Warning: This article discusses drugs and violence.
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Author Stephen King has written some incredible stories over the years, but some are much better than their movie adaptations. Stephen King’s books and short stories make brilliant films and TV shows, but the King of Horror’s narratives are often so unique and complex that it’s hard for them to be translated to the screen properly. While many of Stephen King’s movies are legendary pieces of cinema, some just don’t hit the mark.
There are several reasons why these adaptations are worse than their book counterparts. Some are simply bad films, some fail to follow their source material properly, and there is even an instance of one tale being adapted so poorly that King’s work can’t be identified. Hopefully, the upcoming Stephen King movie and TV adaptations over the next few years can learn from these mistakes.
10 Needful Things (1991)
Adapted In 1993
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The best thing Stephen King thinks he’s ever written is Needful Things, and there’s no doubt that the book is brilliant, especially the first line. However, the 1993 movie adaptation fails to live up to the same standards as King’s words. In fact, many are avoiding reading Needful Things purely because of how disappointed they are with the film version.
The 1993 movie adaptation fails to live up to the same standards as King’s words.
A lot of King’s works are extremely long, so there’s a decent amount of content to cover, but the Needful Things movie oversimplifies the story and cuts out multiple characters. The extended cut of Stephen King’s Needful Things is undoubtedly better than the theatrical release, but the tone in both is off.
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Needful Things RDramaHorrorCrimeFantasyThriller
Needful Things is a 1993 horror film directed by Fraser Clarke Heston, based on the Stephen King novel. The story centers around a mysterious shop owned by Leland Gaunt (Max von Sydow) in Castle Rock, Maine. Gaunt’s seemingly harmless items bring out the worst in the town’s residents, leading to chaos and violence. Ed Harris stars as Sheriff Alan Pangborn, who attempts to uncover Gaunt’s true motives.
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*Availability in US Director Fraser C. Heston Release Date August 27, 1993 Cast Max Von Sydow , Ed Harris , J.T. Walsh , Bonnie Bedelia , Amanda Plummer Runtime 120 minutes Writers W.D. Richter
Alan Pangborn’s attempts to grieve his family while also balancing his relationship with Polly is one of the primary focuses in Needful Things, but in the film, the sheriff’s character arc is very different. Pangborn is depicted as an overly macho man who shouts a lot, which dampens his book counterpart, who is far more complex.
9 Graveyard Shift (1970)
Adapted In 1990
It’s widely debated whether there is enough content in Graveyard Shift to adapt it into a feature film, and the 1990 movie proves this. While the cinematic title isn’t the absolute worst adaptation, the short story is far superior, and Stephen King has even referred to the film as “a quick exploitation picture.”
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Graveyard Shift RHorror
Graveyard Shift is a horror film based on Stephen King’s short story of the same name. The film follows John Hall, who takes a job at a decrepit textile mill and discovers that the basement is infested with deadly rats. As he investigates further, he uncovers a monstrous creature lurking in the subterranean depths. Brad Dourif and David Andrews star in this chilling adaptation directed by Ralph S. Singleton.
Director Ralph S. Singleton Release Date October 26, 1990 Cast Stephen Macht , Andrew Divoff , Vic Polizos , Brad Dourif , Robert Alan Beuth , Ilona Margolis , Jimmy Woodard , Jonathan Emerson , Minor Rootes , Kelly L. Goodman , Susan Lowden , Joe Perham , Dana Packard Runtime 89 Minutes Studio(s) Paramount Pictures Distributor(s) Paramount Pictures Writers John Esposito Main Genre Horror Expand
Screenwriter Jon Esposito fails to translate King’s most atmospheric moments to the screen, and Graveyard Shift feels more like an amalgamation of clichés and horror movie tropes than anything else. John Hall has very little character development, and he’s rather boring compared to in the short story. In King’s Graveyard Shift, Hall’s relationship with Jane is intriguing and gives him some depth, but in the movie, it’s easily forgettable.
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Despite the short story being only 18 pages long, the film somehow cuts content as if it’s the same length as The Stand. The most important reason why King’s story is better, however, is because of the ending. The reveal of the Mill’s biggest threat is nerve-wracking, which makes the giant bat creature in the film very anticlimactic.
8 The Gunslinger (1982)
Adapted As The Dark Tower In 2017
The Gunslinger is the first installment in The Dark Tower series by Stephen King. The 2017 movie of the same name takes inspiration from all eight books, but mostly from The Gunslinger and The Waste Lands. The Dark Tower movie is generally considered an embarrassment by King fanatics, especially because it makes some strange choices and squeezes too much into its 90-minute runtime.
