Stephen Kinghas dozens and dozens of adaptations of his novels and short stories, but one adaptation with a 92% Rotten Tomatoes score remains a hidden gem.Stephen King’s novels were a success right out of the gate,with his first release,Carrie,becoming a bestseller and then getting turned into a movie just two years later.
King has had several horror novels turned into moviesand even more short stories that have made their way to the big screen. He also has adaptations that became award-winning masterpieces, withThe Shawshank Redemptionconsidered one of the best moviesof all time. However,one 2017 Stephen King movie doesn’t get enough attention.
1922 Is One Of The Best Stephen King Adaptations Ever
From 2017 to 2019, eight different Stephen King adaptations were released. There were five theatrical releases and three released on streaming. Of these movies,ItandIt Chapter Twoeasily dominatedfans' attention, even thoughDoctor Sleepwas just as good and is an underratedKing adaptation.
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1922
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Doctor Sleep
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The other two theatrical releases were disappointments, withThe Dark Towera critical and commercial flopandPet Sematarya rehash of a beloved classic. The streaming releases were mainly good, withGerald’s Gamekickstarting Mike Flanagan’s Stephen King journey,In the Tall Grass,a collaboration between King and his son Joe Hill, and1922,an underrated masterpiece.
Not enough people talk about1922.Thomas Jane stars as Wilf James, a farmer working his land in Nebraska with his wife Arlette and son Henry. When his wife reveals she is going to sell their land and move to the city, he convinces his son to help him kill her. They toss the body in their well, but soon, Arlette’s spirit seems to return to haunt Wilf.
With a solid cast, including Neil McDonough, Brian d’Arcy James, and Molly Parker, critics praised the film, awarding it a 92%Rotten Tomatoesscore. The audience rating was lower, but this is normal for darker horror movies, especially on streaming services. What’s more it had all the makings of a great Stephen King movie, from a chilling atmosphere, to a well-crafted, psychological character arc.
1922 Is A Faithful Stephen King Adaptation
1922is a highly faithful Stephen King adaptation.Written and directed by Zak Hilditch, an Australian filmmaker who previously madeThese Final Hours, the film seems loyal to the short story to a fault. However, as one of the better short stories in King’sFull Dark, No Stars,that is not a bad thing, and it made the experience even better.
The story sees Wilf start to lose his mind as the ghost of his wife, as well as numerous rats, begin to torment him. When his son dies after leaving for the big city, Wilf is left alone to face torment in the face of his sins, and it is one of King’s darker endings. While1922is different from the short story in pace, it is loyal to the plot.
It’s easily one of the betterStephen Kingadaptations out there, and its faithfulness to the source material only adds to the reasons why it deserves more love.
