Movies come and go from Netflix, but there is always a Stephen King adaptation available at any given time. He is the master of thrills and chills, having written over 80 books, and some of his works have been made into television series as well, and many of them are available to fans outside the US.
They can't all be winners, however, and even King has been vocal about really not liking some film adaptations of his work. Good or bad, Netflix might have them, so fans will have to decide for themselves if it's a hit, a miss, or a new cult favorite.
22 Mercy (27% Audience Score) Is Streaming In Canada
Mercy is a film a lot of people have probably never heard of. Loosely based on the Stephen King novel, Gramma, the movie is relatively unknown and the critics connected to Rotten Tomatoes haven't gotten around to rating it. It has an audience score of 27%, so maybe that speaks for itself.
Mercy is about two brothers who move in with their dying grandmother, so they can take care of her. Soon after, strange phenomena starts occurring, and it appears to be the work of a dark witch. Terrifying secrets emerge, and the true nature of Grandma comes into question.
21 Cell (11%) Is Streaming In Argentina, Brazil, France, India, Japan, And Mexico
Cell has a small cult following, but the film was ultimately a flop. King worked on the screenplay, but it lacks the suspense he usually brings to his stories, and it relies too much on well worn zombie clichés to stand out as anything new. It's a shame because it has a capable cast, including John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson, who worked together in 1408, another King adaptation. In the movie, a graphic novelist (Cusack) is determined to find his estranged wife and son when a strange signal turns cellphone users into rabid killers.
20 Carrie (20%) Is Streaming In UK
This is yet another adaptation of Carrie, and it's certainly the worst. At this point, everyone is familiar with Carrie and everyone was satisfied with the 1976 iteration. This lackluster version was a 2002 made for TV movie that drags on for two and a half hours, which is the most frightening aspect of the film.
As in the far superior 1976 version, Carrie is an outcast who is constantly bullied by her classmates, and her religious mother is no help. What they don't know is she has telekinetic powers that she plans to use for vengeance.
19 A Good Marriage (32%) Is Streaming In Japan And South Korea
This title is one of the lesser-known King adaptations; it's based on a short story from the novella Full Dark, No Stars. The novel features four short stories, all with the common theme of retribution. As the title insinuates, the film is about domestic struggles, but it is portrayed in a darkly comedic manner. Critics argue that that came across more clearly on paper.
A woman's husband goes away on business, and she is left home alone while a serial killer is on the loose. Not only that, but a stranger has been threatening her family. She begins to unearth sinister secrets about the man she married that put more than just their marriage at risk.
18 Sleepwalkers (33%) Is Streaming In The UK
This movie isn't based on a novel or short story by King; he actually wrote it as an original screenplay. It may not be King's most creative - it's about shape-shifters feeding on virgins - and critics didn't love this film, but it came from the mind of Stephen King, so it deserves a chance.
In the film, Charles and his mother are shape-shifters, and luckily, the town doesn't suspect them or that they plan to feed on virgin girls. Innocent Tanya befriends Charles at school, she agrees to go on a date with him, and he has every intention of stealing her life force to help sustain himself and his mother.
17 In The Tall Grass (36%) Is Streaming Worldwide
In The Tall Grass is a delightfully creepy Netflix Original, so it is available to watch anywhere Netflix can be streamed. In the film, which stars Patrick Wilson, Becky and her brother Cal find themselves caught in a paranormal mystery when they enter a field of tall grass because they can hear a boy calling for help. Once they enter the field, the exit to the road vanishes behind them. leaving them with no way to return to the outside world as the constantly-shifting landscape creates a supernatural reality that defies time and space.
16 Secret Window (46%) Is Streaming In Canada, France, India, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain
Pirates of the Caribbean had recently come out, so Johnny Depp was becoming increasingly popular, and according to critics, he's just about the only interesting thing in Secret Window. The book was met with great reviews, but the film wouldn't get the same treatment. Fans definitely liked it more than critics because there are a few good twists; it's worth a watch.
