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Stephen King's Top 20 Worst Movie Adaptations

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Ignacio Weil

Entertainment - March 16th 2025, 15:51 GMT+1

Cropped It Chapter Two 2019 — 20. It: Chapter Two (2019)

Oh, Pennywise, you deserved better than this bloated, meandering mess of a sequel. After the brilliant first chapter, expectations were high – but instead of another terrifying thrill ride, we got… a weird mix of horror, comedy, and forced sentimentality that just didn’t gel. Bill Hader and James McAvoy tried their best to carry the adult Losers' Club, but when the real horror is a CGI monster that shapeshifts into a giant clown spider, it’s hard to stay invested. And let’s not even talk about the strange pacing that turned this into a nearly three-hour endurance test. The final confrontation felt less like a climactic showdown and more like a therapy session where Pennywise gets bullied to death (literally). The movie wasn’t a complete disaster, but compared to the terrifying first installment, this was a major letdown. | © Warner Bros. Pictures

Cropped Dreamcatcher — 19. Dreamcatcher (2003)

You know you're in trouble when the most memorable part of your horror movie is Morgan Freeman's eyebrows. Based on one of King’s most out-there novels (which he himself admits was written under the influence of heavy pain meds), *Dreamcatcher* is a wild mix of telepathic alien parasites, military conspiracies, and childhood trauma. Jason Lee and Timothy Olyphant do their best to keep things grounded, but when you have a plot that involves alien worms exploding out of people’s butts, it’s hard to take anything seriously. The “Mr. Gray” subplot, featuring Damian Lewis talking to himself in a bizarre British accent, is equal parts hilarious and baffling. It’s the kind of film that feels like a fever dream – and not in a good way. | © Castle Rock Entertainment

Cropped Thinner — 18. Thinner (1996)

There are *bad* Stephen King adaptations, and then there’s *Thinner*, which takes body horror and turns it into a cautionary tale about… dieting? When an arrogant lawyer (played by Robert John Burke) gets cursed by a vengeful Romani man, he starts shedding pounds at an alarming rate – but instead of seeking medical help, he goes on a revenge spree. The makeup effects are more laughable than scary, and by the time we get to the final act, the whole thing feels more like a dark comedy than a horror movie. It’s hard to root for a protagonist who’s such a sleazebag, and by the time the infamous “Lizard Pie” twist happens, most viewers have already checked out. A King story about guilt and comeuppance? Great. This movie? Not so much. | © Paramount Pictures

Cropped Sometimes They Come Back — 17. Sometimes They Come Back (1991)

Ah, *Sometimes They Come Back*, the made-for-TV adaptation that had all the potential to be a chilling ghost story – except, you know, for the part where it wasn’t. Based on a solid Stephen King short story about vengeful undead bullies, this film somehow manages to take a simple, spooky premise and stretch it into 90 minutes of pure, unfiltered *meh*. It stars Tim Matheson, who gives it his all as a haunted schoolteacher tormented by the ghosts of greasers past, but the whole thing feels like a lukewarm episode of *Are You Afraid of the Dark?*, minus the charm. | © CBS / Trimark Pictures

Cropped Riding the Bullet — 16. Riding the Bullet (2004)

There are slow-burn horror films, and then there’s *Riding the Bullet*, a movie so sluggish it feels like it’s trying to lull you to sleep. This made-for-TV adaptation of King’s novella follows a depressed art student (Jonathan Jackson) who hitchhikes to visit his sick mother, only to encounter various ghostly figures along the way. The premise sounds intriguing, but the film is bogged down by excessive flashbacks, dream sequences, and *way* too much inner monologuing. Even David Arquette, playing a creepy driver who may or may not be Death, can’t inject enough energy into the proceedings. King’s original story was a chilling meditation on mortality, but this adaptation is mostly just a meandering road trip that goes nowhere. | © Lionsgate

Cropped Big Driver — 15. Big Driver (2014)

