The 10 Worst Stephen King Movies Ever Made

Stephen King’s extensive body of work, filled with beloved projects, often overshadows the less successful pieces. Similarly, when it comes to films adapted from his short stories and novels, there are so many excellent ones that we tend to overlook those which didn’t quite measure up. For every “Dreamcatcher” or “Firestarter”, there’s a “Carrie”, a “Gerald’s Game”, a “Shining”.

To be honest, we’ve given a lot of thought to this topic. In fact, we’ve come up with a compilation of some of the worst adaptations from Stephen King’s vast body of work. Despite the fact that King’s stories are generally quite cinematic even in their written form, there have been numerous films based on his works that leave you questioning the quality of the source material (which is usually not the case). Nevertheless, it’s always interesting to take a second look at these less successful adaptations and consider what went wrong and how things might have been improved.

Let’s revisit a selection of disappointing films from Stephen King’s cinematic universe. Although it seems that double the number of these movies have fallen short, we’re focusing on ten, spanning from the 1980s to recent years. They cover various themes such as alien invasions, werewolves, werecats, cell phone zombies, and evil sentient killer machines. We can’t pinpoint a definitive reason for their poor quality compared to other successful adaptations, but perhaps there are hints in the violence, gore, and clown makeup that could shed some light on the issue.

The Worst Stephen King Movies Ever Made

Children of the Corn (1984)

Stephen King initially penned the first draft for “Children of the Corn,” inspired by his short story, but it had too much emphasis on Gatlin’s town history and corn-harvesting villagers compared to the intended gore and violence. Instead, George Goldsmith, who made the script more violent and formulaic, received credit for the final version that focused more on the gruesome acts of children sacrificing adults for their harvest. This movie sparked a series of “Children of the Corn” films with an enthusiastic fanbase, but today its B-movie horror elements and implausible plot are considered overly cheesy.

Silver Bullet (1985)

In the small-town setting of Silver Bullet, a movie inspired by Stephen King’s novella “Cycle of the Werewolf”, the residents face a terrifying local werewolf threat. Interestingly, it is only a wheelchair-bound child, portrayed by Corey Haim, who uncovers this secret. Like many films on this list, Silver Bullet boasts a dedicated fanbase and has been reevaluated since its premiere. However, its dated special effects and straightforward narrative are significantly different from King’s novella, which delves deeper into the darker aspects of human nature as revealed by the wolf-like violence. Everett McGill, who plays Reverend Lester Lowe, a man cursed monthly, also donned the practical werewolf costume and was recognized for his dual role. Despite being one of the better werewolf movies, this is largely due to the fact that most werewolf films are generally poor in quality.

Maximum Overdrive (1986)

The film “Maximum Overdrive” is the only one Stephen King ever directed, and for those who’ve watched it, that fact becomes quite apparent. It’s a rather poor film, though it can be enjoyable at times, far more comedic than fans were accustomed to from a renowned horror writer. Inspired by King’s short story “Trucks,” the movie depicts a scenario where Earth’s encounter with a comet’s tail transforms all machines into conscious, homicidal entities. The soundtrack is composed by Stephen King’s favorite band AC/DC, featuring popular songs such as “You Shook Me All Night Long” and “Hells Bells.” Upon its release, it was universally panned, with Stephen King himself referring to the movie as a “moron movie.

Sleepwalkers (1992)

In the movie “Sleepwalkers,” the appearance of Mädchen Amick and Alice Krige couldn’t prevent it from being a flop. This campy, awkward tale about a shape-shifting cat-vampire family, whose vulnerability is domestic cats, resembled more like a poorly executed episode of “The Outer Limits” with some atrocious special effects makeup. The film is mostly remembered for being the first original screenplay by Stephen King and for featuring notable horror directors such as John Landis, Clive Barker, Joe Dante, and Tobe Hooper in minor roles. King himself also made a brief appearance, as he often does in his films, this time playing an unnamed cemetery caretaker.

The Mangler (1995)

In this film, many of King’s ideas are quite absurd, but “The Mangler” stands out as the most amusing. Adapted from one of his short stories and directed by Tobe Hooper, the movie features Robert Englund as a laundry service owner and Ted Levine as a detective investigating a series of disappearances. The film revolves around a demonically possessed laundry press that resembles something from H.R. Giger’s art, causing gruesome deaths by sucking people inside and pulping them to death. Initially, the concept is quite amusing, but even the gory scenes of such fatalities eventually become repetitive, which is hard to imagine!

Apt Pupil (1998)

Regardless of any legal issues or director’s dismissal that occurred after its release, ‘Apt Pupil’ would still have been a poorly made film. The movie is an adaptation of Stephen King’s novella with the same title, which revolves around a high school student who uncovers his neighbor as a former Nazi commandant in disguise and uses this knowledge to manipulate him into confessing his war crimes, dressing up in a Nazi uniform, and pretending to be his grandfather. Unfortunately, the movie strays too far into exploitation and never succeeds in providing a thoughtful portrayal of the long-lasting effects of the Holocaust.

Dreamcatcher (2003)

The film “Dreamcatcher,” an adaptation of Stephen King’s work, was one that he surprisingly enjoyed, despite it being rather poorly executed. Given the talent behind it – Lawrence Kasdan as director, William Goldman for the script, and a star-studded cast featuring Morgan Freeman, Thomas Jane, and Damian Lewis – one would expect a gripping alien invasion horror movie. However, “Dreamcatcher” falls short, being overly long, incoherent, and excessively violent, making it more tedious than enjoyable, even if one appreciates the so-called ‘fun-bad’ aspects.

