines on the planet to become sentient — and yes, they’re angry.

“The character development, usually a strength, is practically nonexistent. Perhaps some of this can be explained by the fact that he was at the height of his addictions when the film was made and learning a new creative process meant that his storytelling prowess got lost,” wrote Den of Geek’s Rebecca Lea.

71. “The Dark Tower” (2017)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 16%

King’s decadeslong fantasy series of books introduces readers to an in-depth universe and connects many of King’s most famous works, such as “The Stand,” “It,” and “The Shining,” among others.

In retrospect, adapting the series was an impossible task.

Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey gave this film their best, but it wasn’t enough. As Kevin Maher of The Times wrote, “Eight volumes, more than 4,000 pages, and a multitude of exotic settings and alternative realities entered by two near-mythic antagonists, are here transformed into turgid cinematic slop.”

70. “Stephen King’s Thinner” (1996)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 19%

“Thinner” is the first film on this list to be adapted from a novel written by King under his pseudonym Richard Bachman. It was published in 1984.

In the film, Robert John Burke plays an obese lawyer, Billy, who is cursed after he drives erratically and kills a Romani woman. The curse causes him to lose weight rapidly, no matter how much he eats.

“‘Thinner’ is jaw-droppingly bad: not only weirdly amateurish but regularly offensive,” wrote Grant Watson for Fiction Machine.

69. “Carrie” (2002)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 20%

“Carrie” was the first novel ever published by King, back in 1974, and it remains one of his most beloved. As such, it has been adapted numerous times, including a soon-to-be-released TV series created by Mike Flanagan.

This TV movie adaptation stars Angela Bettis as the troubled telekinetic titular teen and Patricia Clarkson as her mother, Margaret. This version is notable for leaving Carrie alive at the end, a departure from the novel.

“Too much of ‘Carrie’ feels padded, that we’re watching an extra 45 seconds or a minute in certain scenes just to get them to fill out the time until the commercial break or allow in more f/x,” wrote Phil Gallo of Variety.

68. “Riding the Bullet” (2004)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 23%

King’s first e-book, the novella “Riding the Bullet,” was published in 2000. Four years later, it was adapted into this film starring Jonathan Jackson as Alan, a college student in Maine, who has a traumatizing encounter with the spirit of George (David Arquette), who has recently died.

Justin Chang of Variety called it “a ponderous, incoherent horror mishmash that turns King’s short story into utter nonsense.”

66 (tie). “The Mangler” (1995)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 27%

“The Mangler” was a short story first published in 1972. The film, released in 1995, stars Robert Englund (best known for playing horror legend Freddy Krueger) as Bill, the owner of a laundry service. Unfortunately for him, one of the machines has a mind of its own,

“I’ve been more frightened by the prospect of folding my own laundry than by anything ‘The Mangler’ offers up,” wrote The Georgia Straight’s Steve Newton.

66 (tie). “Dreamcatcher” (2003)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 27%

“Dreamcatcher,” published in 2001, is a somewhat loaded work for King, as he’s later said he wrote it while under the influence of OxyContin he was prescribed after a car crash, per Rolling Stone.

The film certainly didn’t improve upon his work. It stars Damian Lewis, Thomas Jane, Timothy Olyphant, Jason Lee, and Donnie Wahlberg as a group of (telepathic) childhood friends who are exposed to hostile aliens who possess people.

“‘Dreamcatcher’ is unspeakably bad — and shockingly so — considering that it’s an adaptation of a Stephen King novel, from the director of ‘The Big Chill’ (Lawrence Kasdan) and the writer of ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’ (William Goldman),” wrote Christy Lemire for the Associated Press.

65. “A Good Marriage” (2014)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 32%

“A Good Marriage,” based on the 2010 novella of the same name, stars Joan Allen and Anthony LaPaglia as a seemingly happily married couple — that is, until Darcy (Allen) figures out that her husband Bob (LaPaglia) might be a notorious serial killer.

“It’s serviceable,” wrote the Village Voice’s Pete Vonder Haar, “demonstrating that perhaps the Master’s new movie domain can be found in mining his later works.”

64. “The Night Flier” (1997)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 33%

“The Night Flier” was first a short story published in 1988 before it was turned into a film nine years later. It stars Miguel Ferrer as a tabloid reporter who becomes convinced that a string of murders was actually committed by a vampire.

“A thuddingly blunt contemporary morality tale devoid of wit and only minimally suspenseful,” wrote The New York Times’ Stephen Holden.

62 (tie). “Needful Things” (1993)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 35%

Not even the all-star casting of Max von Sydow and Ed Harris could save this film, based on the 1991 King novel.

In it, von Sydow plays Leland Gaunt, a mysterious purveyor of antiques who moves to Castle Rock, Maine (a favorite of King’s), and promptly begins sowing distrust, hatred, and in some cases, violence, among its citizens. Harris plays the town’s sheriff, Alan.

“This is pulp moviemaking at its worst,” wrote Clifford Terry for The Chicago Tribune.

62 (tie). “The Tommyknockers” (1993)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 35%

King told Rolling Stone that “The Tommyknockers,” a novel published in 1987, was “an awful book” that he wrote while struggling with alcoholism and cocaine addiction — in fact, his wife staged an intervention right after this book was published.

