Stephen King, the undisputed ruler of the horror genre, is no stranger to having his books turned into movies. His debut novel, Carrie, was released as a film only two years after its initial publication in 1974 and the trend has continued unabated ever since, with countless King stories adapted for screen over the years.
As fans of the author will know, these efforts were more often misses than hits. There are some notable exceptions, like 1994’s The Shawshank Redemption, but these just go to prove the general rule – King movies are often terrible. Or, rather, were terrible. Things have changed of late, and recently we’ve seen some excellent movies and TV series based on King’s work. With many more set for release in the coming years, there’s good reason for fans to get excited, and what better way to do so than by looking back at the top 10 King screen adaptations of the last decade.

Top 10 Modern Horror Novels More Terrifying Than A Stephen King Book

10 Carrie (2013)

Since Carrie was King’s first novel and the first to become a movie, there’s no better place to start than the excellent 2013 remake. The story, in essence, is about retribution as Carrie White ultimately uses her telekinetic powers to exact brutal revenge on those who wronged her. There’s so much more going on here though, as the lead character, expertly played by Chloe Grace Moretz, evokes strong feelings of pity despite her homicidal actions at the end. Julianne Moore rounds out a strong cast with her portrayal of Carrie’s mother, proving that the strength of King’s story lies always in its characters.

Throughout the girl’s troubled teenage years we’re given a heartbreaking portrayal that’s both relatable and all too easy to believe. True, Carrie’s telekinesis is fictional but her struggles with bullying at school, abuse and mental illness at home, and a general longing to fit in are all too real and relatable. Kimberly Pierce, one of the few prominent female directors in Hollywood, proves her worth with the depth of subtlety and nuance she packs into every scene. But make no mistake, this is a horror story through and through, and the blood-soaked final scenes leave no doubt that this is vintage King.

9 Mr. Mercedes (2017)

In his 62nd novel, King went in a new direction, leaving the supernatural behind and opting rather for a straightforward detective story. Mr. Mercedes features no fanciful elements, just strong characters, an engaging plot, and a viscerally shocking opening scene. These elements come through strongly in the popular 2017 TV series, possibly because this kind of character-driven investigative plot is perfectly suited to episodic storytelling.

After Brady Hartsfield murders several people by driving a Mercedes sedan into a crowd of job seekers one cold morning and disappears without a trace, detective Bill Hodges is unable to solve the case. Later, in retirement, he’s taunted by the killer in a series of messages and picks up the hunt once more, this time without the burden of a badge. Starting with a bang as it does is a risky move as everything that follows could come across as anticlimactic, but Mr. Mercedes is spared this fate by its colorful cast of characters and a plot that moves along briskly, engaging the viewer as it does. The story might be fairly standard, bordering on predictable, but for purposes of pure entertainment, it performs admirably.

8 1922 (2017)

Stephen King’s 2010 collection of four short stories, entitled Full Dark, No Stars, was popularly received by fans. Not too surprisingly, three of these stories have been subject to screen adaptations and, of those, 1922 is the best of the bunch. Released as a Netflix exclusive and backed up by an impressive 91% Rotten Tomatoes rating, the departure from the contemporary setting, not something King does too often, works well in narrowing the focus of the plot to the most critical aspect – the main character’s descent into insanity.

In a very Poe-like way, the story begins with Wilfred James holed up in a hotel, the threat of rats in the walls, and his own guilty conscience, driving him to recount his grizzly tale of spousal murder and how the deadly dead cost him his unwitting accomplice – his son. The story unfolds as more of a slow-burn psychological thriller but the strong character development sees the viewer quickly invested in the plot, and there are more than enough hair-raising moments to remind one that Stephen King knows exactly how to mesmerize and terrorize as he spins a yarn, be it in book or movie form.

7 Pet Sematary (2019)

Pet Sematary, one of King’s more shocking stories, deals with the issue of death and resurrection. The book was made into a movie in 1989 and, even though the author wrote the screenplay, the effort was thoroughly forgettable. The story was brought back to life in a 2019 reboot and this time, it’s a vast improvement. “Sometimes dead is better,” claims one of the characters in the story, but this is not one of those times. Like things buried in the titular pet sematary, the movie has come back from the grave changed, but these changes are mostly for the better.

That’s not to say the movie was popularly received, nor that it’ll go down as a horror classic. It shines only in comparison to the previous attempt and as a faithful adaptation of an excellent novel that goes all out in its efforts to terrify. While part of this impact is lost in the movie, some clever foreshadowing and one or two heart-stopping moments stand out, as does John Lithgow’s convincing performance as Judd Crandall, the old neighbor who sets all the chaos in motion. King claims his stories are like fast food – nothing fancy but they fill a need. The same could be said for this movie. Its sole objective is to entertain and in that, it succeeds beyond doubt.

