Stand By Me (1986), The Shining (1980) and The Shawshank Redemption (1994) are just a few of the most famous films from yesteryear, adapted from the works of Stephen King.
King’s stories are a common feature on cinema screens, with eight adaptations having been released in this decade already—not to mention that the Glen Powell-led The Running Man is soon to take that figure to nine.
Quantity does not always equal quality, however, and these adaptations vary from excellent to terrible.
Children of the Corn (2020)
There are several woeful negatives about this film, but the one overwhelming positive is that Kate Moyer, as Eden, is a truly menacing little kid, and so credit must go to her.
The film is barely more than 90 minutes though and over half of the runtime passes by with nothing happening—attempts are made to build some kind of suspense, but unsuccessfully. When the horror elements of this horror film finally come into play, they’re okay at best and the remarkably unthreatening dialogue weighs it down further.
Mr Harrigan’s Phone (2022)
My advice from the off is don’t bother watching 2022 release Mr Harrigan’s Phone. Having not read the source material, I can’t speak on King’s construction of the story but upon reading the synopsis of the film, I was sceptical from the outset.
It is easy to tell that this is based on a short story as it is so thin on the ground, having no right to be a feature film in excess of 100 minutes. Meandering along with no real direction or end goal, the film is regularly stumbling around in the dark. It’s a collection of events that just so happen to have a beginning and an end, with very little substance in between.
Firestarter (2022)
A slight step up here; the third film on this list, Firestarter, isn’t offensively bad in the way that the first two are. It has the feeling of a lot of uninspiring and unoriginal remakes that we’ve seen in recent years, with the 1984 original being greatly preferred by most that have bothered to watch both.
Zac Efron and Sydney Lemmon deliver strong performances as the parents, Efron in particular showcasing the talent that the majority of people know he possesses. But it’s talent that would be better served elsewhere.
The Monkey (2025)
Most films are divisive in one way or another, but in terms of 2025 releases, The Monkey has to be leading the charge. Riding on the high of the online phenomenon that was Longlegs, Osgood Perkins was unable to stick the landing here.
It’s another intriguing concept from the director but the execution fell way short, courtesy of abysmal dialogue, uninteresting kills and a lot of painfully unfunny moments. Annoying is a word used by many to describe this film and I think that’s apt—for a movie less than 100 minutes long to be so tedious is quite the achievement.
The Life of Chuck (2024)
The Life of Chuck doesn’t fit into the box of stereotypical Stephen King films, but the underlying tension and musings on mortality remain. Life-affirming was a word plastered on the posters for this one, which threw me for a loop in all honesty.
Structuring the film in reverse is a unique decision and Mike Flanagan handles this well, at the very least provoking plenty of thought at the conclusion of each chapter. Unfortunately, a combination of annoying music, a voiceover straight out of a 2000s film and over-the-top exposition creates quite a frustrating watch, bordering on insufferable at times.
Salem’s Lot (2024)
It feels as if I’m one of only a few people who actually went to see Salem’s Lot, and whilst it wasn’t revolutionary in any way, I’m glad I did. Watching Lewis Pullman make that step up from a timid supporting character to a forthright lead was worth the ticket price alone.
The dialogue of this film provided a major contrast, some lines sounding as if they’re written by children whereas others cutting through with sharp humour. Alfre Woodard as Dr. Cody is the primary conduit to this, delivering the bulk of the jokes with great aplomb.
The Boogeyman (2023)
Before she was brilliant in Heretic and Companion, Sophie Thatcher was brilliant in 2023 horror film The Boogeyman. Thatcher is the heartbeat of the film, well-complemented by the always spooky David Dastmalchian amongst others.
Another one to seemingly pass a lot of people by, half of those who did watch it say it’s nothing new in a heavily concentrated genre.Using grief and loss as a starting point for a character’s monsters, whether they be metaphorical or literal, has been done over and over again. Yet The Boogeyman such a pleasant surprise, as it still has an individualistic feeling to it while providing plenty of effective scares.
The Long Walk (2025)
Recency bias can sometimes plague film opinions but the Stephen King adaptation released in the last few weeks is, in fact, the best of the lot. Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson are a hugely charming leading duo who will have been convincing enough on their own for people to flood to cinemas.
Without them and their engrossing performances, the film wouldn’t have worked given that it boils down to a lot of walking, a lot of talking, and not much else. Mark Hamill as the evil major isn’t entirely convincing, but the central duo are impressive enough to excel beyond any minor grievances.
Words by Jamie Rooke
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