Six years later, it was adapted as a miniseries that aired on ABC. It’s pretty standard alien invasion fare, but it’s bolstered by performances from Jimmy Smits and Marg Helgenberger.

“Fans of science fiction and of King’s work will still find a lot to enjoy in ‘The Tommyknockers.’ Even casual viewers can enjoy the work of Smits, Helgenberger, and [Joanna] Cassidy, and will appreciate the story’s comments on addiction,” wrote David Reddish for CBR.

59 (tie). “Creepshow 2” (1987)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 36%

“Creepshow 2,” a sequel to “Creepshow,” is a horror comedy anthology film, with three segments based on works by King: “Old Chief Wood’nhead,” “The Raft,” and “The Hitch-hiker.”

“Just as you can’t judge a ’50s comic book by its lurid cover, so you can’t judge a cheapo, three-part film by its sources,” wrote Time Out.

59 (tie). “Children of the Corn” (1984)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 36%

The first adaptation of “Children of the Corn” is rated the best, though that’s not saying much.

This film focuses more on Vicky (Linda Hamilton) and Burt (Peter Horton), though it has less of a downer ending than the 2009 version, with the couple escaping.

“If there’s anything worse than a movie about a small town filled with evil children who are the victims of mass hysteria and think there’s something that ‘lives behind the rows,’ it’s a movie about a small town filled with evil children who are right — there is something behind the rows,” wrote Roger Ebert.

59 (tie). “In the Tall Grass” (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 36%

“In the Tall Grass” is a 2012 novella cowritten by King and his son Joe Hill. The Netflix adaptation premiered seven years later in 2019.

The story follows Becky (Laysla De Oliveira), a young pregnant woman, and her brother Cal (Avery Whitted), who encounter a mysterious young child who beckons them into a magical cornfield.

“While it’s not the sharpest of King’s stories, [director Vincenzo] Natali’s cast redeems the film’s shortcomings,” wrote Monica Castillo for Polygon.

58. “Firestarter” (1984)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 40%

The first adaptation of “Firestarter” fared better than the latest one, though not by much. The ’80s version stars Drew Barrymore as the fire-powered tyke, while her father is played by David Keith.

“Even before it begins laying waste to the reputations of cast members, ‘Firestarter’ is promptly exposed as a derivative embarrassment of a conception,” wrote The Washington Post’s Gary Arnold.

57. “Silver Bullet” (1985)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 43%

The lone story in King’s bibliography that’s mainly about werewolves, “Silver Bullet” is based on the 1983 novella “Cycle of the Werewolf.”

“Silver Bullet” stars Corey Haim as Marty, a young boy paralyzed from the waist down, who discovers that his town’s pastor is a werewolf and on a killing spree. He teams up with his sister, Jane (Megan Follows), and their eccentric uncle Red (Gary Busey) to stop the murders.

Common Sense Media’s Jose Solís called it: “A lovely piece of horror that’s far from being perfect, but has a real beating heart.”

56. “‘Salem’s Lot” (2024)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 45%

The most recent adaptation of King’s second novel, “‘Salem’s Lot” (originally published in 1975), has also been ruled the worst.

Both the HBO Max film and the story are about a writer, Ben (Lewis Pullman), who returns to his hometown of Jerusalem’s Lot, Maine, after decades away in an attempt to write about his childhood. Instead? He encounters murderous vampires.

“”Salem’s Lot’ in this new incarnation resorts to being funny when it oughtn’t, gruesome when it isn’t required, and there is an awkward sense of not knowing quite where to run along the rocky shores of Maine,” wrote John Anderson for The Wall Street Journal.

54 (tie). “Tales from the Darkside: The Movie” (1990)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 46%

“Tales from the Darkside” was an anthology series that aired for four seasons on syndicated TV from 1983 to 1988. It was turned into an anthology TV series two years after it ended.

It had three segments, with the middle segment being adapted from King’s 1977 short story “The Cat From Hell.” It’s pretty self-explanatory.

“This is just another miss along the lines of ‘Creepshow’ and ‘Twilight Zone: The Movie,'” wrote Richard Harrington for The Washington Post.

54 (tie). “Secret Window” (2004)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 46%

Based upon King’s 1990 short story “Secret Window, Secret Garden,” this film stars Johnny Depp as Mort, a writer suffering from writer’s block and a broken heart after his wife, Amy (Maria Bello), has left him. To add insult to injury, a local man named Shooter (John Turturro) has claimed that Mort’s latest story is copied from one of Shooter’s pieces. Things get wilder from there.

“Anyone with a passing knowledge of King’s jam-packed oeuvre and its spotty movie translations will be fidgeting in their seats from the get-go,” wrote Ian Nathan of Empire Magazine.

53. “Mr. Harrigan’s Phone” (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 47%

“Mr. Harrigan’s Phone” comes from a collection of short stories King published in 2020 called “If It Bleeds.”

The film stars Jaeden Martell as Craig, a lonely teenage boy who befriends the elderly Mr. Harrigan (Donald Sutherland). After Harrigan dies, Craig sneaks the old man’s cell phone into his coffin, but when Craig starts receiving strange texts from Harrigan’s number, he suspects that something supernatural is afoot.

