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In 2017, It, a film adaptation of Stephen King’s 1986 novel, shattered records to become the highest-grossing horror film of all time. It was a well-earned tribute to the legendary horror writer, who has had many of his books and stories adapted to the big screen, though not all with resounding success.
Luckily, there’s still an abundance of King-inspired content that truly reflects his legacy. Check out 15 movies and TV shows currently streaming that capture the spirit of King’s work.
1. Carrie (1976)
Sissy Spacek portrays Carrie White, a telekinetic high school student who seeks vengeance against the cruel students at her school. Based on King’s debut novel (1975), the renowned horror writer wasn’t yet widely known at the time. The film’s trailers even misspelled his name as 'Steven.'
Stream it: Amazon Prime
2. Creepshow 2 (1987)
A sinister King atmosphere permeates this anthology, a follow-up to 1982’s Creepshow, which King worked on alongside horror legend George A. Romero. The highlight of the sequel is 'The Raft,' which tells the story of a group of college students who encounter a living blob of sludge at a lake, turning their relaxing weekend into a nightmare. Two additional King stories, the bowling-themed 'Pinball' and 'Cat From Hell,' were initially planned but were cut due to budget issues. The latter was eventually featured in 1990’s Tales From the Darkside: The Movie.
Stream it: Amazon Prime
3. 11.22.63 (2016)
King’s alternate history of JFK’s assassination is brought to life in this Hulu original series. James Franco plays a professor who discovers he can travel back in time to stop Lee Harvey Oswald from shooting at the Dallas motorcade. But changing the past has unforeseen consequences in the future. The late Jonathan Demme, director of The Silence of the Lambs, was originally set to direct a movie based on the novel before the rights were handed over to J.J. Abrams.
Stream it: Hulu
4. Gerald’s Game (2017)
Carla Gugino’s weekend retreat with her husband takes a terrifying turn when she finds herself handcuffed to a bed in a secluded cabin. As time passes, a growing sense of dread, both real and imagined, begins to take hold. To survive, she must find a way to escape. King was a fan of the film, calling it 'hypnotic.'
5. In the Tall Grass (2019)
King’s 2012 novella—co-written with his son Joe Hill—captures the classic King formula of transforming the ordinary into the terrifying. When two siblings follow a boy into an overgrown patch of farmland, they discover it’s a place filled with ominous, mysterious forces. Patrick Wilson also stars.
Stream it: Netflix
6. The Mist (2007)
One of King’s most emotionally intense adaptations comes from Frank Darabont, who had already directed 1994’s The Shawshank Redemption. In a small Maine town, artist David Drayton (Thomas Jane) finds himself trapped in a grocery store as a mysterious fog rolls in, bringing with it a horrifying array of creatures. Darabont had earlier adapted King’s short story, 'The Woman in the Room,' into a low-budget project in the early 1980s. Impressed by his work, King sold Darabont the rights for just $1.
Stream it: Netflix
7. Stephen King’s Silver Bullet (1985)
Corey Haim and Gary Busey form an unexpected duo in this werewolf thriller, based on King’s novella Cycle of the Werewolf. Originally, Don Coscarelli (Phantasm) was set to direct but left over creative differences with producer Dino de Laurentiis. The film was eventually directed by Dan Attias.
Stream it: HBO Max
8. The Green Mile (1999)
Tom Hanks stars in this adaptation of Stephen King’s 1996 novel, which was published in six serialized volumes. Hanks portrays a prison guard on death row who becomes entangled in the mysterious powers of inmate Michael Clarke Duncan, whose innocence is uncertain—and who possesses extraordinary, possibly supernatural abilities. To emphasize Duncan’s towering presence, filmmakers occasionally used special camera techniques to make him appear even larger than his co-stars.
Stream it: Hulu
9. Stephen King’s Storm of the Century (1999)
King created this original miniseries for ABC about a strange visitor named Linoge (Colm Feore) who invades a small town during a brutal snowstorm. He offers to leave—but only if the residents fulfill a terrifying demand. King has called it his favorite of all his television projects.
Stream it: Hulu
10. The Dead Zone (1983)
Christopher Walken portrays Johnny Smith, a teacher who awakens from a coma to discover he has gained psychic abilities. Faced with the threat of a dangerously ambitious politician (Martin Sheen), Johnny must decide if he should use his newfound powers to take extreme action. King’s 1979 novel also inspired a USA Network TV series starring Anthony Michael Hall, which is available for free streaming on Tubi.
Stream it: Amazon Prime
11. Children of the Corn (1984)
King’s short story from the 1978 collection Night Shift envisions a small town where children are left to act out their most violent tendencies without any adult intervention. Peter Horton and Linda Hamilton star as a couple who unwittingly stumble into this child-controlled society and quickly regret their decision. While the franchise has expanded to nine films, the original remains the best.
Stream it: Amazon Prime
12. A Good Marriage (2014)
Joan Allen stars as a woman who uncovers unsettling evidence suggesting her seemingly perfect husband (Anthony LaPaglia) might be a serial killer. Faced with this horrifying revelation, she must decide whether to cling to the man she loves or confront the monster he may truly be. This film is based on the novella from King’s 2010 collection Full Dark, No Stars.
Stream it: Amazon Prime via Freevee
13. 1922 (2017)
The novella 1922, from King’s Full Dark, No Stars, was adapted into a Netflix film by Zak Hilditch in 2017. This story isn’t just about the lengths Nebraska farmer Wilfred James (Thomas Jane) will go to in order to stop his wife from taking their family to the city—it’s about the horrific aftermath, both physical and mental, that ensues. Filming began after much of the corn had already been harvested, so the stalks shown in the film were either brought in or digitally added. However, the rats were genuinely there on set.
Stream it: Netflix
14. The Outsider (2020)
King’s 2018 novel The Outsider stemmed from his fascination with writing about a person who was inexplicably in two places at once. This story—which was quickly optioned as a miniseries after its release—follows an investigation into the murder of a child in Oklahoma. The prime suspect is a well-respected man (played by Jason Bateman), who also has an airtight alibi. Ben Mendelsohn stars as the main detective, with assistance from private investigator Holly Gibney (Cynthia Erivo), who King considers “one of the most interesting characters in my entire lexicon.”
Stream it: HBO Max
15. Lisey’s Story (2021)
In this miniseries based on King’s 2006 novel, Julianne Moore portrays Lisey Landon, a widow tormented by forgotten memories that resurface during a treasure hunt left by her deceased husband (Clive Owen). With J.J. Abrams producing and Pablo Larraín, director of Spencer, at the helm, the series captivates both mentally and visually. King was so deeply involved that he personally wrote all eight episodes, a rare occurrence for him in TV adaptations, the last time being for the 1997 ABC version of The Shining.
Stream it: Apple TV+