In the film, Mort Rainey (Depp) is a writer going through a painful divorce. He decides to spend time in his lake house to recover his mental health. A farmer, John Shooter, shows up and claims that Rainey plagiarized his work. He ignores these accusations, but Shooter isn't giving up without a fight.
15 Carrie (50%) Is Streaming In Australia, Belgium, France, Italy, South Korea, Netherlands, Malaysia, Singapore, Russia, Philippines, Thailand, Japan, And Hong Kong
Carrie is the first novel Stephen King ever wrote, and it still holds up. It's a very popular story, so popular that this movie is the second remake. Released in 2013, the latest Carrie film, critics found it to be simply unnecessary because it didn't add anything that audiences hadn't seen before.
Led by Chloe Grace Moretz and Julianne Moore, this iteration shows Carrie as an awkward teen girl who is trapped under the wing of her over-zealous religious mother. Carrie discovers she has supernatural powers that she uses to move things with her mind, and she uses this to her advantage at the school prom.
14 Pet Semetary (53%) Is Streaming In The US
Pet Semetary is another well-known King title that was a huge box-office hit. It eventually got a sequel and a remake was released in 2019. The film was originally going to be directed by George A. Romero, but he had to drop out due to previous obligations, and King ended up writing the screenplay himself.
When the Creed's family cat dies, they bury him by the old cemetery, only to discover that the cat has returned to life, but he's changed, and not for the better. Then their son, Gage, is tragically killed, and despite warnings, Mr. Creed buries his son's body in the same place as the cat.
13 Sometimes They Come Back (67%) Is Streaming In The UK
Sometimes They Come Back was never released in theaters, but CBS aired it as a TV movie in 1991. It's a lesser-known work of King's, but critics were big fans of Tim Matheson's performance, and audiences agree that it was effective.
In the movie, Jim Norman is a high school teacher who moves back to his hometown for a new job. Jim is reluctant to go back because a group of teenagers murdered his brother when they were kids. Inexplicably, those same teenagers are in Jim's new class. Suddenly, students start dying, and Jim is the main suspect.
12 Christine (69%) Is Streaming In The USA, UK, Belgium, France, Italy, Greece, Switzerland, Netherlands, Spain, And India
Christine certainly isn't director John Carpenter's best work, but it's still a lot of fun. It's about a nerd getting revenge, but it's also full of whimsy which gives it its cult following. Fun fact: The book and the film came out the same year.
Arnie Cunningham restores a 1958 Plymouth Fury only to have a bully completely wreck it. Arnie has become obsessed with the car, which he named Christine, and is hell-bent on revenge when he sees that the car had fully restored itself. Arnie's friends Buddy and Leigh decide they need to destroy it.
11 The Mist (72%) Is Streaming In Japan, Netherlands, Sweden, And Belgium
The Mist came out in 2007, and it deserves praise for many reasons, the main reason being that King himself was a huge fan of the ending, a very rare occurrence. Director Frank Darabont was complimented for his politically mindful script and impressive camerawork. This is one of the more successful, well-made, and solid King adaptations.
After an extremely strong storm in Maine, a thick fog remains and engulfs the town. David Drayton, his son, and other townspeople become trapped in a grocery store. The mist kills anyone who goes outside, and there seem to be creatures lurking in the denseness. Soon, someone calls for a sacrifice, and it appears that whatever sulks outside isn't the only threat.
10 The Green Mile (79%) Is Streaming In France, Germany, Italy, Greece, Spain, Switzerland, And The Netherlands
The Green Mile is a little over three hours long, but anyone who's seen it will attest that it's worth the watch. Dealing with a unique type of grief in an intelligent way, the majority of the film takes place in prison, and the story centers around the naive John Coffey, portrayed beautifully by Michael Clarke Duncan.
John Coffey is sent to prison for the brutal murder of two girls. Prison guard Edgecomb (Tom Hanks) is curious about this man because he is simple and deathly afraid of the dark-not characteristics of a bloodthirsty killer. Edgecomb discovers that the death-row inmate has supernatural powers, and he tries desperately to prove Coffey's innocence.
