Keeping up with Stephen King adaptations requires the utmost dedication since new projects always come out every year. Movie directors have adored "The King of Horror" ever since he began his writing career. Unsurprisingly, he is now the second most adapted author of all time, behind only William Shakespeare. However, not all Stephen King adaptations are great. Many lack that paperback magic. Even so, the author is no longer as possessive of his work as he was in the past. We no longer see the kinds of scathing putdowns he gave Stanley Kubrick when The Shining came out.

Pick any decade, and you’ll have plenty of Stephen King adaptations to watch. In the 1990s, there were a dozen of them, but only six of them can be labeled "great." The rest were subjected to harsh reviews from critics and haven't fared well on user-rated platforms like IMDb either. We shall thus recommend only the very best. Still, even among the expertly made films, the quality slightly differs.

In high school student Todd Bowden (Brad Renfro) has a normal teenage life until The mischievous teen then blackmails the man into sharing details about his past, but the cold stories soon turn Todd into a sociopath. And as Dussander narrates, his own inner demons get reawakened.

Apt Pupil is a thought-provoking, suspenseful thriller that probes the dangers of curiosity while blurring the lines between good and bad. Both actors do well, and so does the director. The entertainment quality could have been higher if the novel’s terrifying ending (where Todd sprays bullets on random people from the top of a tree) hadn’t been changed, and if the high level of violence in general was maintained, but you’re unlikely to be too disappointed by that if you’ve read the book. For his performance,

Stephen King has enjoyed life as a novelist, but he likes writing about authors who find themselves in unfortunate circumstances. , based on King’s novel of the same name, presents to us the misfortunes of literature guru Thad Beaumont (Timothy Hutton) after he decides to retire his norm de plume, "George Stark." He and start terrorizing residents. Soon, the police come knocking.

George A. Romero adapting a Stephen King book? We can totally see why the director of The Night of the Living Dead would be interested in a story like this. Spellbinding, The Dark Hall features a deft, as the frantic, plain-spoken Thad, but . Only a director like him (he also wrote the script) could have come up with some of the bonkers dialogue you'll hear here. “What’s going on?” a curious person asks Stark at some point. “Murder... You want some?” he responds.

’s titular character (portrayed by Kathy Bates) sees a sharp turn in fate when she is Upon hearing the news, when deep family secrets come to life. Dolores seems guilty, given her personality and past, but there are some twists on the way.

Filmed in Nova Scotia, the psychological thriller directed by Taylor Hackford, the twisted and puzzling film looks so good you’d wish it was a story about wealth and happiness rather than murder and family-related discord. The fable itself, coupled with Bates’ stellar performance, immerses audiences into a bizarre mystery where hearsay appears to meld with fact. Bates told NPR that , but we would have to ask her: “Have you seen Misery, that Oscar-winning movie you once acted in?”

No movie about innocent prisoners trumps . The film introduces us to Paul (Tom Hanks), a Great Depression prison guard, who . With time, Paul comes to believe that the good-hearted John isn’t guilty. Is he right? And what will he do about it?

This moving, tender fantasy crime drama executes its clever premise with finesse and sensitivity, thanks to expert handling by director Frank Darabont. Most impressive is the juxtaposition of prison intrigues with fantasy (it emerges that John can perform miracles). There are moral lessons too, mainly about judging a book by its cover, as well as appropriate digs at America’s seemingly perfect yet flawed criminal justice system. It came as no surprise when The Green Mile was nominated for four Oscars, including Best Supporting Actor for Duncan.

Another author suffered at the hands of Stephen King in , a book that director Rob Reiner was quick to adapt into a novel. In the movie, . Secretly psychotic, Annie reads Paul’s latest manuscript and learns that he is about to kill off her favorite character who appeared in a series of books. Furious, she .

Has there ever been a more chilling performance? Watching Bates break Caan’s ankles with a hammer before waltzing across the room as classical music blasts from the old speakers is pure horror cinema. You’ll find yourself shouting at her to leave him alone, but she doesn’t. One of the most deserved Oscar wins happened. Today, Misery remains . In the book Stephen King Goes to the Movies, and that he never pictured someone like James Caan in the role but was glad he got the part.

“I want my mama!” a prisoner hilariously shouts in one of the early scenes of . He feels he doesn’t belong in Shawshank State Penitentiary, but the person who really shouldn’t be there is the former banker Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins)., Andy forms an enviable friendship with contraband smuggler Ellis "Red" Redding (Morgan Freeman), before executing one of the greatest prison escapes in cinema.

Equally a riveting prison thriller and a potent buddy drama, The Shawshank Redemption explores justice and corruption. And the few other subplots only reinforce the existing themes. Overall, a dedicated, highly compassionate Morgan Freeman carries the movie, but the entire cast excels, particularly Bob Gunton as the prison warden. Interestingly, the film only earned $16 million during its initial run. After earning seven Oscar nominations, it grew into a sleeper hit and is now considered one of the greatest movies of all time.