6 In the Tall Grass (2019)

In the Tall Grass is a collaborative novella written by Stephen King and his son, Joe Hill. Horror fiction connoisseurs will know that Hill tends to up the ante when it comes to the fright factor and his stories are some of the scariest around. Writing as he does in the shadow of his illustrious father, he seems to go out of his way to differentiate his approach and the effective colliding of two unique styles is likely what attracted seasoned director, Vincenzo Natali, to this project.

Following a brother and sister who get lured into a field of tall grass in the middle of nowhere on a cross country road trip, the movie starts strongly with Natali expertly using his signature visual-poetry style to add a deep sense of foreboding and tense expectation to proceedings. From there, it deteriorates somewhat into the expected thrills and spills of the genre as the movie follows the general arc of the novella, getting decidedly weirder as it progresses. Any structural flaws here, though, are not the fault of the film but rather can be attributed to the story being an experimental collaboration that perhaps signals the passing of the baton from one King to another.

5 Doctor Sleep (2019)

Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 film, The Shining, drew strong praise or harsh criticism depending on who you asked. Fans of the book and, famously, Stephen King himself, hated the movie because, while some license-taking is expected, Kubrick altered not just vital plot elements but the overall feel of the story as well. When King wrote a sequel in 2013, he must have had higher hopes for the film version, and, fortunately for him, Mike Flanagan picked up the project and delivered an excellent movie in 2019’s screen adaptation of Doctor Sleep.

Flanagan had the unenviable task of connecting the opposing visions of King and Kubrick in the direct sequel that follows a grown-up Danny Torrence as he battles his psychic abilities in a journey that takes him, inevitably, back to the scene of his childhood nightmare – The Overlook Hotel. That the place was destroyed in the novel but not in the movie of The Shining is one example of the kind of challenges Flanagan had in marrying the two in a single film, and he succeeds admirably, catering to both sets of fans and to horror lovers in general. Add in some strong acting by Ewan McGregor and Rebecca Fergusson, and you have one of the better King adaptations to ever grace the silver screen.

4 IT: Chapters 1 & 2 (2017 & 2019)

Yes, this is technically two for the price of one, but since the recent film translation of King’s classic horror novel is a single story, divided only for convenience, they can’t really be separated and so appear as one on this list. Given the formidable length of the book, a single movie could never work, which is why the previous attempt to televise the tale took the form of a miniseries back in 1990. Needless to say, it wasn’t spectacular, although it did bring the terrifying form of Pennywise, the murderous clown, to a whole new generation. And now, thanks to Andres Muschietti’s efforts, we have a screen version that does the chilling tale justice at last.

If you’ve read the book you’ll know that its allure is far more than just that of a scary story. Within, we find an engaging account of the enduring bond of childhood friendship, of bullying, abuse, loss, unhealthy family dynamics, and banding together to defeat our demons with the power of love. This is less cheesy than it sounds when one of said demons is a literal shape-shifting monster. King often comes under fire for his weak endings, and the ending of IT is not just weak but also bizarrely obscene. Thankfully, the movie changes it, removing the elements of underage intercourse and going for a more traditional conclusion that even the author agrees is a vast improvement.

3 Gerald’s Game (2017)

We’ve already discussed Mike Flanagan’s excellent work on Doctor Sleep and here we find proof that that movie wasn’t the first time he worked wonders with a King story that wasn’t exactly film-friendly. Gerald’s Game, considered one of King’s least successful novels, was never a likely candidate for a movie version. The majority of the story takes place in a single room, with the protagonist handcuffed to a bed, and most of the plot unfolding by way of internal dialogue, visions, and flashbacks. But, a lifelong King fan and having long ago pledged to attempt the project, Flanagan brings all his talent to bear on this excellent 2017 movie.

The director knows exactly what confines he’s operating within when it comes to the plot and, rather than change key elements as many others would’ve done, he seeks to amplify the feel of isolation and confinement of the novel with some excellent cinematic effects. Here again, King’s inability to finish off a story to the satisfaction of the reader is evident, as many feel Gerald’s Game unravels in the final third. But, committed to a faithful remake as he was, Flanagan boldly sticks to the script and pulls it off excellently, making Gerald’s Game not just an excellent movie, but a fitting tribute to the source material, just as it was intended.

2 The Outsider (2020)

Following the success of the Bill Hodges trilogy (of which Mr. Mercedes was the first installment) King used some of the same characters in The Outsider, released in 2018. Naturally, it was picked up by HBO and made into a series two years later. While Mr. Mercedes is a pure detective story, The Outsider blends elements of crime and horror fantasy in a more traditional King way, and the series received widespread acclaim, despite being terminated after only one season.