“Hancock and his cast effectively convey the essence of King’s story, which is about a well-meaning kid learning how anything that comes too easy likely has dark strings attached,” wrote Noel Murray of the Los Angeles Times.

52. “The Langoliers” (1995)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 48%

Once again, “The Langoliers” is based on a novella taken from a compilation of King’s short stories, this one being 1990’s “Four Past Midnight.”

“The Langoliers” was turned into a two-part miniseries that aired on ABC. It follows a group of 10 airline passengers who mysteriously enter a “time rip” and have been sent back to the past. In order to return home, they must team up.

“As the scriptwriter for ‘The Langoliers,’ [Tom] Holland has strung together some of the clunkiest dialogue you’re ever likely to hear. As the director he has encouraged his mediocre cast to overact shamelessly,” wrote The Seattle Times’ John Voorhees.

51. “Hearts in Atlantis” (2001)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 49%

“Hearts in Atlantis” gets its title from a 1999 collection of King’s short stories and novellas, but its story comes from the first novella in the book, “Low Men in Yellow Coats.”

It stars Anthony Hopkins as Ted Brautigan, a new resident of a small town in Connecticut who bonds with a lonely young boy named Bobby, played by Anton Yelchin. Over the course of the film, Ted reveals he has psychic powers and is on the run from a mysterious and nefarious organization.

“‘Hearts in Atlantis’ weaves a strange spell, made of nostalgia and fear. Rarely does a movie make you feel so warm and so uneasy at the same time, as Stephen King’s story evokes the mystery of adolescence, when everything seems to be happening for the very first time,” wrote Roger Ebert.

49 (tie). “No Smoking” (2007)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 50%

“No Smoking” is notable for being the first Hindi-language film to be adapted from King’s work. It’s based on the short story “Quitters, Inc.,” which was first published in 1978.

In it, a nicotine addict named K (John Abraham) finds out how far he is willing to go to quit smoking.

“The film swirls about frantically in the effort to entertain, has a terrible Bob Fosse-like dance sequence, and generally overstays its welcome,” wrote Derek Malcolm for The Standard.

49 (tie). “Big Driver” (2014)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 50%

In a first for this list, King’s 2010 novella of the same name was turned into a Lifetime movie, and once you learn what it’s about, you won’t be surprised.

The TV film stars Maria Bello as Tess Thorne, a mystery author, who is directed to take a local shortcut by the organizer of a book event Tess attended. However, this shortcut puts her directly in the path of a sadistic killer known as “Big Driver.” After Tess escapes, she discovers how far she’s willing to go for revenge.

“Like some of King’s other tales, it loses its way, devolving into a rape revenge fantasy whose potency is diluted by silly gimmicks like a talking GPS system with a mind of its own,” wrote Lori Rackl for the Chicago Sun-Times.

48. “Carrie” (2013)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 51%

The most recent adaptation (for now) of “Carrie” moved the setting from the ’70s to the 2010s — that means that Carrie’s bullies tape themselves harassing her and upload it to YouTube (not the smartest move, but OK).

However, it received middling reviews.

“The new ‘Carrie’ isn’t atrocious — just flat and uninspired and compromised by the kind of mindless teen-movie ‘humanism’ that [director Brian] De Palma so punkishly spat on,” wrote New York Magazine’s David Edelstein.

47. “Lisey’s Story” (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 53%

Eight years after she played Carrie’s fanatically devout mother, Julianne Moore took on another King character — this time the protagonist of the 2006 novel “Lisey’s Story.”

The Apple TV+ series stars Moore as Lisey, a widow grieving the loss of her husband, Scott (Clive Owen), who was a successful author. Two years after his death, Lisey discovers a scavenger hunt that Scott left for her, which leads her to recall some long-forgotten secrets.

“It’s perfectly crafted, austere and elliptically put together, but it does little to stir the blood,” wrote Empire Magazine’s Ian Freer.

46. “Apt Pupil” (1998)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 54%

“Apt Pupil” is based on a novella published by King in 1982. The film adaptation stars Ian McKellen as a wanted Nazi criminal, Kurt Dussander, who has now lived for at least 20 years in California, and Brad Renfro as a sadistic teen who figures out Dussander’s identity and blackmails him into regaling him with stories of the Holocaust.

“‘Apt Pupil’ is a film that knows it has something to say about its subjects, but is a little too obsessed with their relationship to take a step back and offer the audience a richness that is present in other horror films,” wrote Den of Geek’s Rebecca Lea.

44 (tie). “Pet Sematary” (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 57%

“Pet Sematary” stars Jason Clarke as Louis Creed, an ER doctor and father of two, who lives in Ludlow, Maine. The family’s home is located on a busy highway, and an older neighbor, Jud (John Lithgow), cautions the family to be careful with their pets and young children around it.

When the family cat, Church, is hit and killed, Jud takes Louis to an eerie pet cemetery located behind their property that can reanimate the dead. But, famously, sometimes dead is better.

The second screen version of King’s 1983 novel “Pet Sematary” significantly changed the ending of the original story, which rubbed some fans the wrong way.

“The film is awfully smug about its wicked, unthoughtful new direction, which leads to a climax that is downright silly and, it must be said, kind of dull in all its blunt and hurried escalation,” wrote Richard Lawson for Vanity Fair.

