Stephen King is arguably the most successful author of our time, with his stories adapted into a huge number of films and TV shows—nearly 100 movies, in fact! Many of these adaptations are now considered classics, including beloved dramas like The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, and Stand by Me, as well as iconic horror films like Carrie, The Shining, and Misery.
Stephen King adaptations appear on screen frequently, with at least one new project released almost every year. 2017 was a particularly strong year for King fans, despite a disappointing start with The Dark Tower. It brought three successful adaptations: IT, 1922, and Gerald’s Game. From a blockbuster horror about a terrifying clown to intensely suspenseful and disturbing psychological thrillers, 2017 proved how captivating King’s stories can be when done well.
‘IT’: The Blockbuster Remake
Warner Bros. Pictures
Stephen King’s IT is one of his most frightening stories. It centers on a group of young friends, called the “loser’s club,” who are haunted by a terrifying, shape-shifting monster known as IT. This creature preys on people’s deepest fears, often appearing as something truly horrifying – most famously as Pennywise the dancing clown, who lures children to their doom. The story was first adapted for television in 1990 as a two-part miniseries, and Tim Curry’s portrayal of Pennywise was widely praised and has since become a beloved cult classic.
Almost twenty years after the initial adaptation, Stephen King’s chilling story returned to audiences in a new, larger-scale version for the big screen. This came in the form of two movies: IT (2017) and IT Chapter Two (2019). With a large $79 million budget – a significant amount for a horror film – and a talented young cast including rising stars Finn Wolfhard and Bill Skarsgård, expectations were incredibly high. Thankfully, the movies lived up to the hype. They earned over $700 million worldwide and received an impressive 85% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The films captivated viewers by successfully combining the nostalgic feel of 1980s coming-of-age adventures like The Goonies, E.T. The Extraterrestrial, and King’s Stand by Me with genuinely frightening supernatural horror.
Bill Skarsgard’s portrayal of Pennywise was widely celebrated, with many considering it a truly terrifying villainous performance – one of the most disturbing in years. Critics often compared it to iconic performances like Heath Ledger as the Joker and Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter.
While It: Chapter Two, focusing on the now-grown-up group of friends from the first film, didn’t quite capture the same spark, the huge success of It demonstrated that Stephen King’s style of horror—built around strong characters, intense darkness, and experiences from childhood—could create a blockbuster movie that appeals to a wide audience, something his stories hadn’t done before.
‘1922’: The Slow-Burning Underrated Gem
Netflix
The film 1922, based on Stephen King’s novella, tells the story of Wilfred James, who kills his wife for money. The movie quickly reveals his crime and reasons, then focuses on his disturbing mental breakdown and the frightening consequences that follow. It’s a dark and unsettling film, heavily influenced by Southern Gothic style, that builds horror through atmosphere and psychological tension rather than jump scares. 1922 portrays Wilf’s downfall as a gradual and inescapable decay.
Despite a strong 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, 1922 remains a hidden treasure among Stephen King’s adapted works. Many critics praised Thomas Jane’s performance as Wilf, calling it the best of his career, and highlighting his ability to portray the character’s inner turmoil and growing guilt. Originally a Netflix release, it premiered at Fantastic Fest in 2017, shortly before the release of IT, and became available on the platform in October. 1922 showcases King’s range as a writer, proving his horror can be both large-scale and terrifying, or small, intensely personal, and deeply unsettling.
I’ve noticed something really striking about both It and 1922. Even though they’re so different in how they feel and what they’re about, Stephen King has this amazing talent for getting under your skin. It’s what makes his stories – in books, movies, and TV – so deeply unsettling and memorable. He just knows how to tap into what truly scares us.
‘Gerald’s Game’: The Disturbing Netflix Hit
Netflix
The Netflix film Gerald’s Game, adapted from Stephen King’s 1992 novel, features Carla Gugino and Bruce Greenwood as a couple seeking a romantic escape at a remote house. Their getaway turns into a nightmare when the husband unexpectedly dies of a heart attack during intimacy, leaving his wife handcuffed to the bed, alone, and with no way to free herself. She must fight for survival, both physically and mentally, as she struggles to stay grounded while facing her deepest fears.
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With a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Gerald’s Game is a powerfully effective thriller despite its limited setting. The film takes place mostly in one room, creating a truly suffocating and unsettling experience as the audience struggles to distinguish reality from Jessie’s increasingly desperate hallucinations while she’s trapped, alone, and in dire need of help. Carla Gugino delivers a standout performance, and director Mike Flanagan brilliantly captures the spirit of Stephen King’s novel, making what he once considered an unfilmable story both visually stunning and deeply personal.
The book’s unusual structure presented a problem: the main character, Gerald, dies early on, and the rest of the story unfolds entirely within the mind of another character, Jessie. The director, Flanagan, cleverly brought Gerald and other characters to life as if they were physically present. This created a deeply disturbing and dreamlike experience, leading to some truly unforgettable and unsettling scenes.
I remember when Gerald’s Game came out on Netflix – it wasn’t as heavily promoted as some of Stephen King’s other adaptations, but it really caught on through people talking about it, and it ended up being one of the most-watched horror movies on the platform that year. What made 2017 so amazing as a King fan was that we also got 1922 and the huge success of IT all within months of each other! It really showed how versatile King is as a writer. We saw everything from a really intense, psychological thriller with Gerald’s Game, to the dark and atmospheric 1922, and then the massive scale of IT. But through it all, he still managed to creep me out and leave me feeling deeply unsettled – something only Stephen King can do!
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2026-02-25 16:19