Cell (2016)

In a previous adaptation of one of Stephen King’s works, “1408,” John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson transformed a simple homage to “The Shining” into a truly chilling haunted hotel film. Unfortunately, they weren’t able to achieve the same success with “Cell.” The concept behind “Cell” – that cell phones could turn people evil – seems more like outdated anti-technology rhetoric rather than a captivating horror idea. When compared to other King adaptations and movies addressing technology hazards, “Cell” comes across as a dull collection of overused tropes from superior zombie, malevolent machine, and apocalypse stories.

The Dark Tower (2017)

One could argue that the 2017 adaptation of “Dark Tower” might be the most squandered potential on this list. Instead of crafting a substantial feature film, it seems more like an effort to capitalize on intellectual property. The mere 95 minutes of runtime suggests that this production lacks the depth necessary to delve into Stephen King’s expansive cosmic saga about a roaming gunslinger locked in an eternal battle against forces threatening the universe. Casting Matthew McConaughey and Idris Elba feels like a last-ditch effort to inject some spark into what appears to be a desperate attempt at entertainment.

It Chapter Two (2019)

In the first place, Andy Muschietti’s movie “It” set a challenging standard for its sequel, “It Chapter Two,” to surpass, but unfortunately, it didn’t quite reach the heights of its predecessor. It wasn’t entirely the film’s fault; after all, it had to contend with some less captivating aspects from Stephen King’s clown-themed novel. There’s just a certain charm in watching children band together to defeat monsters that isn’t quite as effective when grown adults are doing the same thing. While the “It” novel explores how childhood trauma persists into adulthood, we would have preferred to watch only the first half and leave the rest behind.

The Scariest Kids Movies in History

10. Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

This cherished movie is adapted from the classic kids’ book “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” written by Roald Dahl. It tells a heartwarming tale about a boy living in poverty, whose dreams take flight. However, upon closer inspection, it’s also a story with a sinister edge – revolving around an unconventional candy factory owner who selects his heir by eliminating a group of children one by one. This might give the film an unexpectedly ominous twist.

9. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Walt Disney’s inaugural full-length animated masterpiece was remarkably eerie in every aspect. Apart from the Haunting Trees, it’s hard to ignore the sinister undertones of an evil queen who plots to imprison the wounded heart of an innocent child within a container. Thankfully, the Seven Dwarfs provided some comic relief.

8. The Last Unicorn

The 1982 animated film “The Last Unicorn“, which is Japanese-American in origin, abounds with peculiar scenes, such as meetings with a butterfly under the influence, a sinister skeleton, and, let’s say, a tree endowed with ample breasts. However, among these strange occurrences, none was more terrifying than the Red Bull – a fiery red demonic creature that continues to haunt our nightmares.

7. James and the Giant Peach

A veritable menagerie of anthropomorphic centipedes, spiders, and wicked step-mothers (oh dear!), James and the Giant Peach was quite the spine-tingling tale for youngsters. The eerie animation style of producers Tim Burton and directors Henry Selick added to the chilling narrative, causing shivers down the spines of many children in the process. Does anyone else feel a slight shiver when they take a bite out of a peach?

6. Pinocchio

This seemingly delightful Walt Disney fairy tale contains a significant amount of hidden gloom. For instance, Pinocchio experiences an apparent death only to be revived by the Blue Fairy later on. Additionally, we can’t overlook Pleasure Island, where children are allowed to engage in gambling, smoking, and drinking, eventually being transformed into donkeys and sold as laborers – a rather disturbing scenario.

5. All Dogs Go To Heaven

In this movie, unlike other films that suggest dogs may ascend to heaven, this one portrays a canine venturing to Hell instead. To make matters even more unsettling, there’s a dog-related crime syndicate and excessive violence throughout the storyline. In the climax, our protagonist Charlie sacrifices himself to save a young girl, but ultimately pays the ultimate price. Since he performed a selfless act, he earns his way into heaven. However, the fact that he still must die leaves one questioning if this is truly a happy ending. This film might just spark a lifelong existential dilemma for viewers of all ages.

4. The Secret of NIMH

The 1982 animated film The Secret of NIMH, based on real experiments conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health involving lab rats suffering from pneumonia and drug side-effects, serves as the foundation for its intriguing storyline. However, one might wonder, how could a movie about such serious topics be suitable for children?

3. Watership Down

The 1972 novel “Watership Down” by Richard Adams narrates the story of a group of rabbits setting out on a dangerous odyssey to shield their entire burrow from human threat. Yet, the movie exceeded our expectations for violence, leaving us with vivid memories of ferocious rabbits that have forever altered our perception of these seemingly innocent creatures, making it hard for us to view them as adorable anymore.

2. Return to Oz

As a devoted fan, let me tell you that while “The Wizard of Oz” had its eerie instances, its less-known successor, “Return To Oz,” was truly chilling. After being subjected to electroshock therapy by Aunt Em and Uncle Henry, poor Dorothy finds herself back in a desolate Oz, inhabited by a host of unsettling characters. The Wheelers, those hybrid creations that are half-human, half-bicycle, make the Flying Monkeys seem like domesticated pets. If you were unfortunate enough to have been shown this film as a child, well, I pity you!

1. Coraline

This animated film titled “Coraline” might be one of the scariest children’s movies ever made. From its gloomy portrayal of Coraline’s life to her spine-tingling confrontation with the Other Mother, this visually stunning movie is truly unsettling throughout. Both kids and adults will find it equally disturbing, as it tackles themes like family and the value of cherishing what you have before it disappears – a heavy topic for a story about an 11-year-old girl with blue hair.

2025-02-17 03:55