Stephen Kingmay be the most popular author of his generation, as there certainly isn’t another writer who has inspired as many great movies. While there are a few adaptations likeThe Dark TowerandMaximum Overdrivethat have been perceived as massive disappointments, films based on King novels and short stories likeThe Shawshank Redemption, The Shining, Stand by Me, Misery, The Dead Zone, andThe Green Mileare often cited whendiscussing the greatest films ever made.
King often writes about supernatural, horror, and mystery themesthat are often better suited to bedepicted in prestige television shows.The extended time that these shows have to develop nuanced stories and flesh out their worldbuilding give them an opportunity to bridge a greater connection with their audience, in the same way that King’s novels do. Here are the ten best shows to watch if you love Stephen King movies.
10‘The Leftovers’ (2014-2017)
Created by Damon Lindelof and Tom Perrotta
The Leftoversis a deeply existentialist science fiction dramathat explores themes of faith, spirituality, and familial trauma, all of which are prominent in many of King’s best novels. One of the aspects of King’s writing that continues to draw in readers is the attention-to-detail in which he crafts his world;The Leftoversdoes a great job at expanding its mythology over the course of three excellent seasons, serving as one of therare shows that ends as perfectly as it begins.
The Leftoverscontain frequent plot twists and turns that may catch viewers off guard, even if King fans are accustomed to watching material that surprises them. As with any of the best novels written by King,The Leftoversis often at its best when focusing on sensitive human characters that the audience can relate to on a personal level.
The Leftovers
Watch on Max
9‘Mr. Robot’ (2015-2019)
Created by Sam Esmail
Mr. Robotis a grounded drama that examines the overreliance on technology and consequences of corporate greed, but it flirts with supernatural and surrealist qualities insome of its most devastating episodes.Any fan of King’s films and books loves a good scare, and there are certainly moments inMr. Robotwhere it transforms from being a psychological thriller to being an all-out horror film.
Mr. Robotis unique in that it has an unreliable narrator, as the character of Elliot Alderson (Rami Malek) frequently lies to the viewers because of his mental health disorders and the trauma that he experienced growing up with his father Edward (Christian Slater). The notion of a protagonist who is not entirely honest with the audience is something relevant in many of King’s best books, includingThe Shining, Christine,andThe Outsideramong many others.
8‘Twin Peaks’ (1990-2017)
Created by Mark Frost and David Lynch
Twin Peaksmay be the greatest supernatural mystery series of all-time, asDavid Lynchcreated a groundbreaking new way of making television that had an instant “water cooler effect” on viewers who were keen to break down what each new revelation meant on a daily basis.
Although it begins in a version of reality that is not that unusual compared to other mystery shows,Twin Peaksdeveloped a rich mythology relating to the existential battle between good and evil, a concept King has touched on inThe Dark Tower, The Shining,andIt. Twin Peaksis also one of the scariest shows ever made, as Lynch ended up creating atruly terrifying television villaininFrank Silva’s BOB, a demonic entity who has the power to corrupt innocent people like Leland Palmer (Ray Wise) and get them to commit acts of horrific violence.
Twin Peaks
7‘Legion’ (2017-2019)
Created by Noah Hawley
Legionis unlike any other superhero show, as it is more interested in exploring mental health and the human condition than in setting up crossoverswith the rest of theX-Menfranchiseand the larger Marvel universe.Legionproved to be more than just a standard story of good and evil, as the protagonist, David Haller (Dan Stevens),proves very early on that he has a haunting dark side that is waiting to be unleashed.
Legionfrequently featured shocking moments of body horror and suspensethat could be compared to many of King’s novels, as the show frequently delves into David’s nightmares and shows what they would look like in reality. However, the series also focused on themes of maturation and “found family” that represent the more wholesome side of storytelling that is often at the center of King’s most beloved work.
6‘Primal’ (2019-Present)
Created by Genndy Tartakovsky
Primalwas a groundbreaking achievement in animationthat tooka chance on an unusual central relationshipand period in fantasy. King is often praised for putting non-traditional heroes at the center of his stories, as he does not conform to the standard archetypes that most authors seem to abide by; similarly,Primalproved that animation could be intended for a far more mature audience with this epic story of family and fear in the prehistoric era.
