Stephen King: 10 Best 80’s Adaptations, According To IMDb 

After the success of Carrie  in 1976, the 80s were jampacked with Stephen King adaptations, marking the inception of the author’s own brand of horror movies. Although his book adaptations are still aplenty, the 80s can be rightfully crowned as the golden era of Hollywood’s take on King’s exciting tales.

With that said, a new wave of Stephen King adaptations—both on television and the big screen—is now underway. For this reason, horror fans who still haven’t dipped their feet in King’s world can use the 80s classics as a springboard to transition into the King of Horror’s masterful storytelling.

10 Cujo 1983 (6.1)

Dogs are man’s best friend, and that’s why viewers rarely see them in a negative light on-screen. From talking superhero canines to loyal buddies that save lives, cinemagoers have seen dogs play many different roles. However, among all the representations of dogs in mainstream pop culture, Stephen King’s version in Cujo remains the scariest.

While critics to this day argue whether or not Cujo lives up to its source material, it cannot be denied that its portrayal of a vicious rabid St Bernard isn’t easy to digest. If not in the scares department, the movie sure does deliver when it comes to gore and instilling claustrophobia in a viewer.

9 Cat’s Eye 1985 (6.3)

With a feline as its wrap-around, Cat’s Eye weaves together three of King’s short stories. The first one, titled Quitters Inc., sets the stage by highlighting the struggles of a man whose smoking cessation endeavors go seriously wrong. Followed by The Ledge, the film walks viewers through a hair-raising series of events that instill the fear of heights like no other.

Finally, leaving the best for the end, the third tale of the film, The General, unfolds from the perspective of a little girl (Drew Barrymore) who learns that a dangerous creature lives in the walls of her bedroom. Purposefully formatted this way, it starts slowly by harping on some intrinsic human fears and then amps up its terrors with some good old classic monster horror. What more can Stephen King fans ask for?

8 Silver Bullet 1985 (6.4)

Considering the age of its characters and werewolf-centric premise, Silver Bullet seems directed towards a young audience. The film has its share of narrative highs where it effectively thrills—if not scares—viewers with its murder mystery approach towards werewolf horror.

However, other times, the movie comes off as a parody, as it refuses to take it itself too seriously. Either way, in its span of a little over an hour and a half, Silver Bullet rarely leaves a dull moment and proves to be entertaining enough to find its place among the few good werewolf horror films out there.

7 Pet Sematary 1989 (6.6)

As confessed by Stephen King himself, Pet Sematary is his most terrifying work to date. Many fans, too, agree with him on this one. That explains why, although there have been three adaptations of the book, fans and critics are yet to be satiated by Hollywood’s take on it.

Even so, if compared, the original 1989 adaptation still ranks higher on the list of most horror hounds because it very well captures the grim lure of its central pet burial ground and its curse. Not to mention, the commendable performances of its cast add more heft to its ever-growing sense of dread.

6 Christine 1983 (6.7)

As portrayed by Stephen King in the original Christine novel, John Carpenter turns the absurd tale of a demonic car into a genuinely spine-chilling adventure. While, for obvious reasons, the film accommodates all the horror trademarks of the King of Horror, what makes it so memorable is that it comes with Carpenter’s mastery of atmosphere.

On paper, the film’s ideas may still be scoffed at, but this one isn’t to be judged by its cover because, no matter how banal it may seem, it does deliver what it promises and takes viewers on one hell of a vengeance-fueled ride.

5 The Running Man 1987 (6.7)

To make room for Arnold Schwarzenegger’s brand of humor and action, The Running Man drifts quite far from the original vision of King’s novel. Even so, the movie comes with its own shock-and-awe dystopian drama and action, which is mindless but often fun.

Set in the year 2019, it portrays a totalitarian America where prisoners run to freedom in a deadly game show called The Running Man. After being falsely convicted, policeman Ben Richards lands in prison and gets the opportunity to compete in the game. Little does he realize that there’s a lot more to it than meets the eye.

4 Creepshow 1982 (6.9)

Being an anthology of five different tales, Creepshow varies in quality and has its ups and downs throughout its runtime. Despite that, its anthology approach works in its favor, as at least one of the five tales hits home for most viewers. Each tale has a corny intro that snags the attention of viewers and makes them stick around for more.

For instance, the second in the series brings Stephen King as its leading star, who comes in contact with a meteor and starts noticing a green substance all over his body. Similar to this one, all the other tales aren’t narratively deep, but they’re amusing enough to evoke curiosity.

3 The Dead Zone 1983 (7.2)

In The Dead Zone, Christopher Walken plays Johnny Smith, a man who slips into a coma and wakes up with the ability to foresee a person’s future with a mere touch. It’s this ability that makes him predict all the perils and evils an aspiring politician would bring to his nation. As a result, he races against time and plots to kill the politician before it’s too late.

While the premise of the film doesn’t fall too far from most generic supernatural thrillers, what gives it a serious edge is its three-dimensional characters and brilliant performances. It creates an inclusive atmosphere for viewers where every element of its plot feels real, making its supernatural gimmicks far more disturbing than they should be.

2 Stand By Me (8.1)

Stand By Me was neither the first nor the last coming-of-age film that highlighted the bittersweet feelings of transitioning from childhood to adulthood. But, what makes it unique is its emphasis on the little details that evoke nostalgia and remind viewers of the carefree warmth of early adolescence.

Coupled with Stephen King’s morbid writing, the film seamlessly transitions between joy and tragedy, staying with a viewer long after its credits start rolling. Overall, it’s a timeless classic that will always find a place in every cinephile’s watch list.

1 The Shining (8.4)

While Stephen King isn’t a big fan of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, the rest of the world cannot stop raving about it even to this day. With an isolated snow-clad hotel in its backdrop, the film follows a man’s steady mental deterioration and its impact on his wife and son.

One big reason why The Shining is considered a genre-defining masterpiece is that it creates an ever-growing sense of foreboding dread. The film subtly develops a queasy-uneasy atmosphere that makes a whole character out of its central hotel and reeks of the kind of tension, drama, and terror that cannot be emulated.

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