Stephen King: 90

Hearts in Atlantis (2001), directed by Scott Hicks, is an American mystery drama film loosely based on Stephen King’s Low Men in Yellow Coats, a story from his 1999 collection of the same name. In the film, middle-aged photographer and businessman Robert ‘Bobby’ Garfield returns to his hometown after learning about the death of his best friend, decorated soldier John ‘Sully’ Sullivan, in a car accident. As he visits his childhood home, now abandoned, Bobby reflects on his past. During one summer in the 1960s, eleven-year-old Bobby ...

The Rage: Carrie 2 (1999), an American supernatural horror film directed by Katt Shea, follows Rachel Lang after the suicide of her only friend. Rachel has always felt like an outsider among her peers, particularly the popular crowd led by Jessie Ryan. However, Rachel possesses secret telekinetic powers that set her apart from everyone else. Sue Snell, the sole survivor of Carrie White’s violent outburst 23 years ago, may hold the key to helping Rachel understand and control her abilities. But as Rachel begins to open up and trust others, she unknowingly falls into a dangerous trap that could have deadly ...

Storm of the Century (1999) is a horror television miniseries written by renowned author Stephen King and directed by Craig R. Baxley. In contrast to other TV adaptations of King’s work, this series stands out as an original screenplay created specifically for television. As the inhabitants of Little Tall Island, Maine prepare for a fierce blizzard in 1989, they are rocked by the brutal murder of elderly resident Martha Clarendon at the hands of a menacing stranger. Town manager Robbie Beals takes it upon himself to ...

The Green Mile (1999), an American fantasy drama film based on the novel with the same title by Stephen King, was written, directed and co-produced by Frank Darabont. In 1935, at Cold Mountain Penitentiary’s death row, nicknamed ‘The Green Mile’, retiree Paul Edgecomb served as an officer. Whilst watching the film Top Hat in 1999 at a Louisiana assisted-living home, Paul begins to cry. His companion Elaine becomes concerned and he explains that it reminded him of events he witnessed during his time as an officer. He worked alongside corrections officers ...

The American thriller film, Apt Pupil (1998), directed by Bryan Singer and starring Ian McKellen and Brad Renfro, is based on the 1982 novella of the same name by Stephen King. Set in Southern California in 1984, 16-year-old high school student Todd Bowden makes a shocking discovery about his elderly neighbor, Arthur Denker. It turns out that Denker is actually Kurt Dussander—a former Nazi concentration camp commandant who has fled from justice. Intrigued by the horrors of ...

Quicksilver Highway (1997), an television comedy horror film directed by Mick Garris, tells the story of a newlywed couple stranded on a desert highway with two flat tires. As her husband Kerry seeks help, Olivia is approached by Aaron Quicksilver, an eccentric collector who offers her shelter for the night. There, he shares with her the tale of label salesman Bill Hogan’s encounter with a peculiar convenience store owned by Myra and her husband Scooter. Meanwhile, at a carnival, pickpocket Charlie seeks refuge in Quicksilver’s tent and is treated to another bizarre story involving successful plastic surgeon ...

The American horror film, The Night Flier (1997), is an adaptation of Stephen King’s short story from 1988 with the same title. It follows Richard Dees, a skeptical journalist who lives by the motto ‘Never publish what you believe and never believe what you publish’. His boss at Inside View, Merton Morrison, tasks him with investigating a string of murders at small airports. The killer, known as Dwight Renfield, fancies himself a vampire. At first, Dees declines the assignment and it gets passed on to rookie reporter Katherine Blair. However, after two more killings occur at another airfield with ...

The Shining (1997) is a three-episode horror television miniseries based on Stephen King’s 1977 novel of the same name. Directed by Mick Garris and written by King himself, it is the second adaptation of the book after Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 film. King chose to create this version due to his dissatisfaction with Kubrick’s interpretation. The story focuses on Jack Torrance, a former teacher at a prestigious ...

Ghosts (1996), a short film, features Michael Jackson in the leading role. Directed by Stan Winston and written by Mick Garris and Stephen King, the film follows an odd individual with supernatural abilities as he faces eviction from a close-minded mayor in a small town. Jackson takes on five different characters throughout the film and showcases his dance skills to songs like ‘2 Bad’. The mayor of Normal Valley leads a group of angry citizens to the mansion of ...

Thinner (1996) is a body horror film by American director Tom Holland and writers Michael McDowell and Holland, based on Stephen King’s 1984 novel of the same name. The protagonist, Billy Halleck, is an overweight lawyer from a wealthy background who resides in Connecticut with his wife Heidi and their daughter Linda. Recently, he successfully defended Mafia boss Richie ‘The Hammer’ Ginelli in court and is now celebrating his acquittal on a murder charge. ...