Primalwas a particularly game-changing show for Adult Swim, a network that has generally been centered on more comedic programming likeAqua Teen Hunger ForceandSealab 2021. While King has yet to write a novel about prehistory and dinosaurs, the immaculate visual design, depthful character relationships, and eye-popping animation style ofPrimalcertainly seem like it would meet with his approval.
5‘Lost’ (2004-2010)
Created by J.J. Abrams, Jeffery Lieber, and Damon Lindelof
Lostis the definitive science fiction mystery show for a generation, asDamon Lindelofcreated a dense world that had viewers glued to their televisions for six years as they desperately tried to unpack the secrets that were revealed each week. Although the reactions tothe series finale were mixed at best,Lostdeserves credit for tying many different aspects of genre storytelling into one complete package.
As with many of King’s novels,Lostis just as focused on its characters as it is on its story, as the performances were able to excel even when the writing got a little bit weak. While there are certainly a few moments where it feels as if the show lost its voice,Lostat its best was better than a majority of what else was on television at any given moment.
4‘The Last of Us’ (2023-Present)
Created by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann
The Last of Ussought to radically reinvent what audiences expected from a video game adaptation, and ended up telling a mature story about what it would be like to survive amidst an apocalyptic event. Thanks toa powerful performance byPedro Pascal,The Last of Ussucceeded in telling a powerful story about grief, addiction, and societal collapse that was grounded within the format of a zombie show.
There are many visual parallels to King’s work inThe Last of Us, including an invasion scene lifted straight out ofThe Mistand a haunting moment of cannibalism reminiscent ofThe Dark Half. While it doesn’t always make for a pleasant watch because of the sheer level of disturbing material,The Last of Usmakes an argument for the future of television by merging great genre storytelling with a prestigious level of craftsmanship and performances.
The Last Of Us
3‘Station Eleven’ (2021-2022)
Created by Patrick Somerville
Station Elevenfeaturesan eerily prescient storylineabout how humanity would survive an international pandemicthat forces survivors to willfully isolate themselves so as to not accidentally spread any diseases; while it was based on a novel that was written long before the COVID-19 virus became a reality in early 2020, it’s hard not to seeStation Elevenas a parallel to the lockdowns during this era in history.
Station Elevenmakes the argument that art should be treated as a public service that can provide people with hope,particularly in trying times when many people are struggling. Support for artists and their efforts to be original is something that King has always stood for, so it is likely that fans of his work would connect with the themes thatStation Elevenlays out in such beautiful detail over the course of its single brilliant season.
Station Eleven
2‘Chernobyl’ (2019)
Created by Craig Mazin
Chernobylis just as scary as any adaptation of King’s novels, but there’s nothing supernatural about it at all.Craig Mazer’s brilliant historical series explored the aftermath of a real nuclear meltdown that resulted in significant civilian casualties and irreversible environmental damage; it has beencited as one of the single greatest drama showsthat HBO has ever produced.
Those that love King’s work can see the parallels that he draws with recent events,andChernobylcertainly draws comparisons to the recent ways in which scientific reasoning is undermined by authority. While the sheer level of violent content certainly does not make it an easy watch,Chernobyltells an important story about the power of truth that any fan of King’s should be able to appreciate. Excellent performances fromStellan Skarsgård, Jared Harris,andBarry Keoghanmake the series even better.
1‘Mare of Easttown’ (2021)
Mare of Easttowndoesn’t have any supernatural qualities, but it does tell a really compelling mystery story that fans of King novels likeThe OutsiderandSalem’s Lotmay appreciate. King often uses an inciting incident to explore the larger community in which a tragedy takes place; inMare of Easttown, the protagonist (Kate Winslet) ends up discovering more about the buried secrets that her small town has covered up after digging into the murder of a teenage girl (Cailee Spaeney).
Mare of Easttownis one of the rare shows that ended absolutely perfectly, as every loose storyline and character was tied up in a satisfying way. While there have beencalls for a second season to take offwith Winslet reprising her role, it would be unnecessary considering how sufficiently the first season managed to end things on an ambiguous note.
