10 Most Rewatchable Stephen King Movie Adaptations, Ranked

As the best Stephen King movies show, some of his adaptations are better than others. In fact, most of them are pretty mediocre. Only a handful or so are great, and a handful below them are good. It has proven difficult for most productions to reach the emotional or suspenseful heights of the famous author’s bestselling prose, let alone make a movie that fans of the novelist will feel compelled to watch more than once.

Though Stephen King is most widely known for his horror stories, some of the best feature film adaptations of his work aren’t even in that genre. Likewise, half of his most rewatchable movies aren’t horror movies either. Being a more approachable genre, such as a drama or a thriller, inherently makes a classic like Stand by Me more rewatchable than something like The Shining. After all, audiences will generally prefer rewatching a drama over risking a sleepless night in bed (or worse, nightmares). The 10 most rewatchable King movies are mostly just his best but ranked in a somewhat different order, prioritizing a combination of good storytelling without gore over good storytelling with it.

10 ‘1922’

Directed by Zak Hilditch

One of the best movies with numbers for a title, 1922, is based on the Stephen King novella of the same name. It’s far from original, but the competence of its direction still pushes it ahead of most King adaptations. Basically, a farmer and his son plot to kill his city-bound wife so that they can keep the land, leading down a dark path of resentment, violence, guilt, and all that comes with it.

Starring Thomas Jane, Neal McDonough, and Molly Parker, the movie is told in retrospect from the husband’s perspective. In a world inundated with movies and shows about someone who murders a dozen people or has to face off against countless villains, 1922 is able to show that taking just one life is destructive enough to the average person. Though it’s not perfect and not the most concise, this adaptation’s ability to immerse the viewer in the story makes it more rewatchable than most by default.

9 ‘The Mist’ (2007)

Directed by Frank Darabont

True to The Mist‘s title, an ominous mist spreads all over town, trapping a group of people inside a grocery store. If there’s one thing they learn repeatedly, it’s that they really shouldn’t go outside; there are too many horrible creatures roaming around. Unfortunately, the situation isn’t as simple as waiting for everything to end. This is a mildly gory sci-fi horror film with enough suspense to keep the viewer’s interest.

It speaks to director Frank Darabont‘s talent that his third and least impressive Stephen King movie is still stronger than most of the other King adaptations. The CGI hasn’t aged so well since 2007, but it’s not a deal-breaker to the generous viewer. Based on the novella of the same name from the Dark Forces anthology, this semi-biblical nightmare is about what happens to people under apocalyptic circumstances. In short: denial, factionalism, zealotry, and mayhem. Its ambition and interesting story make it fairly rewatchable.

8 ‘The Dead Zone’ (1983)

Directed by David Cronenberg

In The Dead Zone, Christopher Walken plays a coma patient named Johnny Smith who wakes up as a clairvoyant. Through physical contact, he can see into people’s lives and their loved ones’ lives; this includes their pasts, presents, and even their futures. One of the most interesting parts is when the protagonist’s doctor confesses that, although he called his long-lost mother, he couldn’t bring himself to speak to her. To him, “it wasn’t meant to be,” calling into question the ethics of Johnny’s ability to interfere with fate.

The Dead Zone overdoes the score, but this thriller is pretty affecting overall. Johnny feels like he’s dying every time he grabs someone’s hand and peers into their life, but he’s pressured again and again to use his powers. He becomes more isolated, and his health deteriorates. It’s one of Christopher Walken’s best roles and one of the less disturbing Stephen King adaptations, making it worthwhile to see it more than once.

7 ‘The Green Mile’ (1999)

Directed by Frank Darabont

The Green Mile is so long that the viewer is surprised by how engaging it is throughout its 3-hour runtime. Frank Darabont’s second Stephen King adaptation (also set in a prison) has a similar tone and visual language as his first (The Shawshank Redemption). By mixing the humor from the novel with its more serious elements, this drama often has plenty of funny moments to balance out the overall serious story.

John Coffey (a remarkable Michael Clarke Duncan) is on death row during the Great Depression for the rape and murder of two little girls. The prison guard in charge of his death-row block (Tom Hanks) is going through a bad urinary infection and struggling to keep everything in order when Coffey and another new prisoner (Sam Rockwell) arrive. With plenty of small details to notice over multiple viewings, The Green Mile is too well done to not be one of the most rewatchable Stephen King adaptations.

6 ‘The Shining’ (1980)

Directed by Stanley Kubrick

Stanley Kubrick tried his hand at horror with his atmospheric 1980 adaptation of The Shining. The plot is simple enough (a haunted hotel), which gave Kubrick lots of leeway to play around with the source material. Among other things, he changed the ending and gave the film a much colder emotional resonance than the acclaimed novel. It’s understandable why Stephen King hates this adaptation, but most critics and audiences love it.