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The movie is rated PG-13, so a lot of King’s iconic goriness and darkness is missing. The Gunslinger shows Randall Flagg in some of his most menacing moments, but the film throws the character to the side. Not only is Flagg more of a supporting character, but he also has to be prompted to return his focus to the quest at hand.
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5/10 The Dark Tower PG-13Fantasy Sci-FiHorror
Idris Elba, Tom Taylor, Claudia Kim, and Matthew McConaughey star in The Dark Tower, a Western Sci-Fi film directed by Nikolaj Arcel. Released in 2017, The Dark Tower follows a young boy with visions of an apocalyptic future in which a powerful man, dubbed The Man in Black, lays waste to the universe. The film is based on the Stephen King book series.
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*Availability in US Director Nikolaj Arcel Release Date August 4, 2017 Cast Matthew McConaughey , Tom Taylor , Idris Elba , Jackie Earle Haley , Abbey Lee , Katheryn Winnick , Michael Barbieri , Fran Kranz Runtime 95 Minutes Studio(s) Sony Distributor(s) Sony Writers Anders Thomas Jensen , Jeff Pinkner , Nikolaj Arcel , Akiva Goldsman Expand
This is apparent in The Dark Tower’s ending, where Jake has to remind Flagg of the Gunslinger’s Creed, rather than succumbing to his harrowing book fate. The Gunslinger is a great introduction to King’s series, but because The Dark Tower is so erratic and tries to adapt eight books, it fails as an adaptation.
7 Trucks (1973)
Adapted As Maximum Overdrive In 2017
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Considering King’s Golden Raspberry Worst Director nomination for Maximum Overdrive, it’s no surprise that his short story Trucks is far better. While Maximum Overdrive tries to replicate Trucks’ eerie story about a machine uprising, the execution is cheesy and painfully funny to watch.
A lot of Maximum Overdrive’s failings can be attributed to King’s drug habit, but it’s still strange that he does such a poor job of adapting his own story. Trucks has a campy tone, but it’s still serious when it needs to be, but Maximum Overdrive doesn’t have this balance. Trucks never explains how the phenomena occurs, which adds to the overall unsettling tone of the story.
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7/10 Maximum Overdrive RHorrorComedyAction
Written and directed by Stephen King, Maximum Overdrive is a 1986 horror movie about a group of people who are trapped at a truck stop when all the machines in the world, including trucks, cars, and lawn mowers, become sentient and homicidal.
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*Availability in US Director Stephen King Release Date July 25, 1986 Cast Emilio Estevez , Laura Harrington , Pat Hingle , Yeardley Smith , John Short , Ellen McElduff , Frankie Faison Runtime 98 minutes Studio(s) 20th Century Distributor(s) De Laurentiis Entertainment Group , 20th Century Writers Stephen King Expand
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The short story focuses on the characters and their need to survive, but Stephen King’s Maximum Overdrive spends less time on this, and instead, the movie tries to force a nonsensical and convoluted sci-fi explanation for the machines gaining sentience. While it can be argued that King does this to expand on the narrative of Trucks, it distracts from the true meaning of the story: survival.
6 Cell (2006)
Adapted In 2016
Cell is a story about a world where a chunk of the population is turned rabid by a mysterious broadcast signal, but the 2016 movie adaptation loses all the suspense and tension that the novel provides. The film is considered terrible for several reasons, ranging from the use of Eduard Khil’s “Trololo Song” to the fact it essentially ignores The Raggedy Man.
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A great part of the book is the inner monologues, but when this is tackled in the film, it’s simply confusing. The lack of production budget for the Cell movie is apparent, which doesn’t help, either. While many wanted more from the ending of Stephen King’s book, it is still better than the climax of the film version.
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Cell RDramaHorrorActionSci-FiThriller
Cell is a 2016 science fiction horror film directed by Tod Williams and based on the novel by Stephen King. Starring John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson, the film follows a graphic novelist who bands together with a group of survivors after a mysterious signal broadcast over the cellular network turns most of humanity into mindless, violent savages. As they navigate a dystopian landscape, they strive to find safety and answers.
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*Availability in US Director Tod Williams Release Date July 6, 2016 Cast Ethan Andrew Casto , Clark Sarullo , Isabelle Fuhrman , Samuel L. Jackson , John Cusack Runtime 98 minutes Writers Stephen King , Adam Alleca
The book abruptly ends just as Clay tries to save Johnny with another blast from the Pulse, but in the movie, it is revealed at the last moment that Clay has been infected and the explosion that destroys the communications tower is all an illusion. This changes a lot about Cell’s story, which is really about a father searching for his missing son, and turns it into a weak example of the “it was just a dream” trope.
