From 'Carrie' to 'Gerald's Game': Top 5 must-watch Stephen King adaptions
Today, Stephen King is recognized as a household name. The prolific writer published his debut short story in 1967 and has since penned over 100 novels and novellas. King is known as much for his huge literary output as for his riveting stories. Given King's wide-ranging literary horizon, the author has dwelt on many human emotions, such as guilt, fear, and desire. On the other hand, King is also a remarkably adapted writer whose stories have time and again made it to the screens, big and small. Here we take a look at five of the best Stephen King adaptations from across film and television.
1) Carrie
This was King's debut novel and also the first of his works to be adapted for the big screen. Directed by Brian De Palma, Sissy Spacek portrayed Carrie White, the reserved and withdrawn teenager who is humiliated by her mother at home and tormented by her classmates at school. Once Carrie develops startling telekinesis powers, her life changes dramatically. The chilling finale is still etched in the minds of all who saw the film when it first premiered in 1976. 'Carrie' is available to stream on Prime Video.
2) Gerald's Game
Mike Flanagan, of 'The Haunting of Hill House' fame, directed this 2017 movie based on the novel of the same name. The movie focuses on the protagonist Jessie, played by Carla Gugino, and her husband, Gerald. The plot remains deceptively simple, featuring the couple traveling to their lakehouse for a getaway they believe will save their marriage. However, after handcuffing Jessie to the bed during a roleplay scenario, Gerald suffers from a heart attack and dies on the spot. 'Gerald's Game' is available on Netflix.
3) Misery
'Misery' is a 1990 film directed by Rob Reiner and the second of his two adaptations of King's work. James Caan played the character of novelist Paul Sheldon, who is rescued by Kathy Bates's Annie Wilkes, in the aftermath of a devastating car wreck in the mountains. It soon becomes clear that Paul is killing off Wilkes's favorite character in his novels, which causes Wilkes to reveal her increasingly unstable nature. The film is available on Prime Video.
4) Castle Rock
The series premiered in 2018 and ran for two seasons. 'Castle Rock' isn't based on a single story; instead, it uses an anthology format, featuring the residents of the fictional eponymous town in Maine. The ensemble cast includes André Holland, Melanie Lynskey, and Bill Skarsgård. All the episodes of 'Castle Rock' are available on Netflix.
5) 11.22.63
James Franco appears as Jake Epping in this eight-part miniseries, which presents a novel premise: a man is tasked with traveling back in time using a time machine to prevent the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963. The mini-series is based on King's novel 11/22/63 and is executive produced by J. J. Abrams. All the episodes are available on Netflix.
