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With filmmakers eager to bring more Stephen King stories to the big and small screen, we look at ten of King’s most accurate adaptations.

Stephen King is not just a master of horror, he’s a highly prolific creator. He’s written more than 60 novels and more than 200 short stories. And no author has had anything close to the breadth of book-to-screen success King has seen. A recent Stephen King film renaissance has brought many adaptations to the screen over the past few years, including It (2017), The Outsider (2020), Castle Rock (2018), and, even, Pet Sematary (2019).

And with the recent release of Lisey’s Story on Apple TV, a horror drama miniseries based on King’s 2006 novel that he hails as one of his all-time favorites, as well as an exciting slate of upcoming new releases — including Firestarter, a Pet Sematary prequel,  Throttle, The Running Man, Salem’s Lot, and C.U.J.O (among many others) — it seems there has never been a better time to be a King fanatic.

Despite all of these great films, the Stephen King purest in me continues to yearn for accuracy. While King himself prefers creators to be bold in their interpretations of his work, King super-fans still want to see the book represented faithfully on the screen. And that’s no easy feat.

King’s universes are often constructed through a character’s mind. He ponders a character’s inner thoughts, their conflicts, and their needs. This character-focused introspection makes his storytelling effective, but it also makes the work a challenge to bring to the big screen.

There have been a few adaptations, however, that have come close to the perfect King book-to-screen interpretation. The list that follows is in no particular order, but there is a clear favorite for this author.

1. Gerald’s Game (2017)

With Mike Flanagan at the helm, this locked-room horror story about a handcuffed woman and her rapidly decaying dead husband had to make the list. While the list has no clear favorite, this film is number one for a reason.

Nearly all of Gerald’s Game’s narrative in the inner thoughts and memories of its protagonist, Jessie Burlingame (Carla Gugino). Not only does Flanagan manage to accurately adapt the story, but he also makes it compelling and exciting. He preserves the feeling of the novel in a film; not an easy task. Add in Carla Gugino giving one of the best performances in a King movie ever, and you have a recipe for both an accurate adaptation and one of the most outstanding horror films of the past decade.

Watch it now on Netflix. 

2. In the Tall Grass (2019)

In the Tall Grass is not going to be at the top of a King fan’s list. It’s an odd story, a potential callback to Children of the Corn (1978). It’s also not based on a popular Stephen King novel. Rather, this one is based on a novella King co-wrote with his son, Joe Hill. Despite all of these factors, In the Tall Grass is, scene-for-scene, one of the most accurate adaptations of King’s work.

For those that have slept on this one, In the Tall Grass has cosmic, plant, and cannibalistic horror all wrapped up in one. Is it the best movie? Maybe not. But if you want to read a short novella and see it represented near perfectly on screen, then this is your film.

Watch it now on Netflix. 

3. Doctor Sleep (2019)

While I believe this is an accurate adaptation, there could certainly be some argument here. Mike Flanagan, despite being the best filmmaker to adapt King in the last 20 years, made some big changes to the story. There are elements added and subtracted, and portions of the film deviate completely from the book. There is mixing and melding of universes, and some King-loyalists may balk at Flanagan paying homage to a film that King notoriously hates.

However, Doctor Sleep is near perfect.

King’s The Shining (1977) sequel is, arguably, as good as the original. Does Flanagan incorporate Kubrick’s adaptation? Yes. Does he somehow manage to meld together King’s vision with Kubrick’s while still creating a work that simultaneously tells a completely new story and paying the proper dues to the classic? Also, yes.

And that’s why it’s on this list. By the page, it is plenty accurate. But it is also a feat of creative strength. This is full-bore Flanagan.

Watch it now on HBO Max.

4. 1922 (2017)

1922 is the third Netflix adaptation on this list, and it deserves its position. It’s another one based on a novella (near novel-length), and it’s also one hell of an adaptation. Thomas Jane, as expected, handles the lead role with his usually gruff, deft performance. Read the book and watch this film. It’s a page-for-page adaptation if there ever was one.

1922, it seems, fell through the cracks like In the Tall Grass. It’s not one of the most popular and does recycle some elements of Dolores Claiborne (1992). That said, it tells a genuinely creepy tale full of ghosts and rats and also a cross-country bank-robbing spree. It’s a wild and wonderful ride — and essential King material.