There are some bone-chilling sequences here, and they largely work because of the film’s sustained eeriness and ambiguity. Not to mention the numerous thematic layers this narrative takes on, working as an allegory for the dysfunctional American nuclear family, the ravaging of Native American lands, writer’s block, and more. Some may never want to watch this highly artistic horror movie more than once, and the lead performances are sometimes over the top (on purpose), but all the different meanings one can take away from it welcome infinite viewings.

5 ‘Dolores Claiborne’ (1995)

Directed Taylor Hackford

Directed by Taylor Hackford, Dolores Claiborne is based on Stephen King’s 1992 novel of the same name. In her second main role in a King adaptation, Kathy Bates does another tremendous job as the titular character of this mystery. Christopher Plummer is very effective as the detective who is convinced that Dolores killed not just her employer but her husband 18 years prior. This work delves deeper into everyone’s backstories as it goes on, helping the characters gradually grow more complex.

The flashbacks are occasionally combined with the present in a compelling way that puts us in Dolores’s shoes. The movie is a fascinating psychological profile of not just her but her troubled daughter, played by Jennifer Jason Leigh. The music is overused, but not enough to undermine the movie’s suspense. Even after all the pieces come together, Dolores Claiborne‘s main characters are so well-drawn that their actions and words take on deeper meanings upon later revisits.

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4 ‘Carrie’ (1976)

Directed by Brian De Palma

Brian de Palma‘s Carrie uses the end of a volleyball game to show the titular protagonist (played by Sissy Spacek) getting bullied in high school. Then, after an upsetting shower scene, the audience is so fully on Carrie’s side that they’re going to sympathize with her pretty much no matter what she does. After all, those girls are hardly the only ones who are mean to her; the principal doesn’t bother to remember her name, her mother is abusive, and even her English teacher makes fun of her.

This is one of Sissy Spacek’s best films. She knocks it out of the park as this shy, insecure teenager who just wants to be normal. Based on Stephen King’s debut novel, Carrie has too much generically ominous music. Yet the viewer still wishes the majority of King adaptations were as good as this first. Intense moments, like when Mrs. White (a fantastic Piper Laurie) drags her daughter into a dark closet, show the viewer why this is considered one of Brian de Palma’s greatest works. It’s been rewatchable for nearly fifty years now.

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3 ‘Misery’ (1990)

Directed by Rob Reiner

Easily one of the most accessible horror movies ever made, Misery stars James Caan as a famous novelist who gets into an accident during a snowstorm. Kathy Bates plays the woman who kindly takes him into her own house to heal and unkindly makes him stay. She’s his biggest fan, and now he needs to rewrite his final novel until she approves of the ending. Kathy Bates won an Oscar for her convincing performance as this bookish obsessive.

In the gentle hands of director Rob Reiner, Misery hardly qualifies as horror. But that doesn’t mean it’s not good or suspenseful. It’s both. It’s just that this should also be considered a very reliable entry point to the horror genre for those who are squeamish about the macabre. If you can’t handle this one, you won’t be able to handle anything else.

2 ‘Stand By Me’ (1986)

Directed by Rob Reiner

Based on King’s novella The Body, the superior movie Stand By Me is about friendship, trauma, and childhood. Four twelve-year-olds in Oregon follow the train tracks to check out a dead body in the summer of 1959. They all have problems back at home, and this journey forces each kid to come to terms with them. Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, and Jerry O’Connell each give highly memorable performances under the heartfelt direction of Rob Reiner. Kiefer Sutherland is great, too, playing the neighborhood’s main bully.

One of Stephen King’s favorite adaptations and not even a horror movie, Stand By Me is a coming-of-age drama with a lighthearted sense of humor, making it easy for anyone to enjoy. With all the 50s music, beautiful Oregon scenery, and a thrilling train scene, Stand By Me is one of the most effortless adaptations to watch a dozen times over.

1 ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ (1994)

Directed by Frank Darabont

Tim Robbins stars as Andy Dufresne in Frank Darabont’s masterful Best Picture nominee, The Shawshank Redemption. It’s considered one of the best prison movies of all time for many reasons: Morgan Freeman‘s narration, the pacing, the tragic and emotionally wrenching narrative, and the epic plot twist. Then there are the famous lines, including “Get busy livin’, or get busy dyin’.” The most important aspect, however, is probably its heart. The unforgettable ending of this dark story is well-earned, touching, and deeply satisfying.

Who knows why it took so long for audiences to get into this film, since the critics were positive from the start? Whatever the reason, it became a cult classic through TV showings and home video sales. This movie vastly improves upon its source material (the novella Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption) and stands as an exemplar of cinema whose rewatchability was instrumental to its reputation.

NEXT: ‘The 10 Best Movies to Watch if You Like Stephen King’