Revenge thrillers can be exhilarating, but *Big Driver* somehow manages to make revenge feel like a chore. Based on a novella from King’s *Full Dark, No Stars* collection, this TV movie follows a mystery writer (Maria Bello) who’s brutally assaulted and left for dead – only to track down her attacker and seek revenge. While the premise has promise, the execution is painfully slow, with awkward pacing and an over-reliance on Bello talking to herself (or, rather, to her hallucinated GPS voice). Joan Jett makes a random cameo, but even she can’t save the film from feeling like a Lifetime movie that *thinks* it’s a gritty thriller. There’s nothing wrong with a good vengeance flick, but this one is more tedious than thrilling. | © Lifetime Television

Cropped A Good Marriage — 14. A Good Marriage (2014)

Marrying a serial killer should be a terrifying discovery, right? Well, *A Good Marriage* somehow makes it about as thrilling as finding out your spouse forgot to take out the trash. Joan Allen plays Darcy, a devoted wife who stumbles upon her husband’s (Anthony LaPaglia) dark secret – but instead of suspense and psychological depth, we get a *Lifetime movie with slightly better lighting.* Even the presence of Stephen Lang as a cryptic investigator can’t add much tension. The pacing is sluggish, the scares are nonexistent, and by the time the film reaches its underwhelming climax, you’ll be left wondering how such an intense King novella turned into something so... bland. For a film about hidden horrors in a marriage, this one barely scratches the surface. Maybe the real horror is that it got made at all. | © Screen Media Films

Cropped Graveyard Shift — 13. Graveyard Shift (1990)

What’s worse than working the night shift at a rundown factory? How about doing it while being stalked by a gigantic, mutant bat-rat hybrid? That’s *Graveyard Shift* for you – a movie that takes one of King’s simpler short stories and somehow stretches it into a 90-minute fever dream of bad acting, cheap effects, and questionable Maine accents. The cast, including David Andrews and Brad Dourif, does their best with what they’re given, but when the real villain is a sewer-dwelling monster that looks like a rejected Jim Henson puppet, there’s only so much you can do. By the time the film reaches its grand finale – where our hero fights a giant rubbery rodent – you’re not scared, you’re just wondering *why* you kept watching. Horror fans deserved better. | © Paramount Pictures

Cropped Salems Lot — 12. Salem’s Lot (2024)

Adapting *Salem’s Lot* is tricky, but after two previous versions, you’d think Hollywood would have nailed it by now. Instead, we got a modern remake that completely missed the eerie, slow-burning terror of King’s vampire classic. Lewis Pullman takes on the role of Ben Mears, and while he does his best, the film lacks the atmospheric dread that made the book so haunting. Even Alfre Woodard, who plays Dr. Cody, can’t save it from feeling rushed and uninspired. The problem? The scares don’t build; they just *happen –* often with little impact. The original 1979 miniseries had people sleeping with their lights on. This one? It might put you to sleep for entirely different reasons. | © New Line Cinema

Cropped Dolans Cadillac — 11. Dolan’s Cadillac (2009)

Some stories are best left as novellas, and *Dolan’s Cadillac* is a perfect example of what happens when you stretch a simple revenge tale way beyond its limits. Wes Bentley plays Robinson, a man whose wife was murdered by crime boss Christian Slater, in full dollar-store mobster mode. What should have been a tightly paced, pulpy revenge thriller instead becomes a slow, repetitive, and strangely dull adaptation. The car-based climax, which should feel claustrophobic and intense, just drags on with none of the psychological weight of the original story. Slater tries to chew the scenery, but instead, he just looks like he wandered in from a knockoff Tarantino flick. It’s not the worst King adaptation – but it’s definitely one of the most forgettable. | © Reno Productions

Cropped Pet Sematary 2019 — 10. Pet Sematary (2019)

Sometimes dead is better… and sometimes remakes are worse. After the nightmare fuel that was the 1989 original, this *Pet Sematary* reboot decided to change the story in all the wrong ways – most notably, switching the fate of the Creed children. Jason Clarke and Amy Seimetz do their best as grieving parents, but the film lacks the raw emotional punch that made the book and first movie so disturbing. Even John Lithgow as Jud Crandall feels underused, despite being a standout. The horror elements are too polished, the atmosphere feels generic, and worst of all, the infamous “dead kid” moment was spoiled in the trailer! When the most shocking part of your horror remake is that it *somehow* made the original look better, you know something’s gone terribly wrong. | © Paramount Pictures

