Stephen Kingmovie adaptations are often highly entertaining and impressive or the complete opposite. Some of the best films based on King’s work includeThe ShiningandMisery, two horror movies that are still classics to this day and that people will never tire of watching. Others pale in comparison and are dull and forgettable. This is a shame given how talented King is and how fascinating his stories are.
From the only movie that Stephen King ever directed to two remakes of his most beloved movies, these bad Stephen King movies aren’t very popular. While the author’s work will always feel timeless, these movies just aren’t very compelling.
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Maximum Overdrive (1986)
Adapted from Stephen King’s short story collection “Trucks,“Maximum Overdriveis actually a movie that King wrote and directed. And it’s generally considered a pretty lackluster film. The plot revolves around Connie (Yeardley Smith) and Curt (John Short) who realize that trucks are trying to kill them. That premise alone is cheesy and hard to buy.
While there are somegreat horror movies based on short stories,Maximum Overdriveisn’t one of them. It’s possible that some King fans have forgotten about it since there are so many other movies to watch and enjoy. The movie has a 15% rating on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer and a 50% Audience Score. The characters and storyline aren’t much to write home about.
Mr. Harrigan’s Phone (2022)
While there are some incredible Stephen King movies, there are also some bad Stephen King movies. And that includesMr. Harrigan’s Phone, the Netflix moviereleased in 2022. After John Harrigan (Donald Sutherland) passes away, Craig (Jaeden Martell) is given his phone, and learns that they can message each other. When bad things start happening, Greg is shocked and unsure what to do.
Given the2022 horror movies that lived up to the hype, the boring nature ofMr. Harrigan’s Phonefeels even more pronounced. It’s clear from the start that Greg should get rid of the phone and move on with his life and nothing that happens is action-packed or memorable. Greg is also an outsider who doesn’t fit in with his peers, and that lends the movie a really sad tone that feels overbearing at times.
Firestarter (2022)
While Ryan Kiera Armstrong gives a good performance as young Charlie McGee, the 2022 remake ofFirestarteris fairly boring. Zac Efron’s performance, however, is more difficult to praise. He’s trying hard to be really intense as Andy, Charlie’s father who is trying his best to protect her as he knows that she has powers that the government wants to get their hands on.
Firestarteris meandering and directionless, and the VFX don’t look good, either. It’s also hard to find any of the main characters likable, besides Charlie. Her mother Vicky (Sydney Lemmon) is so worried about Charlie’s powers that she comes across as cruel, and that is tough to watch throughout an entire movie.Firestarteris definitely one of theworst horror remakesand the story was told properly in the original from 1984.
Pet Sematary (2019)
While the originalPet Semataryfrom 1989 has a great endingand is a good adaptation in general, the same thing can’t be said of the 2019 remake. The bones of the story remain the same: the Creed family moves to a new home, discovers a pet sematary behind it, and meets Jud Crandall (John Lightgow), a neighbor who shares the sinister secrets of the land.
It’s hard to know why remakingPet Semataryneeded to happen. Sure, it’s true that the original is a classic, and the 1983 novel is still beloved. But the original movie tells the story properly. And since the 2019 remake doesn’t feel fresh, there’s not much going on here that is worth remembering.
In The Tall Grass (2019)
Adapted from the story by Stephen King and his son Joe Hill,In The Tall Grassis one of theworst Netflix horror movies. The premise has some promise, which makes the boring result even more disappointing. Cal DeMuth (Avery Whitted) and his sister Becky (Laysla De Oliveira), who is expecting a baby, are on a road trip, and they find a patch of tall grass on the side of the road. When they enter it, they realize that it’s a dark and sinister place.
The evil character inIn The Tall Grassis one of theworst horror movie villainsas they are completely forgettable. It’s too hard to watch this movie and not want to scream at Cal and Becky to get out of there and fast. While many horror movie main characters make mistakes, they at least need to be fairly intelligent and interesting to watch. Otherwise, the whole story feels dull.
