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Over the years, American author, Stephen King, has earned himself the title of “Master Of Horror.” Through his masterful story-telling skills, he has captured the hearts of avid horror readers by writing relatable characters and instilling real-life terror into his plot lines. King has sold over 350 million copies of his books, some of which have been adapted into films and television shows. While many of the adaptions of his work have garnered a lot of positive attention, these five films are some of King’s scariest.
5. 1408 (2007)
For fans of the paranormal, 1408 follows author Mike Enslin, who documents and evaluates supernatural events. With the release of his most recent book, Mike receives a postcard from the Dolphin Hotel written on the back, “Don’t enter 1408.” He immediately calls the hotel to book the room; however, he is denied access and is told that it is unavailable. Determined and curious, Mike is able to make the arrangements to spend a night in the room but quickly realizes that the room is more sinister than he imagined.
The mild-mannered Mike begins to experience unexplained physical pain and mental terror within the room. After a window suddenly slams down shut, crushing Mike’s hand, he begins to see haunting images of his deceased daughter. The claustrophobic horrors of 1408 makes the skin crawl as we see the mental decline of a completely sane character. The room causes not only physical harm to anyone who enters but also psychological pain.
4. Pet Sematary (2019)
Pet Sematary is disturbing and highly recommended for viewers who enjoy movies with a slow burn. The story follows the hardships of the Creed family being evicted from their home and forced to move into the small town of Ludlow. Both children of the Creed family explore the woods and witness a funeral procession of children taking a dead dog to the “Pet Sematary.” This moment eventually sets in motion the tragedies that follow the Creed family. The family learns that the Pet Sematary has the power to bring back the dead but at a high cost.
What’s terrifying about Pet Sematary is that throughout the movie, the Creed family experience mental anguish at the loss of one of their members and the consequences of trying to bring them back. Additionally, there are graphic scenes where characters are stabbed and impaled. At first glance, the movie would appear to be another zombie movie, but the tragedy that motivates the main characters is not just about survival; it’s about how mankind deals with loss.
3. The Mist (2007)
Common themes found in horror films are foreign invasions and fear of the unknown. The Mist couples both themes as David, and his son, Billy, find themselves trapped inside a convenience store as they attempted to escape from an ominous mist that suddenly covered the entire town. Other residents trapped in the store try to walk out into the mist but soon find something dangerous lurking. The Mist builds suspense as we observe David and the citizens in the store become divided and begin to lose all hope.
2. It (2017)
If clowns were not already scary enough, the movie, It takes it to the next level of terrifying. The film starts by following Bill crafting a paper boat for his younger brother, Georgie. Georgie takes the boat outside and quickly loses it down a sewer drain. He chases after it and finds “Pennywise The Dancing Clown.” Pennywise urges Georgie closer to the drain and pulls him down to eat him. This event sets the whole film in motion as Bill and his friends investigate Georgie’s death, as well as other mysterious disappearances and tragedies in town. This film is one of Stephen King’s best horror film adaptions with the creature, It, taking the shape of your worst fears.
1. The Shining (1980)
[Novel by Stephen King]: Kubrick, Stanley dir. The Shining. 1980
One of Stephen King’s earlier adaptions and still one of the most revered horror films of all time is The Shining. The film tells the tale of Jack Torrance, who takes a winter caretaker position at the Overlook Hotel. Jack’s son, Danny, is told that he has a telepathic ability known as “shining” and that the hotel also has a shine. However, as the winter days go by, Danny starts to have frightening visions as Jack’s mental health deteriorates.
The terror felt while watching The Shining comes from knowing the potential harm Jack can cause to his wife and son since it is mentioned early on in the film that he has a violent history. Additionally, the supernatural aspect of the film leaves viewers to question if Danny and his mom will be able to escape Jack’s wrath and the hotel with their lives.
Stephen King’s Influence
This list only confirms what we’ve already addressed: Stephen King is truly the Master Of Horror. These films bring terror into the real world by placing ordinary characters in frightening circumstances. For Mike Enslin in 1408, he rented out a hotel room. In Pet Sematary, the family moved into a small town. David and his family were at home when the mist took over, Georgie went outside to play when It came, and Jack and his family were staying at a hotel for the winter. King’s masterful storytelling terrifies readers and viewers by leading them to believe that these bone-chilling tragedies can happen to anyone.
Stephen King has not only had his writings adapted into film and television series, but King has also significantly influenced other media, such as Jonathan Entwistle’s black comedy, I Am Not Okay With This, which is similar to King’s Carrie. King’s writings are more focused on psychological horror than taking the slasher route that relies heavily on graphic imagery. This has lead to many of King’s writings becoming iconic and readapted due to the relatable characters and creative plot lines. To this day, King still writes, and there are still movies and TV series being released adapted from his work.