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Stephen King’s been known to write a doorstop or two, but within the prolific author’s oeuvre are tales that amount to a fraction of “It.” What these novellas lack in page-count, though, they make up for in thrills. Some of the most successful cinematic translations of his work come from this short-fiction subset.
“The Shawshank Redemption”—a two-and-a-half-hour prison drama adapted from the 181-page novella, “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption”—is widely considered one of the greatest movies ever made. Released by Netflix earlier this month and just in time for Halloween, “Mr. Harrigan’s Phone” is the newest product of King’s fruitful relationship with the film industry.
SEE Stephen King films: 12 greatest movies ranked worst to best from ‘The Shining’ to ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ to ‘It’
Below are 11 scary, feature-length film adaptations of King’s novellas, plus one for the faint of heart.
Mr. Harrigan’s Phone (2022)
Netflix isn’t showing any signs of abandoning the Stephen King business. “Mr. Harrigan’s Phone” is their fourth adaptation of one of his properties in just five years. Directed by John Lee Hancock (“The Blind Side,” “Saving Mr. Banks”), the movie is about a young man named Craig (Jaeden Martell) who befriends wealthy retiree John Harrigan (Donald Sutherland).
The author’s work has always harbored tech-skeptic themes, but “Mr. Harrigan’s Phone” puts them front and center when Craig starts getting calls from beyond the grave. The movie is based on one of the four novellas which comprise the author’s 2020 anthology, “If It Bleeds.”
In the Tall Grass (2019)
Adapted from a novella King wrote with his son, Joe Hill (author of the source material for this year’s “The Black Phone”), “In the Tall Grass” is a supernatural thriller about siblings whose reality is upended after they attempt to rescue a young boy. Imprisoned by crops tall enough to block out the sun, they must contend with an evil stalking them through the field.
Patrick Wilson may be the cast’s most recognizable member, but everyone turns in strong work. The ensemble lends the film’s outlandish premise a surprising degree of credibility. Day and night sequences are beautifully shot by DP Craig Wrobleski, who’s worked on FX’s “Fargo” and “Legion,” as well as “The Umbrella Academy” and “Tales from the Loop.” “In the Tall Grass” can be streamed on Netflix.
1922 (2017)
When his wife (Molly Parker) announces her intention to sell the family farm and move to Omaha, Wilf (Thomas Jane) convinces their 14-year-old son (Dylan Schmid) to help him commit an unspeakable act of betrayal. Afterward, Wilf has recurring hallucinations that are as frightening as anything you’ll see in a more traditional horror movie.
The film’s depiction of a guilt-wracked psyche’s deterioration slowly gets under your skin. By setting events seven years before the start of the Great Depression, King heightens the biblical significance of the characters’ misdeeds and increasingly dire circumstances. “1922,” based on a story in the 2010 anthology, “Full Dark, No Stars,” is available on Netflix.
A Good Marriage (2014)
After 27 years of connubial bliss, Darcy Anderson (Joan Allen) doesn’t believe there’s anything left to learn about her husband (Anthony LaPaglia). However, a startling discovery forces her to reconsider everything she thinks she knows about their life together. Despite Allen and LaPaglia’s involvement, “A Good Marriage” came out in 2014 without much pre-release hype or fanfare.
More a thriller than a horror, it’s a compelling watch if you believe that the greatest monster of all is man. The novella on which the film is based is another entry from “Full Dark, No Stars.” You can watch “A Good Marriage” on Pluto TV.
The Mist (2007)
Thomas Jane headlines an impossibly stacked bench of terrific character actors in “The Mist.” Trapped inside a supermarket during an unexplainable meteorological event, local residents band together once they realize there’s something sinister lurking in the mysterious fog that’s enveloped their town. “The Mist” may not be King’s most original work, but as far genre exercises go, you could do a lot worse than this taut survival thriller.
The film’s ending has suffered the misfortune of becoming a meme. Seen in context, however, it’s one hell of an unsettling finale. The source material was published in two King anthologies—“Dark Forces” and “Skeleton Crew.” This memorable 2007 adaptation by Frank Darabont (“The Shawshank Redemption,” “The Green Mile”), who hasn’t directed a movie since, is available on Netflix.
