RANKED: The 17 best Stephen King adaptations you need to watch

He has a knack for crafting simple premises what if you woke up and had psychic powers? What if your car had a mind of its own? and taking them horrifying places. "Pet Sematary," opening in theaters Friday, is about a family that moves to a small town with a haunted woods where buried pets spring back to life and wreak havoc.

Here are the 17 best TV and movie adaptations based on King's work.

17. "Under the Dome" (2013-2015)

Brownie Harris/CBS

After "The Stand" (a movie adaptation is in development hell; the TV adaptation hasn't aged well ) and "It," King's novel "Under the Dome" is his longest. It was adapted into a TVshow over three seasons on CBS. The enthusiasm from critics waned as the season went on, but the first incredible season alone makes it worth the watch.

16. "The Mist" (2007)

When it was announced that Frank Darabont planned to direct another Stephen King adaptation, fans freaked out. His "Shawshank Redemption" ranks among the most beloved movies ever made , and "The Green Mile" has its fans as well. Amovie about a creepy mist that attacks a small town would be a new challenge.

"The Mist" proved itself a love-it-or-hate-it movie. Itc split fans and critics, with a 72% rating on Rotten Tomatoes . Some were miffed by an altered ending, but most people relished the terror.

15. "Castle Rock" (2018)

"Castle Rock," produced by J.J. Abrams for Hulu, is a series of connected stories as opposed to a single, overarching one. But that approach reveals one of Stephen King's greatest strengths: He can create whole worlds with multiple believable characters that bring a place to life. The town of Castle Rock has enough horror stories to want to make you leave, but the mysteries are irresistible.

14. "Pet Sematary" (2019)

Kerry Hayes/Paramount

King's book was first adapted in 1989 to a movie that received poor reviews but did well at the box office it even spawned a campy sequel, "Pet Sematary Two."

The new adaptation is less faithful but also much scarier than the book, as INSIDER's Kirsten Acuna writes . And while the movie doesn't have all the details and richness of the novel, it's still a terrifying horror movie.

13. "Christine" (1983)

Columbia Pictures

Not all critics loved it in its release, but the John Carpenter-directed "Christine" has turned into a cult classic. It's a high school movie about a sentientPlymouth Fury that goes nuts and tries to kill its owner.

12. "1408" (2007)

Dimension Films

"1408" was a generous surprise from John Cusack, whose career was otherwise in the wilderness in the 2000s. In this King adaptation, he starred as a well-known debunker of paranormal activity who checks into a hotel room famous for exactly that. He doesn't fare well.

11. "The Dead Zone" (1983)

Paramount Pictures

It's everyone's favorite premise: What ifhorror master David Cronenberg directed a movie based on a book by horror master Stephen King? And what ifthat book was about someonewaking up from a coma andgetting psychic powers?

The movie, starring Christopher Walken, was only a modest success at the box office, but it grew such a following that CBS later commissioned a TV series based on the movie and book, which was popular but ended before it got a finale.

10. "Misery" (1990)

Columbia Pictures

Hopefully, "Misery" isn't King's most autobiographical work. It's about a fan who captures a famous author and forces him to write stories. Kathy Bates won an Oscar for her performance, and it was later the basis for a Broadway play.

9. "It" (1990)

Warner Bros. Television

Before Andy Muschietti's recent movie adaptation was made, "It" existed in the public imagination withTim Curry's terrifying version of Pennywise the dancing clown.

8. "The Running Man" (1987)

TriStar Pictures

Stephen King writes so many books thateven one of his pseudonyms is a famous author:Richard Bachman. "The Running Man" was the last book he wrote before his cover was blown, and the movie adaptation starringArnold Schwarzeneggerhas been cited as a frighteningly accurate dystopian work.

7. "Dolores Claiborne" (1995)

Columbia Pictures

There are so many Stephen King adaptations that even some of the best are forgotten. The neglected "Dolores Claiborne" is a family murder mystery that reminds you that King knows how to pull emotional strings as well as craft a crackling thriller.

6. "Stand by Me" (1986)

Columbia Pictures via YouTube

As with "The Shawshank Redemption," "Stand By Me" isn't what people usually think of as a Stephen King story. It's a coming-of-age movie and a weepie rather than a horror movie. But even in that template, King demonstrates his mastery of storytelling and director Rob Reiner demonstrates his mastery of putting it onscreen.

5. "Carrie" (1976)

United Artists via YouTube

The 2013 remake starringChlo Grace Moretz is also a solid Stephen King adaptation, but it can't capture the raw, visceral energyof the Sissy Spacek-starring Brian De Palma version.

4. "The Green Mile" (1999)

Warner Bros.

"The Green Mile" was an unusual adaptation folding six novellas into one story but it succeeds anyway. It tells the story of a character played by Tom Hanksas a death row officer, recalling the supernatural events of his life. Years later, Hankssaid it was among his favorite adapted works that he starred in, calling it "a perfect adaptation from Stephen King."

3. "It" (2017)

Warner Bros.

2. "The Shawshank Redemption" (1994)

Columbia Pictures

King's weepie drama is far from a horror movie, but it's still one of his best. Adapted from one of King's novellas, director Frank Darabont spun the story into a tragic epic about a friendship that forms in a prison and changes the lives of two men played by Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman for the rest of their lives.

1. "The Shining" (1980)

Warner Bros.

King was so unhappy with Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of "The Shining" that he supervised a miniseries adaptation in 1997. It's too bad. Kubrick's movie has inspired countless other horror movies, with its chilly atmosphere, dreamlike visuals, and unforgettable performances from Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall.

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