Film adaptations could almost make up their own genre and horror films would comprise the bulk of those entries.   They are generally the easiest stories to adapt for the screen and so, each year, we suffer through a glut of films striving desperately to achieve the same level of success as their literary counterparts.  Sadly, most fail.  There is an author however, regarded as the undisputed master of modern horror fiction, and his films have received more adaptations than any other author in the genre.  Here we take a look at the Top Ten Stephen King Film Adaptations.

10)  Silver Bullet Adapted from “Cycle of the Werewolf” (1985)

In May of 1985, after a series of brutal murders in rural Maine, a young paraplegic teen and his older sister begin to suspect that the mythical creature may be behind it.  Desperate to end the carnage, the town members band together to dispense “frontier justice” and all hell breaks loose when the siblings discover just who exactly is behind the savage killings in sleepy Tarker’s Mills.

9) It (1990)

In 1958, a terrifying entity is stalking the children of Derry, Maine, turning its victims’ worst fears against them, but no one seems to even care or notice.  When a group of young outcasts band together, they battle the horrific creature and seemingly destroy IT forever, until 30 years later, when the killings begin again.

8) Carrie (1976)

Socially outcast teen, Carrie White, is the butt of every cruel bully at school and trapped by her hateful mother at home.  Abused, neglected, and friendless, Carrie suddenly discovers that her anger and fear have manifested granting her powerful psychic abilities.  But when unpopular Carrie is suddenly elected Prom Queen and the popular girls plan a horrific prank for her, it can only end in terror.

7) The Stand (1994)

When an engineered virus escapes and kills 99.9% of the human population, the survivors find themselves caught in the middle of a war between the forces of good and evil.  Led by visions of a prophetic old woman and menaced by a creature of terrifying and unholy power, they each begin to choose sides and decide where humanity will make its final stand.

6) Christine (1983)

Bookish and nerdy Arnie Cunningham has no luck with girls and no defense against the school bullies.  Things change, though, when Arnie discovers his dream girl, Christine, a 1958 Plymouth Fury.  Restoring her back to prime condition, Arnie himself begins to change.  When Arnie’s enemies and even his friends attempt to part the two, Christine proves to be more than just a machine and far more terrifying.

5) Cujo (1983)

Joe Camber's family has left heat-stroked Castle Rock for the weekend and the family dog, a massive St. Bernard named Cujo, is left to guard the house.  When Donna and her young son Tad drive their dying car to the Camber house for repairs, the vehicle breaks down, stranding them in the brutal summer heat.  Unbeknown to anyone, Cujo has contracted rabies.  What comes next is a terrifying, bloody struggle for survival, with no help in sight.

4) 1408 Adapted from "Everything's Eventual" (2007)

Non-fiction horror author and skeptic Mike Enslin makes his living terrifying readers with tales of real ghosts, though he doesn’t believe in a single word he writes.  When an anonymous postcard warns him not to enter room 1408 in New York City’s posh Dolphin Hotel, he takes on the challenge.  He quickly learns that even if you don’t believe in ghosts it doesn’t mean they don’t believe in you.

3) Storm of the Century (1999)

As the residents of Little Tall Island batten down in preparation for a massive oncoming storm, a mysterious stranger with seemingly unlimited power arrives.  Taunting the residents with all their darkest secrets and deeds, the sinister Andre Linoge demands they “Give him what he wants and he’ll go away”.  But what this stranger seeks is far more terrifying than anything these residents could dream.

2) The Green Mile (1999)

When Death Row Corrections Supervisor Paul Edgecomb receives an unusual inmate, the gigantic and child-minded black man John Coffey, he immediately knows there is something different about this particular prisoner.  Devoid of any capacity for malevolence and possessing powerful healing abilities, the gentle Coffey proves that miracles can seemingly exist in even the darkest of places.

1) The Shawshank Redemption adapted from "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption" (1994)

Andy DuFresne has been wrongfully convicted of the murders of his wife and her lover.  Sentenced to two life terms at the infamous Shawshank State Penitentiary, Andy discovers a world where hope seems to hold as much worth as his fellow convicts.  Besieged by horrors on both sides of the cell bars, Andy must rely on his indomitable spirit to survive and remain truly free.

The films in this list prove that with dedication, imagination and a devout adherence to the source material, adaptations can prove wildly successful.  Each of these movies holds a special place with me and hopefully you as well.  If you haven’t seen any or even all of them, be certain to as soon as you can, for each is an example of the determination it takes to truly capture the story that came before it.

-Jarod Warren