Stephen King names his favourite 21st-century movies
What would the world of horror look like without the influence of author Stephen King? Well, for a start, you could get rid of such classic movies as The Shining by Stanley Kubrick, Carrie by Brian De Palma, and the latest adaptation of It by Andy Muschietti, which starred James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain and Bill Hader, but that’s even without considering all those inspired by the American visionary.
Many of his film adaptations have been praised over the years, and not just in the horror genre, with 1994’s The Shawshank Redemption being considered one of the greatest dramas of all time. Yet, King doesn’t love all of his adaptations, famously hating Kubrick’s Shining, stating: “I think The Shining is a beautiful film and it looks terrific, and as I’ve said before, it’s like a big, beautiful Cadillac with no engine inside it…I kept my mouth shut at the time, but I didn’t care for it much”.
A lover of horror in all its forms, King has long praised the genre innovations of the 20th century, including many of the classics on his list of the best movies of all time. Modern horror, and modern cinema in general, is something that he’s rarely touched on over the years, but the author, screenwriter and director included a number of 21st-century greats in his list of favourites.
Among the list was one of his own stories, having a special place in his heart for the 2007 adaptation of The Mist from director Frank Darabont. Starring the likes of Marcia Gay Harden, Thomas Jane and Toby Jones, the film tells the story of a bizarre storm that unleashes a pack of bloodthirsty Lovecraftian beasts onto a small town, leaving residents to fight for their lives.
Known for having one of the most disturbing movie endings of all time, The Mist is loved by countless Stephen King fans, with many even celebrating the bleak conclusion that reflects the author’s writing personality.
Elsewhere, he notes a number of 21st-century favourites, including Zack Snyder’s remake of Dawn of the Dead, a film King highly admires: “It’s here that Snyder shows us exactly what this inspired remake is about and how well he knew what was driving our fear engines at that particular point in time…It was better than I expected. I thought it was a good action film…The first 15, 20 minutes were terrific, but it sort of lost its reason for being. It was more of a video game”.
Take a look at the full list of King’s 21st-century favourites below.
Stephen King’s favourite 21st-century movies:
- The Autopsy of Jane Doe (André Øvredal, 2016)
- Crimson Peak (Guillermo del Toro, 2015)
- Dawn of the Dead (Zack Snyder, 2004)
- The Descent (Neil Marshall, 2005)
- Final Destination (James Wong, 2000)
- The Hitcher (Robert Harmon, 1986)
- The Last House on the Left (Dennis Iliadis, 2009)
- The Mist (Frank Darabont, 2007)
- The Ruins (Carter Smith, 2008)
- The Strangers (Bryan Bertino, 2008)
- The Witch (Robert Eggers, 2015)
