Known for his twisted psychological thriller and horror novels, Stephen King is one of the most revered and prolific writers of our time. He published his first short story in 1967 and has gone on to release nearly a hundred novels and novellas since. Given this vast output, there are few subjects King hasn’t touched; he’s known for themes like grief, fear, and human resilience. Many of his titles have been turned into films and series — most recently, adaptations of his novels The Long Walk and The Running Man were released in theaters, and an It prequel series, It: Welcome to Derry, explored Pennywise’s origins.

While King is deeply beloved by horror fans, his work defies a singular genre. He’s written classics such as The Shining, Stand By Me, Misery, and It. Whether you’re a longtime King fan, or if you’re just familiarizing yourself with his writing now, here are a few adaptions you can dive into on Netflix. 

Gerald's Game

Directed by Mike Flanagan (The Haunting of Hill House, Midnight Mass, The Fall of the House Usher) and based on the novel of the same name, Gerald’s Game is a tense psychological thriller that plays with the main character’s psyche. The film follows Jessie (Carla Gugino) and her husband, Gerald (Bruce Greenwood), who head to their lake house for a getaway in hopes of saving their marriage. But after Gerald handcuffs her to the bed with plans to enact an abusive fantasy, he dies of a sudden heart attack — leaving her trapped. The film explores the depths we can psychologically travel to in grief and fear, exploring themes of disassociation and facing inner demons.

Gerald's Game

1h 43m   TV-MA   2017

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Mr. Harrigan's Phone

Directed by John Lee Hancock and based on King’s novella, this supernatural thriller follows young Craig (Jaeden Martell) who discovers he has the ability to contact the dead with a little help from modern technology. Like many of King’s novels, Mr. Harrigan’s Phone is set in a picturesque Maine town, where we meet the down-on-his-luck teen, who is struggling to financially fit in with his classmates. Craig begins reading books to Mr. Harrigan (Donald Sutherland), a billionaire with bad eyesight who pays him $5 an hour to do so. But when Mr. Harrigan passes away, Craig finds himself able to communicate with him via iPhone … and quickly realizes that his vengeful spirit might have an effect on the living. 

Mr. Harrigan's Phone

1h 46m   PG-13   2022

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1922

Based on the short story by King that was published in 2010, 1922 follows Wilf (Thomas Jane), a farmer who admits to killing his wife, Arlette (Molly Parker), to deter her from selling their farm and moving to the city with their son. Guilt-ridden and haunted by her ghost, Wilf and his son quickly begin to devolve into madness. The duo are plagued by the knowledge of what they’ve done, and the farm they once loved becomes cursed with visions of Arlette. 

1922

1h 42m   TV-MA   2017

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In the Tall Grass

Based on the novella by Stephen King and his son, Joe Hill, In the Tall Grass follows siblings Cal (Avery Whitted) and Becky (Laysla De Oliveira) who are lured into a grass field in Kansas when they hear a child crying within. Once they pass the threshold, the siblings quickly realize that getting out is not as simple as it seems. While the duo try to escape, the supernatural forces that lurk there produce nightmare scenarios that throw off their sense of time, and force them to confront the choices they’ve made. 

In the Tall Grass

1h 41m   TV-MA   2019

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Firestarter

This sci-fi thriller is an adaptation of King’s 1980 novel, and a remake of the 1984 film of the same name starring Drew Barrymore. It follows a girl, Charlie (Ryan Kiera Armstrong), who has pyrokinetic powers that often spiral out of control and create problems for her and her parents, Andy (Zac Efron) and Vicky (Sydney Lemmon). When a shady organization decides it wants control over her abilities, the family goes on the run, and Charlie’s powers are put to the test like never before. Kurtwood Smith (That ’90s Show), John Beasley (The Purge: Anarchy), Michael Greyeyes (V Wars), and Gloria Reuben (Timecop) co-star.

Firestarter

1h 34m   R   2022

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Christine

Cars kill in this supernatural horror flick from director John Carpenter (The Thing) and based on King’s 1983 novel. It stars Keith Gordon (Jaws 2) as Arnie Cunningham, a bullied teenager who buys a beat-up 1958 Plymouth Fury and restores it to its former glory. But the car is sentient, and its toxic influence infiltrates Arnie’s mind, causing him to change for the worse as mysterious, car-related deaths begin occurring all over town. John Stockwell (Top Gun), Alexandra Paul (Just the Way You Are), Robert Prosky (Thief), and Harry Dean Stanton (Cool Hand Luke) also star.

Christine

1h 50m   R   1983

Remind Me

Stand by Me

Wil Wheaton (Toy Soldiers), River Phoenix (My Own Private Idaho), Corey Feldman (Gremlins), and Jerry O’Connell (Sliders) star in this movie based on King’s 1982 novella The Body as four boys searching for a dead body in Castle Rock, Oregon, in 1959. One of the boys, now grown, tells the story via flashback. Directed by Rob Reiner (This Is Spinal Tap), this coming-of-age drama was nominated for an Academy Award and two Golden Globes.

Stand by Me

1h 28m   R

Remind Me

11.22.63

James Franco (The Ballad of Buster Scruggs) leads this eight-episode sci-fi thriller miniseries as Jake Epping, a man tasked with a seemingly impossible mission: travel back in time and stop the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on Nov. 22, 1963. As Jake gathers information, makes connections, and builds a life for himself in the ’60s, he learns that history has a way of fighting back against unwanted incursions. Based on King’s 2011 novel 11/22/63 and executive produced by J.J. Abrams (The Cloverfield Paradox), 11.22.63 also stars Chris Cooper (American Beauty), Sarah Gadon (You Gotta Believe), Lucy Fry (Bright), George MacKay (Been So Long), and Daniel Webber (The Dirt).

11.22.63

Limited Series   TV-MA   2016

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Castle Rock

Instead of being based on a single King story, Castle Rock casts a career-wide net. This two-season horror anthology follows residents of the fictional, eponymous Maine town who are both inspired by, and taken directly from, the author’s substantial catalog. They include an aspiring writer with the surname Torrance; a prisoner at Shawshank State Penitentiary; a covert telepath; and a doctor working at a hospital in nearby Jerusalem’s Lot. Season 1 begins with criminal attorney Henry Deaver (André Holland) returning to his hometown, only to find that past events surrounding the nearby prison have come back to haunt him. Melanie Lynskey (Yellowjackets), Bill Skarsgård (It), Jane Levy (Evil Dead), Sissy Spacek (Bloodline), and Lizzy Caplan (Zero Day) also star in this series executive produced by Abrams.

Castle Rock

2 Seasons   TV-MA   2018

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