If there’s someone who has influenced modern cinema, and specifically modern horror, that someone isStephen King. The most successful author of all time has been writing books since the 1970s, and he’s not showing signs of stopping any time soon. Throughout the decades, we’ve seen the best and worst of him, of his relationship with Hollywood, and of theworld of book-to-film adaptations. Regardless of what you may remember about this complicated relationship, there’s no doubt his work has shaped the world of horror and genre cinema and television in ways that will never be topped.
But, of course, not all horror films come from the mind of Stephen King. Sure, his influence is vast, and some of the renowned horror classics come from his work, but in other cases, it’s just a matter of inspiration. Filmmakers may have taken some elements from King’s style of writing andinserted them into their movies, while others may be following the dynamics of popular culture, one that has Stephen King embedded in it. If it’s horror, there’s a very high chance that it was inspired by the writers of novels likeIt,The Shining,Carrie,andPet Sematary.
The following list consists of just that. Works of genre film that feel like Stephen King, but they’re actually not part of his universe. In most cases, we’re appealing to obvious inspiration, but in a couple of cases, we saw how they may have inspired the famous novelist. But that’s another conversation worth having.
The following list may contain minor spoilers.
19The Hitcher (1986)
The Hitcher
InThe Hitcher, poor Jim Halsey is trying to deliver a car across the country. The young man is gullible enough to pull over and pick up a hitchhiker by the name of John Ryder, who, early on, reveals he’s a wicked dude. After a violent first encounter makes Jim throw John out of the car, the movie turns into a cat-and-mouse chase where Jim will have to outsmart the murderous killer alongside a waitress who decides to help him defeat the strange man whose agenda is unknown.
It’s About the Simplicity of a Villain
This extremely underrated ’80s horror film works because of Rutger Hauer’s personification of evil. Ryder doesn’t need motives, which makes him a bit more eerie. Though Stephen King’s characters are usually well-built, the film adaptations of his works don’t have the literary expansion that allows readers to understandvillains with motivesand backstories.
In cases likeThe Hitcher, screenwriter Eric Red was smart enough to allow director Robert Harmon to execute character development through situations, and not a revelatory scene. This method for building characters matches King’s ability to do so.Stream on Max.
18The Beach House (2019)
The Beach House
The underrated 2019 filmThe Beach Houseruns on a very simple premise: it tells the story of Emily and Randall, a young couple who decide to spend a few days at Randall’s parents' beach house. When they arrive, they realize another couple is already staying at the house. Apparently, Mitch and Jane are friends of Randall’s parents. When both couples decide to stick around, they start getting sick, and they see there’s something seriously wrong with the water.
A Disaster Mini-Feature that Feels Relevant
The Beach Housedoes a great job of allowing the characters to explore and display their inner thoughts in a film that doesn’t actually require this. Themes of guilt, sexual tension, and the scrutiny of grown-ups don’t exactly match with the premise, but writer/director Jeffrey A. Brown does a great job at adding this layer to characters that are already interesting.
Liana Liberato’s performance as Emily is the best of her career and is a great example of how interesting Stephen King’s female characters are when transitioningfrom book to film.Stream on Shudder.
17Fright Night (1985)
Fright Night
Fright Night, by writer/director Tom Holland, is the story of Charley Brewster, a 17-year-old dude who discovers something shady about his new neighbors. They carry body bags around, Jerry isn’t seen during the day, and he’s extremely charming.
In the best ’80s horror film fashion, he draws conclusions early and suspects they’re actually vampires. He seeks the help of a local TV personality by the name of Peter Vincent, who lets Charley know his performances were all an act and vampires don’t exist. However, Vincent accompanies Charley to visit the Dandridge household and realizes Charley may be right.
The Best 1980s Vampire Film
The'80s vampire classicis an iconic horror film with a risky comedy tone that makes it an ideal gateway horror film for newbies. Fright Night still feels like a fresh take on the classic horror subgenre that oftentimes gets a bit too sober. We like to think that it has that ’80s vibe that Stephen King constantly used in his stories framed around young characters.