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5 Dreamcatcher (2001)
Adapted In 2003
It’s generally agreed that Dreamcatcher is far from the best King novel, but it’s still an essential read for followers of the author, and it’s miles ahead of the 2003 adaptation. It’s worth noting that King wrote Dreamcatcher after a traumatic car crash, and he has famously voiced his disappointment in his work. While Stephen King has also praised the Dreamcatcher adaptation, audiences and readers alike typically disagree.
Dreamcatcher introduces an array of intriguing characters, and it is a fascinating Stephen King story about mind powers, but the film doesn’t replicate the same charm of the book. There are a lot of changes from the book in the movie, and several revelations are revealed at strange times. The Dreamcatcher film misses out on integral character development from the novel, and the depiction of Duddits borders on offensive.
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7.5/10 Dreamcatcher RDramaHorror Sci-FiThriller
Dreamcatcher (2003) is a sci-fi horror film directed by Lawrence Kasdan, based on Stephen King’s novel of the same name. The film follows four childhood friends who reunite for an annual hunting trip in a remote cabin, only to confront a malevolent alien force. Starring Morgan Freeman, Thomas Jane, and Damian Lewis, Dreamcatcher intertwines themes of friendship, telepathy, and survival against the backdrop of a cosmic threat.
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*Availability in US Director Lawrence Kasdan Release Date March 21, 2003 Cast Donnie Wahlberg , Timothy Olyphant , Tom Sizemore , Damian Lewis , Thomas Jane , Morgan Freeman , Jason Lee Runtime 134 minutes Writers Lawrence Kasdan , William Goldman Main Genre Drama Expand
Duddits has Down syndrome, but in the film, he is simply labeled as disabled. The movie treats Duddits as if he is stupid and his heroic ending from the book is swapped out, and he is suddenly an alien who has been sent to stop the threat against Earth. Dreamcatcher isn’t the best King story, but it isn’t the worst.
4 Firestarter (1980)
Adapted In 1984 & 2022
There are currently two adaptations of Firestarter, and the book is better than both, but the most recent from 2022 is considered the worst of them. Firestarter is a compelling story about a young girl with pyrokinesis on the run from a government agency called The Shop, but in the movie, Charlie’s journey to safety is barely recognizable from the novel.
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The 2022 Firestarter remake makes several changes from the book, but they aren’t great choices. The timeline is all over the place, and while the flashbacks help explain things, they’re more complicated than how the book outlines prior events. Ryan Kiera Armstrong’s performance as Charlie doesn’t do the book character justice.
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Firestarter RHorror Sci-FiDrama
Firestarter is a remake of the 1984 film of the same name, adapted from the Stephen King novel. The film, released theatrically to the Peacock streaming service, follows the story of Andy and Vicky, who undergo a clinical trial that gives them superhuman abilities. Andy is telepathic; Vicky is telekinetic. Years later, their daughter Charlie proves to be far more powerful, with volatile pyrokinetic abilities. At the same time, Charlie and her family are on the run from The Shop, a secret government agency that is hunting Charlie.
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*Availability in US Director Keith Thomas Release Date May 13, 2022 Cast Sydney Lemmon , Gloria Reuben , Kurtwood Smith , Ryan Kiera Armstrong , Zac Efron , Michael Greyeyes , John Beasley Runtime 94 minutes Studio(s) Universal Pictures Writers Scott Teems Expand
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A lot of her dialogue is whimpered or whispered, which contradicts her strong and brave personality in the novel. There is a bigger group of people who have taken Lot 6, which makes Andy and Charlie’s situation less impactful, and several core moments from King’s original work are cut, too. Firestarter is a rather tense and exciting read, but the 2022 film is so cringey and nonsensical at times that it’s easy to burst into laughter while watching it.
3 A Good Marriage (2010)
Adapted In 2014
The 2014 adaptation of A Good Marriage thankfully follows King’s original story pretty well, but it doesn’t mean that the movie is better than the novella. The main issue with the film is that it’s boring, at least in comparison to King’s writing. The way King words Darcy discovering her husband is a serial killer, and her later plans to kill him, builds a lot of tension and anticipation. But in the movie, the atmosphere is very flat, and audiences are left waiting for something dramatic to happen.
