All 6 Stephen King Movies And TV Shows Of 2025, Ranked

Stephen King is the maestro of the macabre, the top dog of terror. Many of his books have been turned into hit films, and when ranking the best Stephen King movies of all time, you really can't go wrong with classics like "The Shining" and "Carrie" in the mix. 

King fans were treated particularly well in 2025, as there wasn't just one King adaptation landing in theaters: There were four films and two seasons of television that showed off the author's range. And what's even more impressive is that these projects run the full King gamut. You have classic horror tales ("It: Welcome to Derry"), surprisingly optimistic stories ("The Life of Chuck"), and two dystopian futures that feel especially prescient in this day and age ("The Running Man" and "The Long Walk"). 

But not all King adaptations are created equal. Before you decide what to put on next, check out our ranking of every Stephen King 2025 movie and TV show from worst to best. Some of these may go down as classics, while others King himself may prefer to forget about. 

• Cast: Glen Powell, Lee Pace, Colman Domingo

• Director: Edgar Wright

• Rating: R

• Runtime: 133 minutes

• Where to watch: Paramount+

It's a tall order adapting any Stephen King book. It becomes even more treacherous when said book has already been adapted into a film that was pretty well received. But there was hope to be had when it was announced that Edgar Wright of "Shaun of the Dead" and "Hot Fuzz" fame would be remaking "The Running Man" with current it-guy Glen Powell as Ben Richards, fighting for his life in a deadly competition series. One might assume Wright's visual flair and Powell's inherent charm could carry anything, but the final product leaves much to be desired. 

For starters, Wright's usual style is missing in action. If you didn't know this was an Edgar Wright film, you might assume that Paramount got some first-timer to helm it. There are also copious pacing issues, as the film jumps from one set piece to the next without properly fleshing out this dystopian world. Ben (Powell) is competing in a reality show to win enough money for him and his family, needing to outrun hunters before they put a bullet in him. It should be the perfect film for this day and age where many feel as though they haven't gotten a fair shake, but it leaves you hollow.

"The Running Man" also makes the baffling decision to include copious product placement. This could function as commentary on how everything today is commercialized, but that would only work if the film used fake products. Instead, you get actual product placement for Liquid Death and Monster energy drinks. It drives home the point that no one seemed to know what "Running Man" should be. Audiences didn't respond, making "Running Man" a failure at the box office. 

• Cast: Ben Barnes, Joe Freeman, Simone Miller

• Creator: Benjamin Cavell

• Number of Episodes: 8 (so far)

• Genre: Horror, science fiction

• Where to watch: MGM+

Normally, a new Stephen King project gets all of his fans talking, but you'd be forgiven for completely forgetting that a TV adaptation of his 2019 novel, "The Institute," came out in 2025. The reason for that is likely that it came out on MGM+, a streaming service approximately seven people have in real life.

The thing to get viewers hooked is the central mystery surrounding the titular institute, which houses teenagers with special abilities. There are some genuinely tense moments, but considering it's an eight-episode season as opposed to a 90-minute film, they feel too few and far between. And those who strictly want to see one-to-one adaptations of King's books may be disappointed by the myriad changes. 

That being said, "The Institute" worked for some. Following the first season's finale, it was announced "The Institute" will come back for a second season. It's an intriguing development, since the book is a standalone story, but there are plenty of places to take these characters and explore within this world. Perhaps "The Institute" will wind up being a show that's better if you skip the first season, and it'll improve with time. 

• Cast: Theo James, Tatiana Maslany, Christian Convery

• Director: Osgood Perkins

• Rating: R

• Runtime: 98 minutes

• Where to watch: Hulu

Director Osgood Perkins isn't afraid to dabble within various subgenres of horror, whether it's the satanic procedural "Longlegs" or the tense folk horror "Keeper." "The Monkey" blows both of those out of the water when it comes to sheer humor, making it one of the most rewatchable Stephen King movies of all time. This is a movie that revels in dark comedy, as it's about twin brothers (both played by Theo James) who have history with a monkey toy that inevitably kills someone whenever it stops playing its drum. They thought they were done with it, but it reemerges when they're both adults, continuing its death march.

It's based on the King short story of the same name, which definitely isn't as funny as the film. This is a case where the deviation actually helps the film carve out its own identity, as there's a ludicrous number of deaths that play out on a goofy, "Final Destination"-esque manner. They may not come with the same sense of tragedy and pathos as the short story, but if you enjoy watching gore and mayhem with reckless abandon, it's a good time. 