44 (tie). “The Stand” (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 57%

This is the second adaptation of King’s 1978 epic fantasy novel “The Stand,” which follows many different survivors of a highly deadly pandemic. Unfortunately, since this limited series aired in December 2020, amid a real-life pandemic, it likely didn’t perform as well as Paramount had hoped.

This version stars James Marsden as our hero, Stu Redman, a naturally immune person who escapes government custody to join a new community in Boulder. Meanwhile, Randall Flag (Alexander Skarsgard) grows his own group of dark followers in Las Vegas. A showdown ensues.

“Stephen King’s 1,100-page apocalypse has unfolded in captivating style, maintaining the vibrant Stephen Kingyness of the characters and ratcheting up the tension at will — even if all the bouncing around in time makes it feel rather choppy,” wrote Brad Newsome of The Sydney Morning Herald.

41 (tie). “Pet Sematary” (1989)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 58%

The ’80s adaptation of “Pet Sematary” hews much closer to King’s novel, including the ending that leaves Louis (Dale Midkiff) and his wife, Rachel (Denise Crosby), together (seemingly) forever.

“Overall, the acting in ‘Pet Sematary’ is hit or miss. But when it hits, it’s a bullseye,” wrote Anne Cohen for Refinery 29.

41 (tie). “The Dark Half” (1993)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 58%

“The Dark Half,” originally published in 1989, is similar to another King work, “Secret Window.” Both are about an author who is struggling with a darker part of themselves.

In this version, author Thad Beaumont is played by Timothy Hutton, who is terrorized by George Stark, his successful pen name come to life.

“‘The Dark Half’ ends as a Stephen King movie only a George Stark could love,” wrote Rolling Stone’s Peter Travers.

41 (tie). “Chapelwaite” (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 58%

“Chapelwaite” aired on MGM+ for one season, and is based on the 1978 short story “Jerusalem’s Lot” — not to be confused with the novel “‘Salem’s Lot.”

The series stars Adrien Brody as Charles Boone, a ship captain living in 1850s America. He returns home to (where else) a small town in Maine after the death of his wife at sea — but the mansion he recently inherited, Chapelwaite, hides evil secrets.

“‘Chapelwaite’s’ supernatural side emerges in full force in its second half, and even though it maintains its simple style and grim tone, it almost feels like it switches gears into a different show entirely,” wrote The AV Club’s Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya.

40. “The Mist” (2017)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 59%

King’s 1980 novella was adapted for the second time in 2017, this time as a series that aired on Spike.

In the show, Morgan Spector stars as Kevin Copeland, an everyman who lives with his wife and daughter in a small town. On a seemingly normal day, a thick mist descends upon his town and people soon discover that those who go into the mist don’t come back.

“To basically every character in ‘The Mist,’ allow me to paraphrase the hero of the movie version of a different Stephen King novella: Get busy being better written, or get busy dying,” wrote Daniel Fienberg for The Hollywood Reporter.

37 (tie). “The Running Man” (1987)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 60%

“The Running Man” was published by King in 1982 under his pen name Richard Bachman.

Both the book and the film take place in a dystopian future United States (it’s 2025 in the book and 2017 in the movie) where the general public tunes in to a violent game show called “The Running Man.”

The movie and the book are pretty different, but in the film, Ben (Arnold Schwarzenegger) joins the cast after escaping prison. For 30 days, all he has to do is evade authorities, hunters, and normal people (all who are trying to kill him) to save his friends and family.

David Edelstein of the Village Voice wrote, “As an actor, Schwarzenegger makes Stallone look profound. He’s pretty hilarious cast as someone called ‘the running man’; he’s so muscle-bound he can hardly walk.”

37 (tie). “Cujo” (1983)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 60%

This is one of King’s most ubiquitous stories — “Cujo” has become shorthand for a scary dog. The novel was originally published in 1981, not that the author could tell you — King himself has said he has no memory of writing “Cujo” as it was at the height of his addiction.

Unlike many of King’s other stories, “Cujo” isn’t supernatural. In fact, it’s just the tragic tale of a friendly St. Bernard who gets bitten by a rabid bat and becomes an obsessive monster that’s the canine equivalent of the shark from “Jaws.”

The film stars Dee Wallace and Danny Pintauro as the mother and son whom Cujo targets and traps inside an overheating car.

“This adaptation on a modest budget from Stephen King’s bestseller about a rabid St Bernard is a pleasing illustration of the filmic simplicity at the heart of King’s better writing,” wrote David Pirie for Time Out.

37 (tie). “The Boogeyman” (2023)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 60%

The Rob Savage-directed adaptation of King’s 1973 short story of the same name changes a fair amount from the original. Instead of focusing on Lester, a troubled man who’s sharing his tale of woe with his therapist, this film follows Lester’s therapist, Will (Chris Messina), as his family now becomes the new victims of an unseen demon known as the Boogeyman.

“The haunted house subgenre gets a fresh coat of blood and horror with this spine-tingling thrill ride driven by grief, rage, and fear,” wrote Kristy Puchko of Mashable.

36. “It: Chapter Two” (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 62%

“It” is perhaps King’s most famous work, and was first published in 1986. It clocks in at a whopping 1,138 pages.

