With more than 200 short stories and more than 50 novels, Stephen King has provided the entertainment industry with numerous fantastic tales to be adapted into movies or TV shows. The undisputed master of horror and terrifying emotions never fails to impress the audience with the narratives he weaves. While there is a long list of great movies that King has contributed to the film industry. There are some specific moments from certain films that deserve to be put under the spotlight. Without further ado, here are some of the most iconic moments in Stephen King movies, ranked:
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8 Brook’s Final Days - The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Columbia Pictures
Based on King’s 1982 novella, Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, Frank Darabont’s The Shawshank Redemption was initially a box office bomb but has since then risen to become one of King’s most well-known works. The United States National Film Registry even preserved the film, referring to it as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”. One of the most memorable moments from the film revolves around James Whitmore’s character, Brook Halten. The elderly prison librarian is close to Andy, portrayed by Tim Robbins, and Red, portrayed by Morgan Freeman, and is paroled after spending 49 years in prison. Once he’s back in society, Brooke receives no support from the government and has no help from others outside. Failing to fit into the changing world, Brook ends up taking his own life after sending one last letter to his friends at the prison. While the moment in itself is quite short, it has a lasting impact as it shows the stakes.
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7 Georgie’s Abduction - IT (1990 and 2017)
Warner Bros. Pictures
King’s IT probably sparked the fear of clowns for an entire generation of children and adults alike. Both the 1990 version of the film and the 2017 remake do little to ease the audience into the horror that awaits. Perhaps one of the most well-known and terrifying scenes in the movie is when Georgie first encounters Pennywise, first portrayed by Tim Curry and then by Bill Skarsgård in the remake.
The scene is rather grim when baby-faced Georgie runs after his paper boat and comes across the sewer-dwelling clown. The audience can’t help but jolt as the unhinged clown grabs Georgie’s arms and pulls him inside the sewer. The sharp teeth along with the manic look in the clown’s eyes are enough to send tremors down anyone’s spins. The remake one-ups the original by drawing out the sewer scene for an even longer time, leaving the audience with no choice but to watch in horror as little Georgie meets his demise.
6 Train Scene - Stand by Me (1986)
Directed by Rob Reiner, Stand by Me is a classic coming-of-age story that brings with it quite some thrilling moments. One such moment is the train scene, the four main boys find themselves crossing over a high railroad bridge. When a train approaches, the boys have nowhere to go but to run ahead in hopes of crossing the bridge and jumping off the track before the train crushes them.
While Chris and Teddy are able to make it across to safety, Gordie and Vern get held behind when Vern accidentally trips over. The moment is quite thrilling, a little amusing, even if one pays attention to the expressions of the boys, as the two boys try to outrun the train. Just as it seems like the boys may lose their lives, Gordie makes a last-minute decision to throw himself and Vern to the side, saving both their lives.
5 John Coffey’s Execution - The Green Mile (1999)
Universal PicturesWarner Bros. Pictures
Directed by Frank Darabont, The Green Mile is a fantasy drama film that has quite some horrifying moments that are hard to forget. Centered around a death-row prison guard, Paul Edgecomb, portrayed by Tom Hanks, the movie is one of King’s more emotional works. Perhaps the saddest and most heart-wrenching scene from the movie is the one centering Michael Clarke Duncan’s character, John Coffey. Coffey is imprisoned for a murder he did not commit and is put on the death penalty. In his final moments, when John is strapped to the electric chair, he asks Paul not to cover his head as he’s afraid of the dark. This ensures that the audience, along with the officers, sees the life fade from John’s eyes as he is unjustly electrocuted to death. The scene is even more heartbreaking as the officers cannot do anything despite knowing that John is not the murderer and is in fact a gentle soul.
4 Almost Saved - The Mist (2007)
Metro-Goldwyn-MayerThe Weinstein CompanyDimension Films
The Mist is a sci-fi horror film directed by Frank Darabont and is adapted from Stephen King’s 1980 novella of the same name. The film revolves around a group of people who are stuck in a supermarket as an unnatural mist surrounds them. The group soon discovers that Lovecraftian monsters lurk inside the mist. Nearing the end of the film, the survivors discover there’s no means to escape the monsters in the mist and decide to end their lives. David, portrayed by Thomas Jane, assists the others, including his son Billy, in their suicide by shooting them with his last remaining bullets. He’s about to give up his own life to the tentacled monster, only to discover that the army has come to their rescue. David is hit with the realization that he killed his son and the remaining survivors who were just moments away from being saved. It’s an absolutely devastating moment as David drops to his knees and screams.
3 Hobbling Scene - Misery (1990)
Rob Reiner’s 1990 psychological thriller Misery is bound to keep one up for a few nights just thinking about some of the horrifying scenes in the film. The movie centers around an obsessive fan, Annie, portrayed by Kathy Bates, who kidnaps her favorite writer, Paul Sheldon, portrayed by James Caan, and forces him to rewrite the last book from one of his series. When Annie discovers that Paul tried to escape, she decides to take matters into her own hands. The audience can’t help but feel dread crawl up their spines as Annie places a thick wooden block between Paul’s feet and pulls out a sledgehammer. It’s absolutely horrifying to watch as she unflinchingly brings down the sledgehammer on both his feet as Paul screams in agony. Annie’s emotionless, “God, I love you!” is the final hit in the nail.
2 Prom Night - Carrie (1976)
United Artists
The prom night massacre in Brian De Palma’s Carrie is hard to forget. The movie follows Carrie, a bullied teen from a religious, conservative household, who discovers she’s telekinetic. The prom scene from the movie is definitely one of the most memorable moments from the movie. As part of an elaborate revenge plot, Carrie wins the title of Prom Queen, only to have the moment ruined as a bucket of pig’s blood is dumped onto her head. The crowd gasps in shock as she’s drenched in blood and her prom date is knocked out as the bucket falls on his head. Carrie begins to hallucinate that everyone is laughing at her and in a sudden manic outburst uses telekinesis to not only lock everyone inside but also attack everyone. What makes the whole scene feel even more unhinged and scary is the sound and lighting. When the pig’s blood falls onto Carrie, there’s nothing but deafening silence all around. The lighting also shifts from blue to red, as Carrie kills everyone with her telekinetic abilities, and eventually burns the whole gym down.
1 Here’s Johnny! - The Shining (1980)
No one would argue that if one were to name only one movie, and one scene, the final moments from The Shining are perhaps the most memorable of all of Stephen King’s works. This is rather ironic, considering that Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation wasn’t something King was a huge fan of. Finally driven to insanity by the malevolent spirits of Overlook Hotel, Jack Torrance, portrayed by Jack Nicholson, chases after his wife and son. As the murderous patriarch slowly walks into the room, the shrill music is a stark contrast to the bright colors of the hotel room. As Jack hacks through the door, the horror is only amplified by the pure look of terror on Shelley Duvall’s Wendy’s face as her screams blend with the shrilly soundtrack. The tension is at its highest as Jack peeks through the hole in the door to deliver his famous line “Here’s Johnny!”.