Cropped Children of the Corn 2009 — 9. Children of the Corn (2009)

The scariest thing about *Children of the Corn (2009)* isn’t the killer kids – it’s how many times Hollywood insists on remaking this story and still getting it wrong. This SyFy Channel reboot sticks closer to King’s original short story than the 1984 version, but somehow still manages to be less entertaining. David Anders and Kandyse McClure star as a bickering couple whose road trip takes a wrong turn into a town where kids have murdered all the adults and replaced them with bad acting. The biggest problem? The children are more *annoying* than terrifying, making you root for He Who Walks Behind the Rows just to shut them up. It’s a dull, low-budget slog that proves that sometimes, certain stories should just stay buried in the cornfield. | © SyFy

Cropped Mr Harrigans Phone — 8. Mr. Harrigan’s Phone (2022)

King’s work has always dabbled in supernatural horror, but sometimes the horror is just watching a movie that goes absolutely nowhere. *Mr. Harrigan’s Phone* had all the right ingredients – Donald Sutherland as a creepy old billionaire, a coming-of-age story with eerie undertones, and Blumhouse behind the production – but instead of chills, we got... *a story about a haunted iPhone?* Jaeden Martell plays a teen who befriends the wealthy Mr. Harrigan, only to discover he can still text him from beyond the grave. Sounds cool, right? Too bad the film does nothing interesting with it. What could have been a sharp commentary on technology and death instead feels like a slow-burn episode of "Black Mirror" that forgot to include the twist. | © Netflix

Cropped Trucks — 7. Trucks (1997)

Unlike its 1986 predecessor, *Trucks (1997)* completely ditches the manic energy and cocaine-fueled insanity that made the original at least *entertainingly bad*. Instead, we get a straight-to-TV version that takes itself way too seriously, with Timothy Busfield leading a small town’s battle against sentient, driverless vehicles that refuse to follow traffic laws. The film has zero fun with its premise, leaving us with scenes of people dramatically staring at trucks, trucks ominously revving their engines, and a climax so dull you might actually root *for* the machines. It’s bad when *Maximum Overdrive –* a movie where Emilio Estevez fights a homicidal semi-truck with a Green Goblin face – is the better adaptation. | © USA Network

Cropped Cell — 6. Cell (2016)

King’s *Cell* had an intriguing, *28 Days Later*-style concept: a mysterious pulse sent through cell phones turns people into violent, mindless killers. Sounds like a recipe for a thrilling horror flick, right? Well, instead of a fast-paced, terrifying ride, we got John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson looking like they regret signing their contracts. The movie struggles with pacing, lacks any real tension, and somehow manages to make an apocalyptic event feel boring. The CGI is laughable, the scares are nonexistent, and the ending is so confusing it feels like the filmmakers just gave up and went home. It’s a movie that makes you want to turn your phone *off –* but only so you don’t accidentally waste your time watching it. | © Saban Films

Cropped The Dark Tower — 5. The Dark Tower (2017)

Ah, *The Dark Tower*, the cinematic equivalent of trying to fit eight novels into a blender and hoping a tasty smoothie comes out. Spoiler alert: it didn’t. Instead, we got a bafflingly rushed mess that turned King’s sprawling fantasy saga into a forgettable, paint-by-numbers action flick. You’d think casting Idris Elba as Roland Deschain would be a stroke of genius – and to be fair, he’s fantastic – but even his gunslinging charisma couldn’t save this one from self-destruction. And poor Matthew McConaughey as the Man in Black? He played it like he just walked off the set of a Lincoln commercial and was told to be *ominous*. The biggest crime? This was supposed to introduce mainstream audiences to one of King’s richest mythologies, and instead, it played out like a half-baked YA adaptation that forgot to bring the heart (or the brains). Fans of the books deserved a towering epic; what they got was a flimsy, creaky Jenga tower. | © Columbia Pictures

Cropped The Lawnmower Man — 4. The Lawnmower Man (1992)