Also, it’s a bit too obvious that the characters in the film probably love to read Stephen King, and Charley learned a thing or two about vampires fromSalem’s Lot.You can rentFright Nighton Prime Video.
Related:10 Stephen King Movies That Would be Better as a Modern Miniseries
16Flatliners (1990)
Flatliners
The 1990 film by Joel Schumacher,Flatliners, tells the story of medical students who get a brilliant idea and somehow devise it with terrible consequences. Rachel, Joe, David, and Randy get in tune with Nelson’s idea to explore what lies in the aftermath of death.
Using an array of confusing terminology, drugs, and medical equipment, they do this by basically “flatlining” themselves, only to be brought back to life and revealing what they saw in the beyond. Unfortunately, near-death experiences also carry side effects.
A Premise Worthy of the Horror Master
Sure,Flatlinersis a bit farfetched in terms of its execution, but the idea and premise are solid enough to resemble those “lightning in a bottle” ideas that Stephen King used to have. Contrary to what people may remember, it’s notas campy as time has painted it out to be, and the characters are actually well-written. Besides, it has a theme of exploration of death that Stephen King recently included in one of his groundbreaking modern works,Revival.Stream on Showtime.
15The Witch (2015)
The Witchtakes viewers to the 1600s in the United States, a period of religious dependence and tension. A family of six is banished from their commune, and they’re forced to go on the road and create a farm in the middle of nowhere. Quickly, the teenage daughter, Thomasin, collides with her family’s orthodox values when she witnesses strange phenomena taking place around them. What she doesn’t know is that something evil surrounds them, and it may all have to do with her presence.
A Possession Idea as Seen from a Teenager’s Eyes
The great directorial debut by Robert Eggers takes place in New England, a very important region when it comes to the world of Stephen King.
Also, the character of Thomasin is very well-built and follows an organic transition into something very personal. This “shift” eventually turns into a puberty-led path to an inevitable place: Thomasin realizes she was destined to joina coven of witches. King hasn’t written a major work on witches, but if he were to do so, it would probably grab some of that lore thatThe Witchwas very effective in portraying.Stream on Max.
14Summer of 84 (2018)
Summer of 84
Summer of 84takes place in Cape May, Oregon, where many teenage boys have disappeared. Teenage Davey leads a gang of misfits who begin taking an interest in investigating what’s been causing the crimes and ultimately decide Davey’s neighbor has to be involved with the disappearances. When Nikki, Davey’s crush, joins them in their journey, they will face the wrath of a man who doesn’t like kids messing with his serial-killing business.
A Mashup of ’80s Culture and King’s Takes on Teen Horror
Directed by the collective known as RKSS,Summer of 84is a nice, nifty horror film that’s much better than itsnostalgia-driven facadewill tell you. However, the influence of King’s features likeStand by Meand evenThe Long Walkis undeniable when it comes to character setup and even language. The geographical setting also feels like you’re stuck in a Stephen King story, where unimaginable threats will rise at some point.Stream on Shudder.
13The Black Phone (2021)
The Black Phone
Robert Cargill and Scott Derrickson adapt a script based on Joe Hill’s sory, The Black Phone. Ethan Hawke stars as a child killer whose latest abductee is receiving calls from dead victims.
InThe Black Phone, a town in Denver is being terrorized by recent child abductions. The sightings show that a mysterious black van is the vehicle used by a man simply known as The Grabber, who kidnaps children who are never seen again.
Young Finney Blake is his most recent victim, and even though the kid suffers from the psychological torture of the maniac who has locked him in the basement, Finney remains optimistic because he’s found a way to get help. Not from the outside, but from spirits that communicate with him through a phone hanging from a wall in the dungeon.