Watch it now on Netflix. 

5. The Mist (2007)

A one-two punch of Thomas Jane. The Mist is highly underrated. The grim-dark tale, based on a 1980 novella, and the film are nail biters. And in terms of page-to-screen accuracy, you can’t do much better than 2007’s The Mist — although, the film’s writer and director, the legendary Frank Darabont (The Blog, The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, The Walking Dead) did revise the ending to be darker than the novella’s ending, a change which King approved.

The mist rolls in and our characters are stuck in a microcosm of society. It sounds like the perfect King story. More importantly, this film maintains significance and prescience. Watch The Mist with COVID and the erosion of objective truth on your mind. I dare you.

Rent it now on a variety of VOD platforms. 

6. Dolores Claiborne (1995)

The first mention of Dolores Claiborne should have clued you in that this film, based on the 1992 novel, was making my list. And how could it not? The book is a wonderful exploration of one woman’s perspective. Combine that story with a grand performance by Kathy Bates, and you have a recipe for success.

Is Dolores a murderer? That’s the basis of the plot, and it’s wonderful. It explores a strained relationship between a mother and her daughter, largely told through flashbacks. After the mother is accused of murdering the elderly woman for whom she cared, her estranged daughter returns to her remote hometown on a Maine island.

Well-received by both critics and fans, Bates attributes this role — her second major King film adaptation — as one of her favorite performances of her career. It’s little wonder Time included this film among the top 10 greatest King film adaptations.

Watch it now, for free, on Tubi.

7. Misery (1990)

A one-two punch of Kathy Bates? Yes, please. Misery is amazing. There are two critical elements missing from the movie, and they are both better left out of the story. If Flanagan never made Gerald’s Game, this film would easily be my number one King adaptation.

It’s the story of a writer imprisoned by his biggest fan, based on the 1987 novel of the same name. A box office hit and a critical darling, it even won Bates an Academy Award for Best Actress for her chilling performance. Misery is also the only film based on a Stephen King novel to win an Oscar, and King himself stated it’s one of his top ten favorite film adaptations. It’s not hard to see why.

Watch it now on Cinemax or Directv. 

8. The Dark Half (1993)

If there is an underdog on this list, it would be The Dark Half. It fell flat at the box office and has never been very popular. Yes, it is a film that reeks of the 90s, but that doesn’t make it any less accurate. The story is  lifted directly from the page, even when such strict adherence to the written word works to the film’s detriment. For the King fan who needs a direct injection of King’s lunacy, The Dark Half is a damn good choice.

The Dark Half may not just be one of King’s most accurate adaptations, but it’s also one of the most accurate when it comes to its reflection of King’s real life. The main character, Thad Beaumont, “kills” his pseudonym, much like King “killed” his Richard Bachman pen name. In the story, of course, the alter-ego comes back for revenge.

Side note: Despite the 1993 film’s lackluster appeal, King’s novel will soon be finding new life in the hands of Alex Ross Perry (Her Smell).

Watch it now on Cinemax or Directv. 

9. Nightmares and Dreamscapes (2006)

Whenever there are articles about King adaptations, I wonder why writers never want to talk about Nightmares and Dreamscapes. The mini-series delivers perfect adaptation after perfect adaptation. It’s a powerhouse of short films that deserves so much more recognition.

If you love King’s short fiction, this is the show for you. It takes stories from multiple collections and adapts them in one mini-series. I consider it a must-watch.

Buy Season 1 now on Apple TV or Amazon. 

10. Bag of Bones (2011)

It is sometimes hard to admit that I love this mini-series (or maybe long TV movie?). It’s not great. But this article isn’t about greatness. It is about the accuracy of the adaptation. And when you watch Bag of Bones, you are getting exactly what the book delivers. Yes, the book does it better; King’s books are almost always going to outshine any film or television adaptations. But the film does honor its source material, and that’s why it’s on this list.

If you’re into watching Pierce Brosnan communicate with his dead wife through their cabin, while also facing off with a nefarious multi-billionaire for control of a child, then this one is for you!

Buy Season 1 now on Apple TV or Amazon. 

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