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These 10 Movies Stephen King Thinks Are The Best Ever Made
Stephen King reveals his top 10 favorite movies, as 'The Long Walk' hits theaters soon.
Author Stephen King is once again in the spotlight due to the upcoming theatrical release of the film adaptation of his novel The Long Walk. At the same time, the author shares his personal list of the 10 best movies ever made.
On X/Twitter, King notes that he deliberately excluded four of the most famous adaptations of his own work. These are Stand By Me, Misery, The Shawshank Redemption, and The Green Mile, which are often considered among the best book adaptations of all time.
King's list includes three films from the 1940s and six from the 1970s. Only one title from the 1990s made the cut. Notably, King favors dark, character-driven stories and psychological tension.
The timing of the list is no coincidence. This week, The Long Walk hits theaters in the U.S., a dystopian tale King wrote under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. The reception Is overwhelming and many critics are calling it one of the better adaptations of his work.
Below is Stephen King's list of his 10 favorite films:
- Sorcerer by William Friedkin
- The Godfather Part II by Francis Ford Coppola
- The Getaway by Sam Peckinpah
- Groundhog Day by Harold Ramis
- Casablanca by Michael Curtiz
- Treasure of the Sierra Madre by John Huston
- Jaws by Steven Spielberg
- Mean Streets by Martin Scorsese
- Close Encounters of the Third Kind by Steven Spielberg
- Double Indemnity by Billy Wilder
On X/Twitter, King notes that he deliberately excluded four of the most famous adaptations of his own work. These are Stand By Me, Misery, The Shawshank Redemption, and The Green Mile, which are often considered among the best book adaptations of all time.
Dark Edge
King's list includes three films from the 1940s and six from the 1970s. Only one title from the 1990s made the cut. Notably, King favors dark, character-driven stories and psychological tension.
The timing of the list is no coincidence. This week, The Long Walk hits theaters in the U.S., a dystopian tale King wrote under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. The reception Is overwhelming and many critics are calling it one of the better adaptations of his work.
Complete List
Below is Stephen King's list of his 10 favorite films:
- Sorcerer by William Friedkin
- The Godfather Part II by Francis Ford Coppola
- The Getaway by Sam Peckinpah
- Groundhog Day by Harold Ramis
- Casablanca by Michael Curtiz
- Treasure of the Sierra Madre by John Huston
- Jaws by Steven Spielberg
- Mean Streets by Martin Scorsese
- Close Encounters of the Third Kind by Steven Spielberg
- Double Indemnity by Billy Wilder
My 10 favorite movies (excluding MISERY, SHAWSHANK, GREEN MILE, STAND BY ME). In no particular order:
SORCERER
GODFATHER 2
THE GETAWAY
GROUNDHOG DAY
CASABLANCA
TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE
JAWS
MEAN STREETS
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE 3rd KIND
DOUBLE INDEMNITY
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) September 8, 2025