Therefore, it came as no surprise that the 2010s adaptation would be split into two (long) films. “Chapter Two” introduces the adult versions of the Losers Club, first seen as preteens in 2017’s “It.”

Twenty-seven years after they defeated Pennywise (aka It), the Losers are called back to Derry, Maine, to face their fears again and end It once and for all.

“While ‘Chapter Two’ works perfectly fine as a complement to ‘Chapter One,’ it still falls short in that the closer our heroes come to triumphing over ‘It,’ the further they get from a satisfying conclusion,” wrote Vox’s Aja Romano.

35. “Haven” (2010-2015)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 63%

“Haven” aired on Syfy from 2010 to 2015, and was loosely based on King’s 2005 novel “The Colorado Kid.”

The show starred Emily Rose as Audrey Parker, an FBI agent dispatched to Haven, Maine, a town that’s plagued by supernatural problems called “The Troubles” by locals. But as Audrey spends more time in Haven, she discovers she may have a deep connection to this town she doesn’t remember.

“Viewers sad about the end of ‘Happy Town’ and looking for another creepy municipal drama filmed in Canada may find this a port in the storm,” wrote Robert Lloyd of the Los Angeles Times.

34. “The Institute” (2025)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 64%

“The Institute,” which premiered in July 2025, is based on the 2019 King novel of the same name.

It stars Joe Freeman as Luke, a teenager who discovers he has telekinetic powers and is subsequently whisked off to a secret facility filled with other kids who have powers like him. It’s run by the mysterious Ms. Sigsby (Mary-Louise Parker).

It’s already been renewed for a second season.

Variety’s Aramide Tinubu wrote, “‘The Institute’ isn’t a perfect series, especially as it stumbles to its conclusion. Yet, it will undoubtedly keep the attention of audiences desperate to uncover the mystery at the center of the story.”

33. “The Running Man” (2025)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 65%

Glen Powell enters the Stephen King Cinematic Universe with “The Running Man,” the second adaptation of King’s novel written under his pseudonym Richard Bachman.

This version of the story is said to be much more faithful to King’s novel, including retaining Ben’s origin story for joining the competition (to raise money for his daughter’s medicine) and the $1 billion grand prize.

Brian Truitt of USA Today called the film “a lively, satirical stab at modern-day reality TV, scary big-brother technology, cultural dissension and rampant income inequality, all slathered in blood-soaked ultraviolence and bonkers charm.”

32. “Creepshow” (1982)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 66%

The first “Creepshow” consists of five stories written by King; two are based on pre-exisiting works (1976’s “Weeds” and 1979’s “The Crate”), while the other three (“Father’s Day,” “Something to Tide You Over,” and “They’re Creeping Up on You!”) are original to the film.

“Bringing in plenty of name talent, the anthology-style film is more fun than scary,” wrote The Austin Chronicle’s Jerry Renshaw.

28 (tie). “The Stand” (1994)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 67%

“The Stand,” which aired on ABC across four nights, was acclaimed in its time, even earning an Emmy nomination for outstanding miniseries.

This version stars Gary Sinise as our hero, Stu Redman, while Jamey Sheridan takes on the mantle of the evil Randall Flagg. Molly Ringwald, Laura San Giacomo, Ruby Dee, Ossie Davis, and Rob Lowe also costar.

“Muddled, certainly, but Stephen King’s ‘The Stand’ is clever enough to keep you wondering what could possibly happen next,” wrote John J. O’Connor for The New York Times.

28 (tie). “It” (1990)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 67%

For a generation of ’80s kids, this is the definitive version of “It.” A two-night event on ABC, “It” stars Tim Curry in one of his most iconic performances of all time as Pennywise the Clown.

Barry Garron of The Kansas City Star called “It” “a taut, terror-filled movie.”

28 (tie). “Sometimes They Come Back” (1991)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 67%

“Sometimes They Come Back” is a made-for-TV movie based on King’s 1974 short story of the same name, though the movie takes out some of the more supernatural hijinks of the story.

It stars Tim Matheson as Jim, an English teacher, whose brother was murdered when Jim was just nine years old by a gang of violent greasers. After a long time away, Jim returns home, but is horrified when three of his students die mysteriously and are reincarnated as his brother’s killers.

The Chicago Tribune’s Rick Kogan wrote, “What ensues strictly follows the King formula, entertaining with thrills, murders, facing-up-to-fear philosophizing and snappy lines.”

28 (tie). “Under the Dome” (2013-2015)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 67%

When this CBS series premiered in the summer of 2013, “Under the Dome” was a phenomenon, though the next two seasons weren’t as successful.

“Under the Dome” is based on a 2009 novel by King that hews closer to sci-fi than horror. In both the show and the novel, a mysterious clear dome descends upon the town of Chester’s Mill, cutting it off completely from the rest of the world.

Unfortunately for King, he didn’t like the CBS version. In fact, he openly said he wanted Netflix to redo it.

“‘Under the Dome’ manages to be a domestic drama, a disaster film, and a horror-filled science-fiction tale rolled into one, with some romance, humor, and pathos thrown in for good measure,” wrote Jace Lacob of The Daily Beast.