Adam Grossman directed a film called Sometimes They Come Back… Again (1996). The story follows psychologist Jon Porter, who receives news of his mother’s sudden death. Accompanied by his teenage daughter Michelle, the two return to Jon’s hometown of Glenrock for the funeral. While there, they are confronted with haunting memories from thirty years ago when Jon’s older sister Lisa was brutally murdered by a group of teenagers while attempting a demonic ritual. After stopping the ritual by electrocuting the perpetrators, Jon has to face the painful memories once again. Meanwhile, Michelle befriends ...

The Outer Limits (1995–2002), a revival of the classic television series that originally aired from 1963 to 1965, returned to viewers’ screens between 1995 and 2002. Like its predecessor, The Outer Limits presents an anthology of unique episodes, often with unexpected plot twists. While maintaining the anthology format, the remake also incorporated occasional recurring story arcs, which were then brought together in season-finale clip shows. This modern revival of the science fiction horror show explores aliens and frequently includes twist endings. In some cases, a storyline introduced in one episode will continue in a later installment.

The Langoliers (1995), a two-part horror miniseries, was both directed and written by Tom Holland. It is based on the novella by Stephen King from the book Four Past Midnight, which consists of four parts. During a red-eye flight from Los Angeles to Boston, most of the passengers and crew disappear after flying through a strange light. Their personal belongings are all that remain. The remaining passengers were asleep during the event and include pilot Brian Engle, deadheading on the flight, an enigmatic Englishman named Nick, schoolteacher Laurel Stevenson, tool ...

Directed by Taylor Hackford, Dolores Claiborne (1995) is an American psychological thriller drama film based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King. The story follows Dolores Claiborne, who works as a domestic servant for her elderly employer, Vera Donovan, on Little Tall Island in Maine. One day, Dolores and Vera have a struggle which results in Vera falling down the stairs. After this incident, Dolores is caught by the mailman who sees her standing over Vera with a rolling pin. Unfortunately, Vera passes away and a murder investigation begins. In light of these ...

The horror film, The Mangler (1995), was directed and written by Tobe Hooper and Harry Alan Towers. It is based on Stephen King’s short story of the same name from his collection Night Shift (1978). The movie takes place in Gartley’s Blue Ribbon Laundry, where Bill Gartley owns a laundry press known as the Mangler. Trouble ensues when Sherry, Gartley’s niece, cuts herself while trying to avoid being crushed by an old ice box being carried past. This results in blood splattering onto the ...

The Stand (1994), an American post-apocalyptic television miniseries based on Stephen King’s 1978 novel of the same name, features King himself as a minor character and also includes his teleplay. In the series, on June 13 at a top-secret government laboratory in Northern California, a weaponized version of influenza named Project Blue accidentally escapes. This causes U.S. Army soldier Charlie Campion, along with his wife and daughter, to flee and unknowingly spread the virus across the country. On June 17, Campion crashes near Stu Redman and his friends at an ...

The Shawshank Redemption (1994), a prison drama film, was written and directed by Frank Darabont. The film is based on the 1982 novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King. Set in the late 1940s, it follows the story of Andy Dufresne, a former banker from Portland, Maine who is sentenced to two consecutive life terms for the murders of his wife and her lover. At Shawshank State Prison, Andy befriends Ellis ‘Red’ Redding, a fellow inmate serving a life sentence for smuggling contraband. With Red’s help, Andy acquires a rock ...

Based on Stephen King’s 1991 novel of the same name, Needful Things (1993) is an American horror film directed by Fraser C. Heston. In the small town of Castle Rock, Maine, a mysterious man named Leland Gaunt arrives in a sinister-looking black car and opens an antique store called ‘Needful Things’. The establishment offers various items with great personal value to its residents, some clearly possessing supernatural abilities like a pain-relieving pendant or a toy that predicts horse race outcomes. However, these items come at a price – both in ...

The Tommyknockers (1993), a TV miniseries, is based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King. It was aired on ABC and directed by John Power, with Lawrence D. Cohen as the writer. The story revolves around Bobbi Anderson, a Western fiction writer, and her boyfriend Jim ‘Gard’ Gardner, a poet living in Haven, Maine with their dog Peter. While Bobbi is struggling with writer’s block, Gard is recovering from alcoholism and has paused his writing. One day, they stumble upon an unidentified stone object ...

The Dark Half (1993) is a film based on Stephen King’s 1989 novel of the same name. It was both written and directed by George A. Romero. Thad Beaumont, a writer known for his acclaimed literary works, also has a successful career writing bestselling thrillers under the pseudonym ‘George Stark’. After deciding to retire his pen name, Beaumont symbolically buries ‘Stark’ in a fake grave. However, something strange happens – Stark takes on a physical form and begins terrorizing those close to Beaumont, starting with local photographer ...