And even though the film doesn't take itself too seriously, there are some intriguing themes to dissect. Namely, the idea that death comes for us all, so why not have some fun while we're here? The clash of tones may not work for some, but it received one of the highest honors of all when King posted his review to Threads, "It's bats*** insane. As someone who has indulged in bats***tery from time to time, I say that with admiration."

• Cast: Bill Skarsgård, Taylour Paige, Jovan Adepo

• Creator: Andy Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti, Jason Fuchs

• Number of Episodes: 8 (so far)

• Genre: Horror

• Where to watch: HBO Max

From the opening scene of "It: Welcome to Derry," fans knew the show wasn't going to hold back. Andy Muschietti, who serves as a creator on this show, brought Pennywise's (Bill Skarsgård) antics to the masses with a pair of films that came out in 2017 and 2019. The HBO Max series goes back in time to 1962 before Pennywise was defeated by the Losers' Club. A kid goes missing, and plenty of other youngsters are dealing with issues of their own, from rampant racism to the trauma of losing a father. And while those are more than horrific on their own, a certain dancing clown reemerges for some children to eat. 

One of the best parts of "Welcome to Derry" is how it explores lore only hinted at in Stephen King's novel. We know that Pennywise emerges once every 27 years, and we get some notable events that occur each time. For 1962, that's the Black Spot Fire, in which the white residents of Derry burn down a bar with predominantly Black people still inside. It's difficult to take in just by reading, but Episode 7, "The Black Spot," depicts it. It's all the more gut-wrenching because, if you've read the book, you know what's coming and are helpless to stop it. 

"It: Welcome to Derry" is the rare prequel that works. And with more material to work with, we should hopefully get at least a couple of more seasons to see Pennywise wreak havoc.

• Cast: Tom Hiddleston, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan

• Director: Mike Flanagan

• Rating: R

• Runtime: 111 minutes

• Where to watch: Hulu

Stephen King's name is synonymous with horror. There are monsters, gore, and supernatural entities in many of his books, and it's rare to find something with an uplifting ending. It's what makes his 2020 novella "The Life of Chuck" so fascinating within his bibliography, and its subsequent film adaptation a breath of fresh air in the 2025 cinematic landscape. 

"The Life of Chuck" is broken up into three chapters. The first one feels like pure King — The world is ending. We meet characters reacting to a host of disasters, all while mysterious billboards pop up congratulating a man named Chuck (Tom Hiddleston). We soon learn that this world is inside of Chuck, and that he's actually a 39-year-old man dying of cancer. The rest of the film looks back on his life, emphasizing the idea that every person contains multitudes.

"The Life of Chuck" begins in a place of devastation that feels all too relevant to our real world. But then we travel backward in time to see how life is made up of the little moments, like deciding to dance in the street on a total whim. Unlike other King stories, you wind up in a place of hope rather than despair, making "The Life of Chuck" one of the most life-affirming films of 2025. 

• Cast: Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Mark Hamill

• Director: Francis Lawrence

• Rating: R

• Runtime: 108 minutes

• Where to watch: Starz, Amazon Prime Video

It's appropriate that this list is bookended by the two dystopian Stephen King adaptations of 2025, and "The Long Walk" is truly the most chilling film here. The story follows a group of young boys who enter a contest to win untold fortunes in an American society where most of the population leaves in abject poverty. It's the only way to get ahead for most, and the objective is simple — Walk until you can't walk no more. When that happens, the boy gets a bullet, and the rest trudge on until there's only one person remaining.

"The Long Walk" doesn't sugarcoat anything, and that was actually per King's request, as he didn't want the film to hold back on the violence. But even though it's every man for himself, what brings the story together is the central friendship forged by Ray (Cooper Hoffman) and Pete (David Jonsson). They know only one of them can win, but for the time being, they're going to support one another. The long walk itself functions as a great metaphor for life in general; no one gets out of it alive, so we might as well be kind and help one another while we're still here.

Dystopian projects centered on a deadly competition are nothing new. Just look at "The Hunger Games," "Squid Game," and the aforementioned "Running Man." But there's something profound in "The Long Walk" with its simplicity. It's a test of endurance rather than skill or wits because in life, sometimes all you can do is keep moving forward even when everything around you feels bleak.