Debuting earlier this week on Spike was an all-new adaptation of the Stephen King short story The Mist. Our own review of the new series says the show is a “breath of fresh air in terms of horror on television, and genre fans would be keen to flock to the series as it unfolds.” If you don’t have a subscription to Spike to watch the show, no need to fret, as there are plenty of other streaming options this weekend you can watch to enjoy King’s signature style.
This year is shaping up to be one of King’s biggest years in decades, with The Mist being only one of multiple adaptations of his work getting released.
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In August, The Dark Tower will be hitting theaters, an adaptation of King’s series of books about Roland Deschain. The film isn’t a direct adaptation of any single book, but is both an amalgam of many of the story’s elements while also serving somewhat as a sequel to the original series’ lore. Also in August will be the TV series Mr. Mercedes, which tells the story of a former detective that is taunted by a serial killer who he aims to apprehend.
September will see the release of a new adaptation of It, the epic novel that was previously turned into a mini-series in 1990. With a bigger budget and more creative freedom, the R-rated film is one of the most anticipated horror films of the year. Also slated for release this year is Gerald’s Game, a film coming to Netflix based on the novel of the same name.
For those of you looking to bone up on Stephen King adaptations, take a look at what’s available right now to stream!
Children of the Corn (1984) – Hulu
Based on the 1977 short story of the same name, Children of the Corn explores themes of terrifying children and religious extremism, ensuring you’ll never look at a cornfield the same way again.
When a couple travels through Nebraska, their car breaks down and they seek help in a nearby town. At first glance, the town is desolate, with the couple eventually coming across children who live in town, who seem reluctant to reveal where any of their parents are. The couple eventually learns that, based on a very specific interpretation of a religious text, the children believe that they must kill anyone who achieves adulthood in order to appease “He Who Walks Behind the Rows.”
Part The Wicker Man and part The Village of the Damned, Children of the Corn has been a go-to reference when getting a creepy vibe from a child, making you fearful of just what children can be convinced to do for the sake of a higher power.
The Shining (1980) – Netflix
Possibly the most well-known of Stephen King’s adaptations, what makes this Stanley Kubrick film all the more surprising is knowing how much King himself hates it.
Jack Torrance reluctantly accepts a job as a caretaker at the Overlook Hotel during its off-season, leaving him and his family to their own devices to stave off cabin fever for a few months. Supernatural forces begin to make their presence known to both Jack and his son Danny, resulting in the patriarch attempting to vanquish his family in order to appease unseen forces.
Jack Nicholson’s performance as Jack would go on to be one of the defining roles of his career, but King vehemently opposed the casting decision, as his portrayal painted the father in a more sinister light, not allowing audiences to see how good of a father Jack truly was. Due to the cast and Kubrick’s penchant for vast shots of empty space, King was compelled to make a mini-series based on the book in the ’90s that gave the story much more warmth in hopes of audiences rooting for Jack a little more strongly.
Christine (1983) – Crackle
The premise of a killer car was just as ridiculous in 1983 as it is in 2017, with Christine opening to lackluster reviews. Luckily, the film has gained a cult following over the years and is considered one of the defining entries into director John Carpenter’s illustrious career.
When geeky high school student Arnold sets out to buy himself a car, he discovers a 1958 Plymouth Fury in poor condition. Seeing the car’s potential, he buys the automobile, which he nicknames “Christine,” and pours his heart and soul into restoring her to showroom quality. The car impresses his classmates and Arnold begins to act much more confidently, but when some bullies vandalize Christine, her true power becomes evident, as the car drives itself in the middle of the night to run over the bullies. With Arnold blinded by devotion to his car, it’s up to his friends to destroy Christine and sever its connection to its owner.
More often than not, when we see tales of the supernatural, they surround a house or location, but in the case of Christine, we get to see what happens when something mobile is possessed by evil forces.
The Dead Zone (1983) – Tubi TV
Following a near-fatal car accident that leaves him in a coma for five years, Johnny Smith (Christopher Walken) awakens to find the world he knew has passed him by. As he tries to acclimate to the world around him, Smith also discovers he has the new-found ability to learn people’s secrets from their past, present, and future when he makes physical contact with them. When Smith realizes he has the ability to change someone’s future, he must decide the cost of altering the course of humanity forever by assassinating a dangerous politician.
The successful formula of the main character’s special powers resulted in King’s source novel also becoming the basis for a TV show that ran for six seasons with Anthony Michael Hall taking over the role of the main character.
Under the Dome – Amazon Prime
If long-form stories are more your thing than just a single movie, Under the Dome is a rare example of Stephen King’s work being translated into a long-running TV series instead of just a film or mini-series.
The residents of Chester’s Mill wake up to quite the surprise, as they’ve discovered a virtually indestructible glass dome has descended upon the city, cutting them off from the outside world. With limited resources in the town and no one from the outside world seemingly able to help, it’s up to the residents to figure out not just how to survive, but also to unravel the mystery of where the dome came from.
Developed by Brian K. Vaughn, this series took a real-world approach to a sci-fi premise, giving audiences top-tier acting and plenty of questions. Much like The Mist, Under the Dome made viewers question what we’d do in the characters’ situation.
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