Shudder is the streaming home for horror fans. It is filled to the brim with horror content, some well-known and some hidden gems. It is hard to curate a horror collection without featuring a few pieces based on the stories of the master of horror, Stephen King. One of the best-known names in the genre, there are more than a few films inspired by King's novels and short stories. On Shudder, there are now seven films for King fans to sink their teeth into. Today, we will be ranking these movies to see how they all stack up against one another.
7 Needful Things (1993)
One of the lesser-known King adaptations, Needful Things is based on the 1991 novel of the same name. The story follows a small town where a mysterious shop opens up. Shoppers can find whatever their heart desires in the store, but at a deadly price. Starring Ed Harris, J. T. Walsh, and Max Von Sydow, the cast is filled with some talented names, and their skill shows.
While far from the best Stephen King movie, Needful Things is still an entertaining film, even if it isn't particularly scary. There is a three-hour cut that has aired on TV on a few occasions, and many fans agree this harder-to-find cut is the superior way to watch the film. Stephen King is nothing if not an imaginative mind, and his imagination is all over the story. The movie has enough going for it to warrant a watch, and most fans will find it is a hidden gem in the Shudder catalog.
6 Cat's Eye (1985)
As fans of King know, some of his novels are actually short story collections as opposed to single stories. Some of his best works have come from these short stories, including Stand by Me and The Shawshank Redemption. While many of these stories have been adapted into movies, Cat's Eye is unique in that it adapts several. The film is an anthology that contains three stories. The first two are based on two of King's stories found in the collection Night Shift. The third one, however, is an original tale made for the movie.
The three stories are interconnected by a stray tabby cat, who plays a major part in the final tale. As one can imagine, Cat's Eye is a mixed bag. The most notable thing people remember is that a young Drew Barrymore stars in the final story, and makes fleeting appearances in the other two. The movie is far from bad, and its highs are certainly very high. Cat's Eye is a worthy addition to the Stephen King collection found on Shudder.
5 Children Of The Corn (1984)
Horror fans would be hard-pressed to pass by a corn field and not mention the fear of children hiding in the stalks. This is all thanks to the classic Children of the Corn, based on a Stephen King short story. A young couple travels through a ghost town on their cross-country trip. They soon discover that the adults are being sacrificed by the children of the town to ensure a successful corn harvest.
The movie is admittedly a bit campy, but there are enough eerie moments and chilling performances to make it's classic. Children of the Corn spawned quite a few straight-to-video sequels that leave much to be desired, but the original still holds up quite well. Linda Hamilton (from the Terminator franchise) stars alongside Peter Horton. Once one gets past the hokey nature, there is a chilling King tale found in this cornfield.
4 Firestarter (1984)
A recent remake of Firestarter left much to be desired in the eyes of many fans, even though King himself has claimed he prefers it over the original. This disappointing retelling should not tarnish the reputation of this original chiller. The film follows a man who must protect his daughter from a government agency when she develops pyrokinesis.
Then-newcomer Drew Barrymore stars as Charlie, the young girl with dangerous powers. The movie isn't so much horror as it is a science fiction thriller. This doesn't mean that it isn't a worthy addition to Shudder, however. Firestarter is exciting, thrilling, and heart-pounding from beginning to end. If someone's only knowledge of this story is the recent remake, they really owe it to themselves to check out this classic King movie.
3 'Salem's Lot (1979)
Salem's Lot is known as one of King's best works, and for good reason. This chilling movie follows a writer who returns to his hometown in preparation for a novel he is working on. His interest is an old house that has been the subject of his nightmares since childhood. He soon realizes the house has some new inhabitants who happen to be a vampire and his assistant. The terrifying duo begins to turn the entire town of Jerusalem's Lot into undead creatures of the night, and it is up to the writer and a rag-tag group to stop it.
This great miniseries from the '70s may be cheesy on the surface, but it is filled with some of the most chilling imagery to ever be attached to Stephen King, including a wonderful, Nosferatu-inspired vampire design The story is getting yet another adaptation next year, so now is the perfect time for fans to familiarize themselves with the original adaptation. Horror fans who haven't seen 'Salem's Lot owe it to themselves to, just be sure to leave the lights on.
2 Carrie (1976)
It is truly telling when an author's first published novel immediately goes down in history as a horror classic. Such is the case with Stephen King, whose first novel Carrie did just that. The novel was so popular that it was adapted to the screen two years later in 1976, and it is still one of the best King movies. Carrie follows the titular teenage girl who lives with her overbearing religious mother. Things aren't much better at school, where she is relentlessly mocked and teased every day. Things begin to change when Carrie realizes she has powers that activate when she is in distress. When her tormenters go too far at the prom, everyone learns just what Carrie White is capable of.
The film has stood the test of time in the best way possible. It has had a sequel and two remakes, yet this original classic stands out with no difficulty. Sissy Spacek is able to make Carrie sympathetic, but also terrifying. The film ends with one of the most famous jump scares of all time, one that inspired the creators of Friday the 13th to create a legacy of their own.
1 Misery (1990)
One of the best movies to ever bear Stephen King's name is Misery. The film stars the late James Caan as Paul Sheldon, a writer who is in a near-fatal car accident. He is seemingly rescued by a superfan named Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates). He soon realizes his luck isn't as good as he thought, as Wilkes is insane and holds him against his will. This is one of the most nail-biting stories Stephen King has ever been responsible for. Every second is filled with tension that keeps viewers on edge. Whether it is waiting for Annie to snap or watching Paul desperately try to return to his room before Annie returns home. This film proves that horror doesn't always need shape-shifting clowns or haunted hotels. Sometimes all it takes is a psychopath and a snowstorm to make one of the scariest movies of all time.