9 Dolores Claiborne (85%) Is Streaming In Australia And Sweden
Time Magazine put Dolores Claiborne in their list of the top 10 Stephen King movie adaptations, and for good reason. The film stars Kathy Bates as Dolores, and she credits it as her favorite role. It's a very strange story, but it's delightfully chilling with a score by Danny Elfman.
Dolores Claiborne is the housekeeper for the rich and snobby Vera Donovan. Claiborne becomes the prime suspect when Vera suddenly turns up dead. Selena, a notable NY journalist and Dolores's daughter, comes to the house to find out what really happened.
8 The Shining (85%) Is Streaming In Australia, Belgium, France, India, Israel, Russia, South Korea, Germany, The Czech Republic, Hungary, Japan, Poland, Romania, Ukraine, Slovakia, Switzerland, And Germany
King famously hates this version of The Shining, and he has every right to, considering it's one of his greatest novels. Audiences everywhere, however, were truly chilled and awestruck by Stanley Kubrick's adaptation. Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall make this film a must-see.
Jack Torrence takes his family to the Overlook Hotel for the winter, so he can work as the caretaker and cure his writer's block. His son Danny has disturbing visions of the past, present, and future. As Jack discovers more about the hotel and its dark past, he unravels into a maniac who is determined to kill his family.
7 It (86%) Is Streaming In Australia, Japan, And Sweden
It came out in 2017 and made $700 million worldwide. It's funny, truly terrifying, heartfelt, and has a spectacular ensemble cast of young actors. It's a coming-of-age story that is told beautifully on screen.
As in the book, the movie begins when children start disappearing in Derry, Maine, and Bill's younger brother is one of them. He and his outcast friends band together to discover Derry's long-hidden secret; an interdimensional being that presents itself as a clown and eats children.
6 Misery (90%) Is Streaming In The UK
Misery is an absolute must-see. It stars James Caan and Kathy Bates, who won the Oscar for her role as Annie Wilkes. It's the epitome of suspense; it truly doesn't get better than this.
Paul Sheldon is a writer who is taken in by Wilkes after a traumatic car crash due to a blizzard. She is a big fan of his and is excited to nurse him back to health. Then she finds out that he plans to kill off her favorite character, and she turns sadistic and violent, keeping him prisoner in her remote cabin.
5 Stand By Me (91%) Is Streaming In The US
Stand By Me captures Stephen King's voice and elegantly portrays the trials and tribulations of growing up. It resonates with nearly anyone who watches it. It has a wonderful cast of child actors who grew up to be household names: Wil Wheaton, Corey Feldman, Jerry O'Connell, and River Phoenix.
Based on King's short story, "The Body," four boys in rural Oregon decide to search for the body of a boy who's been missing and presumed dead. They aren't the only ones looking for the body though; a gang of bullies isn't far behind them. The boys become fast friends and learn the importance of friendship and how hard it is to find someone to lean on.
4 1922 (91%) Is Streaming Worldwide
1922 is a Netflix Original, so it is available to watch anywhere Netflix can be streamed. Like A Good Marriage, the movie is adapted from from Stephen King's short story collection Full Dark, No Stars. The acting is impeccable, and the storytelling takes the audience to a horrifying place. It is realistically graphic, so not for the faint of heart. In the film, Wilfred James is a rancher who convinces his son to help him murder his wife. They succeed, but she comes back to haunt them, specifically with visions and rats.
3 Gerald's Game (91%) Is Streaming Worldwide
Gerald's Game is a Netflix Original, so it is available to watch anywhere Netflix can be streamed. This psychological horror, co-written for the screen and directed by Mike Flanagan, was the first King adaptation produced by Netflix.
In the film, Jessie's husband, Gerald, wants to try something kinky; namely hand-cuffing her to the bed. As soon as he does, he has a heart attack and dies, leaving her chained up in a remote cabin. Dehydration, fatigue, and panic begin to set in, and she starts hallucinating.