Stephen King is on a roll. Or rather, the “master of horror” is on the latest of several throughout a decades-long career spanning over 60 books. Inevitably, when Halloween rolls around, the discussion turns to King and his wealth of material. And if you haven’t watched “IT: Welcome to Derry” yet, you’re in for a treat.
We’ve got a list here of the 5 best Stephen King movies of all time, ranked, but that’s not what I’m here to talk to you about. No, I want to go back to the source and look at some of the page-turners in King’s back catalog that deserve a shot at a Netflix or Prime Video series.
5. The Talisman (1984)
The Talisman is King’s novel co-written with Peter Straub that’s almost more a fantasy epic than a horror tale. It revolves around 12-year-old Jack Sawyer, who travels across a parallel version of America called the Territories in search of the titular Talisman that will help save his mother from cancer.
Narratively, it’s a pretty standard journey-based adventure with a child protagonist that benefits from jumping between our world and the Territories. Some interesting characters emerge through the journey, and Jack’s friendship with a werewolf (called Wolf) helps to give a little emotional weight to the story. If you haven’t learned this yet, King is quite good at writing about childhood friendships.
Critics haven’t been hugely kind to the book, and while it received a graphic novel treatment, it’s never been seen on the screen. Reports in 2021 from THR suggested “Stranger Things” creators, the Duffer brothers, were interested in adapting it for Netflix but things have been quiet since then.
4. Dreamcatcher (2001)
Dreamcatcher came along in the aftermath of King being hit by a truck in 1999, and he reportedly wrote the entire novel in longhand. A movie adaptation was released in 2003, which, unfortunately, wasn’t very good. Despite having Morgan Freeman along for the ride. So the time is right for Netflix to do this novel justice.
The story involves a group of friends going for a hunting trip in the woods at precisely the time aliens decide to invade Earth. Fittingly, the early part of the story is set in Derry, Maine — the same town that we know so well from “IT”.
I read this book decades ago, so much of the detail has slipped from memory, but I remember the joy of reading a Stephen King novel that combines elements of horror with science fiction. Bringing this out as a limited Netflix show would help erase memories of the movie, give us a chance for some truly scary alien special effects and allow us to revisit Derry one more time. What’s not to love?
3. Blaze (2007)
King’s alter-ego Richard Bachman is enjoying the limelight at the moment, thanks to “The Long Walk” and “The Running Man,” so I had to include a Bachman story on this list somewhere. Blaze, originally written in 1973 but not published until 2007, is neither the strongest nor my favorite of the Bachman books (The Long Walk takes that prize). But it is the last one I read, and so I’m including it because while it wouldn’t work as a movie, I could see it as a limited-run show on a streaming service.
What I liked about the story is the gradual progression from hating the titular Blaze character for what he embarks upon (kidnapping a child) to ultimately feeling desperately sorry for him. That gradual arc could be effectively played out over six or eight episodes of television.
Ultimately, an adaptation of Blaze would likely rest on the abilities of the actor tasked with playing Blaze himself. The character is a hulking but slow-witted criminal suffering from brain damage who is ultimately chewed up and spat out by the world around him. It’s a clunky but endearing book and one that would make for an excellent Netflix show at any time of the year.
2. Needful Things (1991)
Another King book with a divisive big-screen adaptation (it’s got 31% on Rotten Tomatoes) is 1991’s Needful Things. Like other King books, this story is set in the town of Castle Rock, Maine and centers on a shop that sells whatever your heart most desires.
Over the course of the book’s nearly 700 pages, we delve into deal-with-the-devil territory as the repercussions of the purchases made by the residents of the town begin to escalate.
Here’s why I think this would be ripe for a modern-day adaptation. In the right hands, this story could be elevated from small-town morality tale to a broader examination of greed, consumerism and retail in the current age of Amazon.
1. ‘The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass (1997)
The Dark Tower is King’s eight-novel magnum opus, and fans have been clamoring for an adaptation for years. Trying to cram the entire saga into a single series would be a terrible idea. But using each book as its own season, a la “Game of Thrones”, would give Netflix the breathing space to do this work justice.
In my humble opinion, the pick of the bunch is the fourth novel in the series, which actually serves as a prequel of sorts. We spend the majority of the book in a story-within-a-story following protagonist Roland Deschain’s teenage romance. It’s a coming-of-age tale that blends the fantasy and Western genres with a smattering of horror thrown in. It’s like “Yellowstone” with magic.
I’m not in charge of Netflix’s commissioning department, but if I were, I’d be on the phone to Mr. King’s people right now trying to make this happen, ready for Halloween 2027 (or, more likely, 2028).
So that’s my list. Make of it what you will and let me know below if you agree, disagree or anything in between.
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