Stephen King loves movies, and more than 50 of his works have been adapted into films and series. The master of horror has his own favorite movies, and it’s not surprising that his favorite genre is suspense. Of course, you shouldn’t take for granted everything Stephen King recommends, as he sometimes has questionable tastes (like the remakes of The Last House on the Left or Dawn of the Dead instead of their original versions, for example), but it’s worth taking a look at them to make your own opinion.
Here are six horror movies Stephen King recommends that you can watch over a weekend:
The Last House on the Left (2009)
Yep, it’s not Wes Craven’s classic, but the Dennis Iliadis’ remake. In his book Danse Macabre, Stephen King himself said that this film is “the best horror movie of the new century.”
Crimson Peak (2015)
Stephen King loves this film by Guillermo del Toro and it’s one of his all-time favorites. It’s the story of Emily, a newlywed woman in the 19th century, who moves into the mansion of her husband and his sister…and discovers terrible things about them. She also finds that the house she lives in is haunted.
Dawn of the Dead (2004)
Another remake that Stephen King prefers over the original. Rather than the iconic George A. Romero version, the writer praises Zack Snyder’s version (which, however, is one of Snyder’s worst films).
The Witch (2015)
This one is indeed worth adding to your list of must-see horror movies. The Witch with Anya Taylor Joy is terrifying, beautiful, and unsettling. The movie also gave us memorable characters such as Black Phillip, the black goat that invites you to live deliciously.
The Mist (2007)
This is Frank Darabont’s adaptation of King’s story about a strange fog that covers an entire city, and whoever goes into it dies in terrible ways. The movie is great, but the Netflix series is not so much. If you have to pick one, pick the movie.
The Black Phone (2022)
This was a great horror movie in which Ethan Hawke made his debut as a villain and monster… and it’s great! It’s based on a story by King’s son, Joe Hill.
Story originally published in Spanish in Cultura Colectiva