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A Good Marriage RDramaThriller
A Good Marriage is a psychological thriller based on a story by Stephen King. Directed by Peter Askin, the film stars Joan Allen as Darcy Anderson, a woman who discovers a dark secret about her husband, portrayed by Anthony LaPaglia. As Darcy grapples with this revelation, she must decide how far she will go to maintain her seemingly perfect life.
Director Peter Askin Release Date October 3, 2014 Cast Kristen Connolly , Stephen Lang , Joan Allen , Anthony LaPaglia , Theo Stockman , Will Rogers Runtime 103 minutes Writers Stephen King Main Genre Drama Expand
Joan Allen’s portrayal of Darcy isn’t terrible, but she lacks the depth and empathy of the book’s character. A Good Marriage is haunting and full of anticipation, and it’s a shame that the film doesn’t achieve this same feeling. It lacks any truly scary moments, and any slow burns are disappointingly anticlimactic. There is a lot of potential for A Good Marriage to be a brilliant, high-stakes movie, but it sadly falls flat.
2 The Lawnmower Man (1975)
Adapted In 1992
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The Lawnmower Man is one of King’s stranger short stories, but it’s still an interesting read. King’s narrative is absolutely better than the 1992 adaptation, mainly because the movie diverts so far from the source material that it’s a completely different story. The Lawnmower Man is an unusual story about Harold Parkette hiring someone to tend to his garden, but when he discovers the lawnmower running by itself, the odd employee murders him.
King’s narrative is absolutely better than the 1992 adaptation, mainly because the movie diverts so far from the source material that it’s a completely different story.
The titular character works for the ancient god Pan, which explains the animated lawnmower, but the police blame Harold’s death on a sex maniac. The only justifiable connection between the short story and movie is the character Jobe, who is a gardener who becomes a test subject for Project 5.
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The Lawnmower Man RHorror Sci-Fi
In the sci-fi movie The Lawnmower Man, a scientist uses virtual reality and psychoactive drugs to enhance the intelligence of a simple-minded gardener, but the experiment goes terribly wrong. Pierce Brosnan stars as Dr. Lawrence Angelo with Jeff Fahey as Jobe Smith.
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*Availability in US Director Brett Leonard Release Date March 6, 1992 Cast Jeremy Slate , Pierce Brosnan , Geoffrey Lewis , Jeff Fahey , Jenny Wright Runtime 108 minutes Studio(s) New Line Cinema Distributor(s) New Line Cinema Writers Gimel Everett , Brett Leonard Expand
While it’s bad enough that The Lawnmower Man movie bears no resemblance to the story, it’s also just a poor quality film in general. The visual effects are very basic, and while there are some engaging moments in the narrative, they’re limited. It is no surprise that King sued over the adaptation of the Night Shift story, but it is shocking that there is a sequel, Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace.
1 The Shining (1977)
Adapted In 1980
While it’s a tad controversial, The Shining book is better than the film. Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation is considered a brilliant movie, and it is, but certain missing elements stop it from being as good as King’s novel. For example, The Shining delves further into Jack’s backstory and his traumatic past, which plays a part in why he is one of Stephen King’s best human villains.
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16 9.4/10 The Shining RHorrorDrama
Stanley Kubrick’s horror classic starring Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall tells the story of the Torrance family, who move to the isolated Overlook Hotel so that father Jack Torrance can act as its winter caretaker. Stuck at the hotel due to the winter storms, the malevolent supernatural forces inhabiting the building slowly begin to drive Jack insane, causing his wife and psychically gifted son to be caught up in a fight for their lives when Jack is pushed over the edge.
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*Availability in US Director Stanley Kubrick Release Date June 13, 1980 Cast Danny Lloyd , Shelley Duvall , Jack Nicholson , Scatman Crothers Runtime 146 minutes Writers Diane Johnson , Stanley Kubrick
In the movie, Jack is the clear villain, but his antagonistic qualities are the main focus, and he isn’t as layered as his book counterpart. One of the core differences between The Shining book and the movie is the reason why Jack tries to kill Danny and Wendy. King ambiguously suggests in the novel that Jack’s attempted murder may not be the hotel, but rather because of a mental breakdown.
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However, the film leads with Jack being possessed instead. The Shining movie adds a lot to King’s story, like the hedge maze and the Grady twins, but it also cuts out important things, like the full extent of Danny’s powers. Kubrick’s The Shining is a fantastic title, but the Stephen King novel is still better.
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Stephen King
Discover the latest news and filmography for Stephen King, known for Creepshow and Sleepwalkers.