27. “Cat’s Eye” (1985)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 68%

“Cat’s Eye” is yet another anthology film based on King’s work, this time adapting “Quitters, Inc.,” “The Ledge,” and “General.”

“The list of films that genuinely capture the spirit of Stephen King — the darkness, humor, and cleverness that made his books and stories so irresistible — is surprisingly short. But ‘Cat’s Eye’ deserves a place on that list,” wrote Flavorwire’s Jason Bailey.

26. “Salem’s Lot” (2004)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 69%

The second adaptation of King’s vampire novel stars Rob Lowe as the troubled author Ben returning to Jerusalem’s Lot to reconcile his childhood, and James Cromwell as the town’s priest. It aired across two nights on TNT.

“In the grand tradition of Don’t-Go-in-There! horror movies… TNT presents a thoroughly enjoyable mini-series remake of the Stephen King vampire tale,” wrote The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jonathan Storm.

24 (tie). “Christine” (1983)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 74%

Horror legend John Carpenter directed this adaptation of King’s 1983 classic in which a 1958 Plymouth Fury is possessed by a demon and goes on a killing spree.

The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw wrote, “‘Christine’ is a perfectly enjoyable tale of the macabre, which can be read as a satirical parable of that particularly male kind of arrested development which manifests itself in car obsession.”

24 (tie). The Mist” (2007)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 74%

This adaptation of “The Mist” is the rare example where the film’s ending is darker than King’s original novel — usually, Hollywood softens King’s conclusions.

We won’t spoil it for you, since this film is definitely worth watching with no idea what’s coming.

“H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu mythos has long been one of King’s guiding influences, and Frank Darabont’s adaptation of ‘The Mist’ honors that relationship while also working as a 21st-century political parable,” wrote Adam Nayman for The Ringer.

23. “The Monkey” (2025)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 77%

Director Osgood Perkins’ follow-up to “Longlegs” was this adaptation of King’s 1980 short story of the same name in which Theo James plays a pair of traumatized twins who have been stalked by a cymbal-playing toy monkey that kills people.

Kim Newman of Sight & Sound wrote, “In its own terrifying, challengingly comical way, ‘The Monkey’ stands as horror’s State of the Union address.”

21 (tie). “Doctor Sleep” (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 78%

Did you know that King wrote a sequel to “The Shining” in 2013, 36 years after he introduced the world to Jack Torrance and the Overlook Hotel? He did, and it’s called “Doctor Sleep.”

Six years later, Mike Flanagan directed an adaptation starring Ewan McGregor as a grown-up Danny Torrance who must return to the Overlook Hotel and confront his (literal) demons.

“A body of work that benefits from hindsight and reflection — unexpected pleasures for a horror movie, which must be why they feel so welcome,” wrote K. Austin Collins for Vanity Fair.

21 (tie). “The Green Mile” (1999)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 78%

Here’s the first of two King adaptations nominated for best picture at the Academy Awards. This one, directed by Frank Darabont, is based on the 1996 novel of the same name. It stars Tom Hanks as Paul Edgecomb, a corrections officer on the death-row block at Cold Mountain Penitentiary.

Paul discovers that one of the prisoners, John Coffey (an Oscar-nominated Michael Clarke Duncan), a convicted murderer, has magical powers — and perhaps has been wrongfully convicted.

“Much of the three-hour movie takes place in the prison, but the resonant characterization, expansive plotting, and judicious use of exterior locations and flashbacks turn the walls into windows,” wrote Chicago Reader’s Lisa Alspector.

20. “1408” (2007)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 79%

The first team-up between John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson in a King adaptation was this 2007 film, based on King’s 1999 short story of the same name.

Cusack plays Mike Enslin, a horror writer who is skeptical about the supernatural. He receives an anonymous postcard telling him to check out room 1408 at the Dolphin Hotel, a supposedly haunted room. Jackson plays Gerald Olin, a hotel clerk who tries to convince Mike to leave the room alone.

“Cusack, who is in almost every scene, is astutely cast: his sardonic persona gradually disintegrates as the room plays its malevolent tricks on him,” wrote The Telegraph’s David Gritten.

19. “The Life of Chuck” (2025)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 80%

Coming from the same 2020 collection of novellas, “The Life of Chuck” is the third King work to be adapted by Mike Flanagan.

This is the story of Chuck Krantz, played by Tom Hiddleston, Jacob Tremblay, Benjamin Pajak, and Cody Flanagan across his life. What makes this story different, though, is that it starts at the end of Chuck’s life and goes backwards.

“Is it a great King adaptation? No. Is it a good one? Yes,” wrote Bill Goodykoontz for the Arizona Republic.

17 (tie). “It: Welcome to Derry” (2025)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 83%

“Welcome to Derry” is a prequel to the 2017 and 2019 films “It” and “It: Chapter Two,” respectively. It began airing on HBO in October 2025 and is set to continue through December.

Though there have only been three episodes, the show has included connections to King’s wider canon, such as the character of Dick Hallorann (Chris Chalk), who appears in “The Shining” and “Doctor Sleep.”

“In five episodes, I never felt like I was seeing the same scare twice, and for a horror TV show, that’s an accomplishment in itself,” wrote Zach Moser for Screen Rant.

