Although his works have been adapted for the big and small screen, Stephen King says he only managed to properly capture the source material in two films.
There is no shortage of Stephen King adaptations, from 1970’s “Carrie” to the up-and-coming bloody vampire film “Salem’s Lot.”
With the author’s works adapted into some of the decade’s most famous horror films, a debate has raged over which projects truly capture King’s essence.
These arguments can now be put to rest. King told Deadline that the only films he felt captured the true message of his work were Stand By Me and The Shawshank Redemption.
“(There are some films where) I can say, you know, this is my story. Stand by Me, there’s another one, The Shawshank Redemption,” King said. “I’ve done a lot of things where I felt like I could be really happy with the outcome.”
Considered one of Hollywood’s most famous coming-of-age stories, Stand By Me follows a group of four boys from Oregon who attempt to find the body of a stranger who died tragically.
The film grossed over $3.8 million at the box office in 1986 and currently has a rating of 94% on Rotten Tomatoes. One critic called it “A wise, nostalgic film with a strange twist that captures both Stephen King’s voice and the difficulties of growing up.”
The Shawshank Redemption is the exact opposite of King’s spectrum: The film tells the harrowing story of Andy Dufresne, a man who was wrongfully sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his wife and her lover.
Although Shawshank disappointed at the box office, it quickly became a critics’ darling.One review read: “It is a film with dignity and surprises, and before it is over, it has gained a lot of power.”
King is not the only one who has a soft spot for these two films. Malcolm Johnson of the Hartford Courant said, “Alongside Stand By Me, The Shawshank Redemption is the strongest and purest film ever made based on a Stephen King novel or novella, a monster movie in which the horrors are frighteningly human.”
For even more scares, check out our guides to the best horror movies on Amazon Prime Video and horror movies on Disney Plus. Plus, check out all the other new movies coming soon.
