Stephen King has been one of the most adapted authors of all time. So adapted it might not be obvious when a movie is based on his stories.
King has famously told the story of a person who told him he should write things like that movie “The Shawshank Redemption,” not knowing the now-beloved film eternally playing on AMC was based on King’s novella “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption.” Now his name and that film are linked, but there are plenty of other adaptations out there that might shock people to learn are based on the King of Horror’s work.
Here are seven great films you might not know are based on Stephen King’s stories.
“The Life of Chuck” (2024)
“The Life of Chuck” is the latest Stephen King adaptation from writer/director Mike Flanagan. The story follows a man’s life in reverse, from his death to boyhood, as you learn about the incredible life of an average, everyday Joe. Unlike much of King’s other works – and adaptations of them – “The Life of Chuck” has a saccharine sweet center and an earnestness that might surprise viewers who later learn who penned the source material.
The cast is a knockout, and Flanagan adds another solid King adaptation feather to his cap with this one.
“Gerald’s Game” (2017)
It might seem like a story about a woman handcuffed to a bed for 98% of the tale would get old fast. Not in Stephen King’s hands, and not in front of ace King adaptor Mike Flanagan. This Netflix film follows Jessie – played by the always great Carla Gugino – who gets stuck handcuffed to her bed after her husband has a heart attack while trying to spice up their love life.
“Gerald’s Game” becomes a story of survival as Jessie confronts her own past demons as her body begins to fail her without food or water. There are still plenty of gruesome moments in the film, including a scene near the end that will turn stomachs and sit with you long after the credits roll.
“Dolores Claiborne” (1995)
“Misery” was not the only solid Stephen King adaptation Kathy Bates made her mark on. “Dolores Claiborne” follows the titular character as she is investigated for the death of the elderly woman she works for, years after the tragic and mysterious death of her abusive husband. The story is quietly one of King’s strongest – an examination of a woman doing what she can to get by day-to-day – and Bates’ performance is as strong as ever.
A fun extra bit of King lore, this story and “Gerald’s Game” were written together, and the two characters both experience major events in their lives during an eclipse over Dark Score Lake. So watch them together for full immersion.
“The Running Man” (1987)
If you’ve seen “The Running Man” starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and read “The Running Man” by Stephen King, you’ve just experienced two entirely different stories with very little in common. The good news is that if you were putting off one or the other, you’re free to jump right in and enjoy something wholly new.
“Secret Window” (2004)
“Secret Window” stars Johnny Depp as a writer suffering through a divorce while writing a book. His troubles compound when a man appears at his door one day with accusations that Depp’s Mort Rainey plagiarized the idea of his biggest story from him. Despite trying to ignore him, the man grows increasingly more aggravated with how he comes for Mort, which has an effect on the writer’s mental health.
Aspects of this film are a bit unsavory given the last few years of Depp’s public personal life, but the story remains a solid one – and one that many might not know came from the King of Horror.
“Apt Pupil” (1998)
“Apt Pupil” is a horrific tale of a boy who learns that the old man living down the street from him was a Holocaust death camp criminal in hiding. Rather than rat him out, the boy becomes increasingly obsessed with the man’s Nazi past to the point that begins to scare the literal war criminal.
Another fun King lore nugget: the book that Jack Torrance is working on in “The Shining” is called Apt Pupil so in a way this is the story written by a man gone made by a haunted house.
“Hearts in Atlantis” (2001)
“Hearts in Atlantis” is another one of those quiet films with a bit of fantasy flair that King came out with every so often in between tomes about killer clowns or viral plagues. This film follows a little boy who finds a father figure in the man who moves in to the apartment above him and his mom. The man’s running from some men who want to harness some telekinetic ability for nefarious deeds.
Both Anthony Hopkins and an early performance from the late Anton Yelchin carry the slower story with their performance and chemistry. The film simply wouldn’t work without them but it remains a fun but odd duck of a King adaptation regardless.