17 (tie) “11.22.63” (2016)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 83%

“11.22.63” is a time travel story in which Jake Epping (James Franco) is convinced to travel back in time to the ’60s to prevent the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The Hulu series is based on King’s 2011 novel “11/22/63.”

Allison Keene of Collider wrote, “‘11.22.63’s’ aesthetics are tantalizing, the acting compelling, and the twists and supernatural elements are genuinely shocking.”

16. “The Shining” (1980)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 84%

“The Shining” is widely regarded as one of the best films of all time, anchored by Stanley Kubrick’s meticulous direction and performances by Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall as the Torrances, a couple going through hard times who become the winter caretakers of an isolated Colorado hotel that is home to dozens of ghosts. Meanwhile, their son Danny is developing his own telepathic powers known as “shine.”

But famously, King himself doesn’t like it. In fact, he went so far as to call it “a maddening, perverse, and disappointing film,” and even said it was “a great big beautiful Cadillac with no motor inside” during an interview. He didn’t like that Kubrick took many liberties with what King considered a deeply personal story about alcoholism and fatherhood.

Too bad for Mr. King, though: This movie is a classic.

“The movie is not about ghosts but about madness and the energies it sets loose in an isolated situation primed to magnify them,” wrote Roger Ebert.

14 (tie). “It” (2017)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 85%

The 2017 “It” was a full-blown phenomenon upon its release, earning $704 million worldwide and introducing a terrified new generation to Pennywise the Clown, this time played horrifyingly by Bill Skarsgard (though, we do love the footage of him joking around with the kids in full costume).

“The film depends — and succeeds — entirely on the strength of their performances, and for two hours that speed by all too quickly, it’s not too much of a stretch to feel like we’re on summer vacation with them,” wrote Karen Han for Slashfilm.

14 (tie). “Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King” (2006)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 85%

“Nightmares & Dreamscapes” is a horror anthology series which aired on TNT for one season. Each episode is based on a different King short story. It has an all-star cast, including William H. Macy, Tom Berenger, William Hurt, Claire Forlani, Kim Delaney, Ron Livingston, and more.

“Most screen adaptations tend to cut out all but the most important plot points. But by adapting short stories (‘Battleground’ is only 10 pages long), ‘Nightmares & Dreamscapes’ preserves their spirit too,” wrote Daniel Carlson for Pop Matters.

13. “Dolores Claiborne” (1995)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 86%

“Dolores Claiborne” was originally published as a novel in 1992 before being turned into a movie three years later. It’s one of the few adaptations on this list with no supernatural qualities at all — just the horrors that happen to people every day.

It stars Kathy Bates as the titular Dolores, who is suspected of killing her elderly employer Vera (Judy Parfitt) by a local detective (Christopher Plummer). The detective (and the rest of the town) are already suspicious of Dolores as they all believe she killed her husband Joe (David Strathairn) years prior.

Instead, Dolores tells her full story to clear her name and hopefully reconcile with her daughter Selena (Jennifer Jason Leigh).

“There are no chain saws, prosthetic hooks, apparitions or dead pets here, but you’re kept at the edge of your seat almost to the end,” wrote Desson Howe of The Washington Post.

11 (tie). “The Long Walk” (2025)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 88%

“The Long Walk” is a special one for King fans. Though it was not his first book to be published, it was the first he wrote; he began working on it as a college freshman in 1966. It was eventually published 13 years later under Richard Bachman’s name.

“The Long Walk” is a “Hunger Games”-esque tale in which the United States, now a dystopia, sponsors a contest in which a teenage boy from each state competes to see who can walk the longest. If you slow down or stop walking, you’re immediately killed. Last one walking wins.

“[Director Francis] Lawrence wisely casts this film with charismatic actors who make the time pass quickly. Most of this movie is just a bunch of actors walking, with random bursts of gore and death. The chemistry between [David] Jonsson and [Cooper] Hoffman carries the movie,” wrote The Boston Globe’s Odie Henderson.

11 (tie). “Castle Rock” (2018-2019)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 88%

“Castle Rock,” which aired on Hulu for two seasons, isn’t based on any one King story, but instead takes characters, places, and actors from all across King’s oeuvre and plops them in the town of Castle Rock, Maine.

For example, there’s an inmate at the Shawshank State Penitentiary; there’s the niece of Jack Torrance; someone is a doctor at the hospital in Jerusalem’s Lot; Annie from “Misery” pops up … the list goes on.

Julia Holmes of The New Republic wrote, “‘Castle Rock’ offers more than nostalgic horror; it shows the horrific nature of nostalgia.”

9 (tie). “The Dead Zone” (1983)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 89%

“The Dead Zone” was directed by horror icon David Cronenberg and stars Christopher Walken as Johnny Smith, a man who has recently awoken from a five-year coma and has discovered that, when he touches people, he can see their past, present, and future.

The novel, published in 1979, is a bit different but Johnny has similar powers.

“Mr. Cronenberg’s direction is vivid and effective; his pacing is a little unemphatic at times, but the film’s individual scenes are very well staged,” wrote The New York Times’ Janet Maslin.