In this Case, the DNA Matches
Probably the reason whyThe Black Phonefeels so much like a Stephen King film is because it was inspired by a short story written by King’s son, Joe Hill. Hill hasn’t hidden away the fact that his work is directly inspired by his father. Thecompelling adaptation by Scott Derricksonis incredible faithful to the book, which makes it ideal for the list of films that feel like Stephen King but aren’t. The setting, the characters, and most of all, the villain, match the elements usually seen in the King-verse.Rent on Apple TV.
12Joy Ride (2001)
InJoy Ride, Lewis and Fuller Thomas find themselves in a pickle. The siblings are enjoying a road trip from California to Colorado, and Fuller insists they should buy a CB radio to have some fun on the road. Lewis complies, and instantly they start contacting strangers on the road.
They play a prank on truck driver Rusty Nail over the airwaves, and then try to get revenge on a rude dude they meet in a hotel by making an appointment between the fictional Candy Cane (Lewis in a girly voice) and Rusty Nail; they will actually send Rusty over to the rude guy’s room. Rusty Nail doesn’t like this one bit, brutally mutilates the man, and swears revenge on the two brothers.
A Near-Perfect Thriller
Again, with the characters. The film based on J.J. Abrams and Clay Tarver’s script rounds up a collection of traits for just about every character, and director John Dahl follows the rules of a solid script. This makes the first act inJoy Rideideal in terms of establishing both motive and motivation for the unaware men who think they can get away with anything.
The naive and almost innocent consideration of the Thomas brothers, especially Fuller, makesthis underrated filmcomparable to King’s features, where characters are presented in their raw form, no matter the consequences of their acts.you may rentJoy Rideon Apple TV.
Related:10 Incredibly Underrated Stephen King Movies You May Have Missed
11The Boy Behind the Door (2020)
The Boy Behind the Door
After Bobby and his best friend Kevin are kidnapped and taken to a strange house in the middle of nowhere, Bobby manages to escape. But as he starts to make a break for it, he hears Kevin’s screams for help and realizes he can’t leave his friend behind.
InThe Boy Behind the Door, two very good friends are walking home after a long day of playing. Unfortunately, a kidnapper lurks and takes them. They wake up in the trunk of a car and desperately attempt to escape, but someone arrives and takes Kevin and leaves Bobby.
The clever boy is able to escape, but instead of running, he decides to help his friend. This takes him inside the house, where Kevin is desperately screaming for help. The film is about Bobby’s crafty attitude to remain unharmed and ultimately save his friend from very bad men.
One You Will Feel Was Made by Fans of ’80s Horror Films
The film’s reminiscent of teenagers-in-peril films that were pretty common in the ’80s. Also, Bobby’s brave attitude elevates him above any young character in recent cinema because he simply won’t give up, but he doesn’t portray the relentless boy who knows he won’t be harmed.
In other words, heroism isn’t the same inThe Boy Behind the Door, a film that was heavily influenced byThe GooniesandThe Shining, according to writers/directors David Charbonier and Justin Powell. This sharp exercise in tension is one of themost underrated horror thrillersto come out in the 2020s.You can streamThe Boy Behind the Dooron Shudder.
10The Fog (1980)
John Carpenter’sThe Fogtook audiences to Antonio Bay in 1980, as the town is celebrating its centennial and a looming fog is approaching from the open sea. Weirdly, the residents don’t make much of it, but when murderous ghosts appear, they react. It’s up to Elizabeth, Nick, and Stevie to try and find the reason for the event, and apparently it has to do with the town’s past, one in which a leper was banished and thrown to sea.
A Solid Enough Ghost Story
It’s not that the film feels like Stephen King. It feels likean adaptation of a classic horror book. And no, James Herbert’s novel of the same name has no relation to this one. Carpenter and Debra Hill’s original script stems from the usually untold stories of small towns in America that could have been born out of a single spark of greed and violence.
In his books, King usually includes actions taken by the ancestors that have horrible consequences in the present. And also, doesn’t Antonio Bay resembleNeedful Things' Castle Rock?You can rentThe Fogon Prime Video.
