Stephen King has rightfully earned his reputation as the King of Horror, but some of his movie adaptations go past being scary and are downright disturbing. Since the publication of Carrie in 1974, Stephen King has been the leading name in literary horror. Naturally, Hollywood quickly came calling to adapt his frightening novels.

Brian De Palma’s adaptation of Carrie was a smash-hit, and was soon followed by an endless cavalcade of movies based on the author’s works. Though the quality of Stephen King movies has varied wildly, the popularity of the projects has never wavered. King’s reputation as a master of horror has only grown, though he is accomplished in other genres too.

Some of King’s movies have spine-chilling monsters that show off the author’s demented imagination, while others hit specific nerves in ways that other horror films haven’t before. King’s boundless creativity means he’s able to find terror in even the most mundane situations, which makes his movies all the more nightmarish.

A few of Stephen King’s works transcend the usual thrills and chills of horror to leave permanent scars on the psyche of the viewer. Whether they explore taboo subjects, or feature one-of-a-kind nightmare fuel, King knows how to leave his audience shaken. It’s easy to scare the viewer, but it takes a true genius to leave them disturbed.

The ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Zone (1983)

David Cronenberg’s adaptation of The ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Zone is quite unlike a lot of King’s other horror movies, because it finds creative ways to disturb the viewer. The story of Johnny Smith and his psychic power is one of supernatural terror, but it is also a modern-day tragedy about the inevitability of death.

Johnny’s gift forces him to see the worst of humanity, and he nearly goes mad trying to stop a future that only he can see. Not only is his predicament disturbing, but the fact that Johnny sees things that could really happen is absolutely terrifying. Stillson isn’t some fantastical monster, but a very real menace that could destroy the world.

The ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Zone is arguably King’s best movie because it captures the essence of the novel, which is truly one of the author’s richest to date. It’s a slow and methodical descent into tragedy, which is deftly conveyed by Cronenberg’s direction. Viewers aren’t disturbed by excessive gore, but by an omnipresent dread that never lifts.

Gerald’s Game (2017)

Mike Flanagan cemented his place as the modern-day interpreter of Stephen King’s books when he tackled the impossible-to-adapt novel, Gerald’s Game. The movie’s framework involves a woman trying to free herself after being handcuffed to a bed, but it delves much deeper into her memories. This unearthed trauma is where the movie truly gets scary.

King is excellent at creating nightmarish “what would you do?” situations in his books, and Gerald’s Game is one of the best examples. However, putting those ideas on screen was no easy feat, and that’s where Flanagan’s unique vision came into the equation. Each scary scene has a distinct visual tone, something that’s lacking in modern horror.

Flanagan makes the Moonlight Man a larger-than-life boogeyman figure, and he isn’t afraid to twist the knife by showing just the right amount of disturbing detail. Straddling the line between exaggerated and realistic, Gerald’s Game is so effective because it utilizes every aspect of the cinematic experience to scare the viewer.

Carrie (1976)

One of Stephen King’s most disturbing movie adaptations was actually the very first, and Carrie is just as effective now as it was 50 years ago. The тιтle character is both the protagonist and eventually the villain as the bullied teen sharpens her telekinetic powers to exact revenge against her tormentors.

One thing that Carrie does well is subvert the tropes of horror by putting children in mortal danger. It also robs the viewer of the catharsis of revenge as Carrie’s rampage eventually takes down her bullies as well as innocent people too. The movie is like one big pressure cooker, with the entire story building toward the scenes at prom.

It isn’t disturbing in a conventional sense, but sticks with the viewer long after the credits roll. Sissy Spacek’s performance perfectly captures Carrie’s innocence and her wrath, and her blood-splattered visage is one of horror’s greatest images.

The Monkey (2025)

Stephen King’s movies typically have a consistent tone, and his horror stories are usually dramatic affairs with very little humor. The Monkey goes against that trend, and delivers a bloody romp with the blackest of dark humor thanks to director Oz Perkins. While it’s quite different from its source material, The Monkey has that distinct Stephen King charm.

As if the gore and shocking deaths weren’t disturbing enough, The Monkey seems to revel in its own debauchery, which makes things even more frightening. Black comedies typically wink at the audience, but The Monkey offers very little relief through its humor. Instead, the suspense comes from anticipating how shocking the next moment could be.

1408 (2007)

Stephen King has done ghosts and supernatural enтιтies in his writing before, but 1408 puts a fine point on his approach to the otherworldly. Though King often presents a skeptical view in his books, the chilling ghost story is all about a paranormal debunker who gets way more than he bargained for when staying in a supposedly haunted H๏τel.

Horror is only scary when the threat is inescapable, and the ghosts of 1408 trap John Cusack’s Mike Enslin in a nightmarish world of his own making that he is powerless to get out of. Without using gore or cheap tricks, the movie disturbs the viewer psychologically by weaponizing common fears.

Misery (1990)

Though the basis for Misery is really only applicable to someone as famous as Stephen King, the story is nevertheless a disturbing thrill ride. Instead of featuring a supernatural monster or ᴅᴇᴀᴅly enтιтy, Misery has an all-too-human antagonist who takes obsession to new heights. Kathy Bate’s performance completes the picture, and it wouldn’t be the same without her.

Annie Wilkes is the perfect horror villain because she’s vulnerable but impossible to reason with. The audience doesn’t need to be a best-selling author to understand the terror of being held hostage by someone who is incapable of logic. Her unpredictability makes her even more dangerous because there’s no method to her madness.

Misery isn’t just disturbing because of its concept, and the movie is effective at building tension and showcasing Paul Sheldon’s pain and fear. Each escape attempt is a hair-raising experience, and the infamous hobbling scene still churns stomachs all these years later.

The Shining (1980)

Stephen King’s original novel was a spooky ghost story, but Stanley Kubrick’s film adaptation found new ways to chill the viewer. Set within the confines of a mᴀssive H๏τel in the offseason, the story quickly devolves into a tale of hysteria and paranoia as the ghosts toy with the caretakers over a snowy winter.

Jack Nicholson’s performance as Jack Torrance is legendary, and he’s the perfect conduit for the movie’s themes. The Shining isn’t just scary because of its ghosts, but because it deconstructs the notion of the family unit. Jack is unable to fulfill his duties as a father, and the terror comes from the danger that he poses to his young son.

The violence at the heart of the story is subtle and disturbing, and The Shining works on so many levels as an effective chiller. Though Stephen King notoriously hated the movie, it’s one of his best films because it takes the kernel of his original idea and builds upon it to make it even scarier.

Pet Sematary (1989)

The film adaptation of Pet Sematary isn’t perfect, but it manages to be disturbing despite having serious flaws. King’s original novel preys upon the biggest fear of parents, the death of a child, and it is unflinching in its depiction of grief. The movie is a poor subsтιтute for the novel, but still nails the central idea at its heart.

The idea of the pet sematary is pretty scary, but the story is peppered with shocking gore and a few moments that are the stuff of nightmares. The Zelda subplot is underrepresented, but it is still King’s most disturbing movie scene. What it represents is even scarier, and King uses decay to remind the viewer of their own mortality.

Stephen King movies aren’t always great, and they sometimes misrepresent the author’s works, but they almost always manage to frighten the audience. Pet Sematary would be a lackluster movie if it wasn’t for King’s brilliance as a wordsmith, and few horror films are as effectively disturbing.