1408 (2007)
John Cusack stars as Mike Enslin, a journalist whose primary calling after the death of his daughter is debunking purported supernatural phenomena. His latest case brings him to the Dolphin Hotel, where a stern manager (Samuel L. Jackson) warns him not to check into room 1408. This isn’t a movie that sets out to rewrite any formulas, so surely you know that Mike quickly finds himself in a diabolical situation to which his reason-based skills of deduction are unsuited.
“1408,” based on a short story of the same name that was published in “Everything’s Eventual,” delivers old-fashioned thrills in a highly evocative setting. Who doesn’t love a haunted hotel flick in October? You can stream this one on Amazon Prime.
Riding the Bullet (2004)
A suicidal artist (Jonathan Jackson) confronts his fear of death on a purgatorial joyride with the Grim Reaper (David Arquette). The movie’s source material was published in “Everything’s Eventual,” the same anthology that contains the much more popular “1408.”
“Riding the Bullet” is among the least financially successful King adaptations, having only earned $264,505 worldwide. Nevertheless, it features a delightfully ghoulish turn from Arquette, as well as a conclusion that’s equal parts thought-provoking and bleak. You can find it on Pluto TV.
Secret Window (2004)
After the whirlwind success of “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl,” Johnny Depp starred in this atmospheric thriller about a writer suffering from cabin fever. Mort Rainey (Depp) is in the middle of divorce proceedings when a mysterious stranger (John Turturro) appears on his doorstep and accuses him of plagiarism.
“Secret Window” is adapted from “Secret Window, Secret Garden,” part of the 1990 collection, “Four Past Midnight.” The film enjoyed a healthy theatrical run and was a late-2000s cable mainstay. You can watch it for free on YouTube.
Hearts in Atlantis (2001)
A master of suspense and supernatural horror, King nevertheless has a sentimental streak that’s given us films as tender as “Hearts in Atlantis.” Bobby Garfield (Anton Yelchin) dreams of nothing but an elusive red bicycle and summer afternoons spent playing catch with his friends. After his widowed, emotionally unavailable mother (Hope Davis) rents their upstairs room to Ted Brautigan (Anthony Hopkins), a kind and mysterious older gentleman, Bobby’s world becomes infinitely richer and more dangerous.
“Hearts in Atlantis” is a composite of two novellas—“Low Men in Yellow Coats” and “Heavenly Shades of Night Are Falling”—from the 1999 collection that bears the movie’s title. Don’t let this underrated gem’s Rotten Tomatoes score dissuade you from seeking it out on Hulu.
Apt Pupil (1998)
Like “Mr. Harrigan’s Phone” and “Hearts in Atlantis,” “Apt Pupil” is about a young man’s relationship with an elderly neighbor. However, Kurt Dussander (Ian McKellen), a former concentration camp guard, is no Ted Brautigan. And 16-year-old Nazi-memorabilia fetishist Todd (Brad Renfro) is definitely not kindhearted Bobby Garfield.
Directed by Bryan Singer, “Apt Pupil” was released right in between the director’s acclaimed “The Usual Suspects” and the movie that launched the first modern-day superhero franchise, 2000’s “X-Men.” It’s among the more challenging adaptations of King’s work, in part because, like “1922,” it features morally reprehensible protagonists. The movie, based on a novella in “Different Seasons,” is available on Tubi.
The Night Flier (1997)
Jaded reporter Richard Dees (Miguel Ferrer) shadows a vampire (Michael H. Moss) who preys upon rural airfields (the bloodsucker’s name, Renfield, should be familiar to every Bram Stoker fan). Along the way, he butts heads and eventually joins forces with rival journalist Katherine Blair (Julie Entwisle).
The film’s cheesy practical effects are enormously charming. For better or worse, they truly don’t make ‘em like “The Night Flier” anymore. If you’re into kitsch pop-cultural artifacts, you won’t go wrong with this one. The source material can be found in “Nightmares & Dreamscapes,” an anthology that TNT adapted into an eight-episode miniseries in 2006. Retro horror enthusiasts and Stephen King completists can check out “The Night Flier” on YouTube.
Children of the Corn (1984)
Nothing screams Halloween like cornfields! Published by Penthouse in 1977 before appearing in King’s acclaimed collection “Night Shift,” “Children of the Corn” is one of the author’s most read works. Its title is practically cultural shorthand for mischievous youth.
After a bad harvest, children in an agricultural community slaughter their elders and become self-governing. The 1984 big-screen adaptation, which you can find on Tubi, launched a franchise of slasher movies that remains popular despite the bad rap it initially got from critics.
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