The most frightening horror stories tend to be rooted in the everyday – which is one reason that Stephen King tales pack a punch. His worlds might be populated by the supernatural but they aren’t gothic fantasies: they are steeped in Americana, set in places like Maine and told through people just like, well, you. This not only adds to their creepiness, but it enables them to address larger social themes, making them more than simply horror stories. While this has undoubtedly afforded them a certain critical kudos, their fundamental appeal is much simpler: their sheer imagination. King has a knack for capturing the bone-chilling weirdness of having a special power or travelling in time, and his particular brand of uncanny has been translated onto the big screen with varying degrees of accomplishment. The versions that are successful have come to recalibrate the genre. The easiest way to see them? On CHILI, the streaming service where you only pay for what you watch. Here are its top four Stephen King outings...
It (2017)
Superior to the 1990 original, 2017’s It is truer to the spirit of the novel and a masterful piece of horror filmmaking. Set in Maine (natch), it follows a band of children who team up against a murderous clown by the name of Pennywise. It’s marbled with suspense and honest-to-goodness frights, but – as ever with King – it’s not just a thrill ride. It’s also a broader piece about psychological damage and the importance of friendship.
Pet Sematary (1989) and Pet Sematary 2 (1992)
As the remake of Pet Sematary hits cinemas, why not revisit the originals? Pet Sematary (1989) is a creep-out centred around an ancient burial ground with the ability to reanimate dead animals and, it seems, humans. The film and its 1992 sequel received mixed reviews at the time but subsequently developed a cult following for their emotional force and cold-blooded frights.
Christine (1983)
It’s a film with a silly premise – a 1958 Plymouth Fury possessed by an evil spirit – but it’s a huge amount of fun. Directed by horror maestro John Carpenter, its feat is never to catch its own eye in the mirror and admit that it is ridiculous. Carpenter instead approaches the story with total sincerity and, in doing so, somehow turns Christine the car into as much of a character as any of the humans on the screen.
The Green Mile (1999)
A reminder that not all Stephen King films are horror films, The Green Mile was nominated for Best Picture and for good reason. Directed by The Shawshank Redemption’s Frank Darabont, it stars Tom Hanks as a prison guard in charge of death row who receives a man into his custody with extraordinary powers (Michael Clarke Duncan). The performances, particularly Clarke Duncan’s, are robust and affecting and the film more than earns its long running time.
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