With more than 75 adaptations of his books and novellas, Stephen King is one of the world’s most renowned authors. He doesn’t always like the adaptations (and neither do we), but there are some that are admittedly even better than the source material.
Then others initially came across as questionable. However, on a second viewing or with time, they actually ended up being much better than you remember. Some of this comes from not quite getting the nuances in the performances, while it can also be just a case of age and finally understanding the deeper meaning of the movies.
Not sure which of the King adaptations you should try again? We’ve got you covered.
The Langoliers
Based on the short story in the compilation Four Past Midnight, The Langoliers focuses on a group of plane passengers who end up trapped in the past. They don’t have long to figure out what’s happened to them and find a way to get back to their own time, while also figuring out what that noise is that seems to be getting closer to them.
There is a lot going on in this 1995 miniseries, which can make it seem a little too rushed and confusing at first. However, there are some deeper performances as you consider the topics covered, including childhood trauma, sacrifice, and acceptance. It also makes you question whether time travel would really be worth it.
Pet Sematary
I’m talking the original 1989 version here, although I will give the 2019 movie praise for being able to tell the narrative of death through the change in character who is killed on the road. The 1989 adaptation was my first introduction to horror, however, and I immediately brushed it off because it all looked fake. Yet, there is a darker story to tell.
Pet Sematary hits harder for parents. What would you do if you lost a child and found a cemetery that could bring them back to life? Wouldn’t you at least try? As you start to look at the story from a different viewpoint, you’ll see that, actually, it’s worth another watch.
The Stand
Like with Pet Sematary, we’re going with the original version of this adaptation, the miniseries from 1994. The Stand is a masterpiece in human horrors and selfishness, while also showing what can happen when people group together for the right reasons.
After a virus kills nearly all of the population, the survivors have to figure out what to do next. One side turns to villain Randall Flagg, while the other finds Mother Abagail and the side of goodness. One of the great things about this is that there’s something new to remember and learn with each watch.
Under the Dome
I do wish that this adaptation had ended up with more attention and more seasons. The CBS series, which ran from 2013 to 2015, brought the story of survival and connection, as a group of people find themselves trapped under an invisible dome. Within the story, there is a domestic drama, a horror, a sci-fi tale, and a disaster movie rolled into one, and you’re left wondering what could happen next.
There is an opportunity for another network to redo this, as King didn’t exactly like the adaptation. Give it a chance, though. King didn’t like The Shining, either, but look at how awesome that movie is!
Christine
There is something about a killer car that piques your interest, right? It’s not surprising that Christine was one of the earliest King adaptations. However, at first glance, it’s hard to see how a car can become an ultimate villain for the whole movie.
Watch it again, though. This is actually a lot better than you’d initially think, especially when you view it through a different lens. It’s not quite a horror. Instead, this movie is a satirical look at male development—or more like lack of development—and obsession. There’s a lesson here in the name of life, and it stands even today despite the book being written in 1983 and the movie coming out in the same year.
The Mist
While there has been a more recent adaptation, the 2007 movie is the one you’ll want to watch again. This is one of those adaptations that goes much darker than the source material, and it will leave you thinking deeply.
The story follows a mist that forms all over town with dangers inside. Everything starts with a man and his son out on some normal errands when they’re forced to take refuge in a grocery store with other survivors. While there is a horror element with the creatures outside, the real horror is the people and just how far they will go to both survive and get revenge.
Dolores Claiborne
The last adaptation on the list is based on the novel of the same name, published in 1992. Dolores Claiborne, released in 1995, follows the horror of everyday people.
Kathy Bates plays Dolores, who is suspected of murdering her elderly employer. To prove her innocence, she goes through her life story, which shows just how much heartbreak and horror one person can go through.
Now is the time to go back through the King adaptations you’ve written off in the past. While at first they seem either disappointing or not scary enough, there is a story to tell beneath the surface that will stick with you for days.
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