Imagine you’re Stephen King. You write a short horror story about a guy who – brace yourself – eats grass like a lawnmower. Then Hollywood takes that idea and turns it into *Tron meets Flowers for Algernon*, complete with a deranged Pierce Brosnan and some of the most eye-meltingly awful CGI the ‘90s had to offer. No wonder King sued the studio to have his name removed from the marketing. The film is barely recognizable as anything from his imagination – unless he secretly had a cyber-thriller about virtual reality-induced telekinesis lying around. It’s as if someone skimmed one sentence of the original story and then just… made up a completely different movie. The result? A fever dream of computer-generated nonsense, a bizarrely ambitious sci-fi flick that aged like unrefrigerated milk, and one of the most unintentional comedies of the decade. | © New Line Cinema

Cropped Firestarter — 3. Firestarter (2022)

A remake nobody asked for, *Firestarter (2022)* somehow managed to be less exciting than the 1984 original – which, let’s be honest, wasn’t exactly setting the world on fire to begin with. This time, Zac Efron steps in as the protective father, which is a fun bit of Hollywood time-warping since most of us still think of him as a high schooler singing on a basketball court. But the real problem? This adaptation fumbles every ounce of tension, replacing the eerie, slow-burn horror of King’s novel with generic action-movie beats. Even the fire effects feel… uninspired. And when your whole movie is literally about a child who can set things ablaze with her mind, that’s an unforgivable offense. The best thing about this adaptation? It made people revisit the original, which – flawed as it was – at least had Drew Barrymore doing her best “adorable kid with terrifying powers” performance. | © Universal Pictures / Blumhouse

Cropped The Mangler — 2. The Mangler (1995)

Leave it to Hollywood to take a creepy short story about a demon-possessed industrial laundry press and turn it into a movie that feels like it was possessed by *bad* decisions. *The Mangler* stars horror legend Robert Englund, but not even Freddy Krueger himself could scare up enough energy to save this disaster. Instead, we get a nonsensical plot, laughably bad effects, and a climax that involves – you guessed it – a killer laundry machine going on a rampage. Because nothing says horror like watching a 2,000-pound hunk of metal scoot across a factory floor like a Roomba from hell. It’s so ridiculous that it almost loops back around to being fun… almost. King’s original story was a pulpy, eerie little tale; this movie is what happens when a studio throws logic in the spin cycle and hits “high heat.” | © New Line Cinema

Cropped Maximum Overdrive — 1. Maximum Overdrive (1986)

Stephen King directing a Stephen King movie? What could go wrong? Well, *Maximum Overdrive* answered that question with a resounding everything. This was King’s first (and only) attempt at directing, and even he admits he was “coked out of his mind” during production. That… explains a lot. The film’s premise? Machines come to life and start killing people. Sounds like it could be a fun, campy horror flick, right? Instead, we got a hilariously unhinged mess where semi-trucks murder gas station attendants, vending machines launch sodas at people’s faces, and Emilio Estevez tries his best to look like he’s not regretting every career decision that led him here. And let’s not forget the AC/DC soundtrack, which might be the best thing about the whole film. If you ever wanted to see what happens when a horror legend loses control behind the camera, *Maximum Overdrive* is a glorious, chaotic, metal-fueled trainwreck. | © De Laurentiis Entertainment Group

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Not every Stephen King adaptation is a masterpiece. While some of his stories have been turned into cinematic gold, others have failed spectacularly – whether due to poor execution, bad casting, or straying too far from the source material. In this list, we rank the top 20 worst movie adaptations of Stephen King's novels, exploring the films that disappointed fans, critics, and even King himself. From baffling changes to cringe-worthy performances, these adaptations prove that not every great book makes for a great movie.

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Not every Stephen King adaptation is a masterpiece. While some of his stories have been turned into cinematic gold, others have failed spectacularly – whether due to poor execution, bad casting, or straying too far from the source material. In this list, we rank the top 20 worst movie adaptations of Stephen King's novels, exploring the films that disappointed fans, critics, and even King himself. From baffling changes to cringe-worthy performances, these adaptations prove that not every great book makes for a great movie.