9 (tie). “The Shawshank Redemption” (1994)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 89%

This is the other King adaptation to be nominated for best picture, once again directed by Frank Darabont. This film, based on King’s 1982 novella “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption,” stars Tim Robbins as Shawshank Prison’s newest inmate, Andy Dufresne. He’s been convicted of killing his wife and her lover, but he maintains his innocence; regardless, he’s been given a life sentence.

While inside, he bonds with fellow inmate Red (an Oscar-nominated Morgan Freeman) and begins to launder money for the prison’s corrupt warden.

“You’ve never seen a prison movie quite like it, and I found its eccentric rhythms and the performances of co-stars Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman nearly irresistible,” wrote Jack Mathews for Newsday.

8. “Salem’s Lot” (1979)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%

The first adaptation of “Salem’s Lot” — which was also the first King TV adaptation, period — was a two-part miniseries that aired on CBS. Not only was it the first, it’s also been ruled the best by critics. It was even nominated for three Emmys.

“[Director Tobe] Hooper comes close to creating a modern-day Hammer horror film, punctuating a steady, stately dread with moments of shocking power,” wrote Paste Magazine’s Max O’Connell.

4 (tie). “Misery” (1990)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%

Besides being a classic, “Misery” can also boast it’s the only Oscar-winning adaptation of a King work. Kathy Bates won best actress for playing the delusional superfan Annie Wilkes who traps her favorite author, Paul Sheldon (James Caan), in her secluded cabin to force him to keep writing her favorite series.

The novel it was based on was published in 1987.

Desmond Ryan of The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote, “Bates turns Wilkes into the nastiest nurse to reach the screen since Louise Fletcher tormented Jack Nicholson in ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.'”

4 (tie). “Gerald’s Game” (2017)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%

The first Mike Flanagan/King collaboration was the 2017 Netflix film “Gerald’s Game,” based on the novel of the same name published in 1992.

In it, a woman, Jessie (Carla Gugino), is engaging in roleplay with her husband, Gerald (Bruce Greenwood), at an isolated lake house. After Gerald handcuffs her to the bed, he has a fatal heart attack, leaving Jessie stuck to the bed with no one to hear her begging for help.

“Flanagan has a command of how to make the most of a single location, and ‘Gerald’s Game’ often captures a sense of mounting tension and fear through small touches,” wrote Keith Phipps for Uproxx.

4 (tie). “Mr. Mercedes” (2017-2019)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%

The 2014 novel of the same name was King’s first true detective story. It focuses on retired detective Bill Hodges (Brendan Gleeson) and a serial killer who taunts him (Harry Treadaway). It aired for three seasons on the now-defunct Audience Network and was developed by TV legend David E. Kelley, the man behind shows like “Big Little Lies,” “Boston Legal,” and “Ally McBeal.”

“David [Kelley] and Stephen King have been entertaining the masses for many decades now, yet in ‘Mr. Mercedes,’ they’re both doing some of their best work in years,” said NPR’s David Bianculli.

4 (tie).”The Outsider” (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%

“The Outsider” is another one of King’s detective novels, this one published in 2018. Two years later, it was turned into an HBO series starring Ben Mendelsohn as Ralph Anderson, a detective struggling with the death of his son, Jason Bateman as Terry Maitland, a man suspected of killing a child, and Cynthia Erivo as Holly Gibney, a private investigator called in to help with the case.

Roxana Hadadi of Pajiba wrote, “The whirlingly macabre, ruthlessly tense, and transfixingly spooky mood of ‘The Outsider’ makes the mini-series a must-see this spring.”

2 (tie). “Stand by Me” (1986)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%

“Stand by Me,” directed by Rob Reiner, is based on the King novella called “The Body,” published in 1982.

The story follows a group of friends who, after hearing that the body of a missing boy is somewhere in their local woods, go on a journey to find it and become hometown heroes. The film, which was nominated for best adapted screenplay at the Academy Awards, is notable for its cast of child stars, which includes Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry O’Connell, and Kiefer Sutherland.

Dan Webster wrote that it’s “a fine dramatic departure for a director who made his reputation in comedy” in The Spokesman-Review.

2 (tie). “1922” (2017)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%

No, it’s not another “Yellowstone” spinoff. “1922” is a Netflix film based on King’s 2010 novella of the same name. It stars Thomas Jane as Wilf, a Nebraskan farmer who is reluctant to sell his farm and move to Omaha. Instead, he enlists his son Thomas to help him kill his wife (and Thomas’ mom) rather than move.

We won’t get into it, but just remember: There are so many rats in this movie. Be warned.

“The film is not lurid in its scares, and instead depicts its protagonist’s suffering mostly as a slow rot,” wrote The Hollywood Reporter’s John DeFore.

1. “Carrie” (1976)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%

And we finally have the highest-rated King adaptation: Brian De Palma’s “Carrie.” In addition to being the best adaptation of King’s work, it was also the first, kicking off nearly 50 years of film and TV.

This version stars Sissy Spacek as Carrie, a shy and lonely high schooler who discovers she has telekinetic powers, and Piper Laurie as her unstable, abusive mother. Both Spacek and Laurie were nominated for Academy Awards for their performances.

“‘Carrie’ is a terrifying lyrical thriller. The director, Brian De Palma, has mastered a teasing style — a perverse mixture of comedy and horror and tension,” wrote Pauline Kael of The New Yorker.

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