The plot involves a mysterious, shape-shifting creature that commits gruesome murders disguised as innocent civilians, leaving the poor individuals to deal with the aftermath. Terry Maitland, played excellently by Jason Bateman, is one such, and his efforts to clear his name lead him ultimately to a confrontation with the horrific creature. Along the way, he enlists the aid of Holly Gibney, the very woman who spectacularly stopped Mr. Mercedes in his tracks. Each episode is fresh and engaging and rockets along to a satisfying conclusion. As season one concluded the events of the story, no follow-up was planned. The recent release of King’s short story If It Bleeds, a direct sequel to the Outsider, gives us hope that a second season may now be possible.

1 The Stand (2020)

King fans would’ve been delighted to hear of the recent miniseries based on the author’s epic 1978 novel. Not because it deals with a pandemic (although it does) nor because the previous televised effort in 1994 was terrible (although it was) but simply because The Stand is a deeply engaging story packed with memorable characters, making it a prime candidate for a TV series adaptation. Josh Boone and Benjamin Cavell obliged and, aided by an excellent cast and King himself as a consultant, the result is every bit as engaging as fans had hoped.

By fans, however, I mean fans of the book. As long as the novel is, a nine-part miniseries was always going to leave aspects out, and the only letdown here is that the story wasn’t extended into multiple seasons. Character progression is a crucial aspect of the novel, as is the linear plot. The producers of the series opted for a rather confusing past/present shift reminiscent of Lost, which is exactly how anyone not familiar with the book must have felt during the first few episodes of The Stand. These complaints, however, are minor. Even the uninitiated will be drawn in and the diverse array of characters and constant intrigue make this an excellent screen adaptation of one of Stephen King’s finest books.

Top 15 Stephen King Books

Stephen King has created eerie fictional towns for the state of Maine to co-exist along some real ones for his treasure-trove of books. He was inspired by Bridgton to write The Mist and by Durham to create the fictional town of Jerusalem’s Lot. Derry, the home of IT, is based on the real city of Bangor. Terrifying things happen in these towns and one can only sigh in relief that the stories are all fiction.

However, there are several places around the world that would give King’s creations a run for their money. On this list are just a few of them.

Top 10 Modern Horror Novels More Terrifying Than A Stephen King Book

10 Terror in O’ahu

O’ahu is the third-largest Hawaiian island and is home to around a million people. Here you will find Waikiki and Pearl Harbor as well as Lanikai Beach which is one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

This type of description doesn’t lend itself to creepiness, does it? However, when night falls over O’ahu, the spirits of the dead come out to play. Should you find yourself on the 16th Avenue bridge in Kaimuki after dark, don’t be surprised if you find a small, cold hand worming its way into yours. It is believed that a little girl was killed in a hit-and-run incident on this bridge and that her spirit is constantly looking for someone to lead her home.

If that isn’t quite unsettling enough for you, there have been several reports of a ghostly woman rattling and pounding on toilet stall doors in the Old Waialae Drive-In Theater. When the unlucky person inside the toilet stall opened the door, they found a floating apparition wearing a long dress but with no face and no feet right in front of them.

9 The horror of Real Filipe

South America is home to Angel Falls, Machu Picchu, Copper Canyon, excellent cuisine and vintage cars. Here you can hike to Rainbow Mountain, dance the salsa, gaze at the Christ the Redeemer statue or watch football matches alongside an electrifying crowd.

The continent is also home to some of the scariest places on Earth.

The narrow, u-shaped Real Filipe Fortress in Lima held prisoners who were forced to stand the entire time they were imprisoned. Before arriving at their horrific destination, these inmates had to traverse the narrow corridors all the while trying to duck out of the way of pails of boiling water thrown at them. Many of them died after enduring 2 months of hell in Real Filipe.

These days, the horrors continue, but now they are of the ghostly variety. Visitors to the fortress have reported seeing pale apparitions with long hair walking the drawbridge and grim-looking soldiers throwing themselves off the parapets. Some have even reported glimpsing demonic children appearing in the narrow passageways.

8 New Zealand’s spookiest spots

The island country of New Zealand isn’t lacking in creepy locations. Here the brave at heart can visit Waitomo Caves Hotel where guests have seen bathtubs dripping with blood and experienced apparitions passing right through them. Or if decaying psychiatric hospital buildings are more their speed, they can take a tour of Kingseat Psychiatric Hospital where temperatures plummet for no reason, furniture is moved around by unseen hands, and doorbells ring when no one is near them.

Then there is Camp Adair in Hunua. This camp was established in 1913 and accommodates church retreats, sports teams and team buildings. It is also the site of a spooky urban legend which has it that a red-headed teacher killed a group of children in the School House Building. Some who have visited the camp in recent years have reported the spectre of a red-headed man peeking at them through the windows…

7 Don’t go in there!

The country of Russia covers over 1/8th of Earth’s occupied land area, so there is ample space for both fantastic landscapes and beautiful architecture as well as abandoned and downright creepy places. This includes the Kusovnikov House in Moscow where an old man with a hump is said to wander the street while mourning the loss of his wealth as well as the Mikhailovsky Castle where tsar Pavel I still plays the violin by a particular window.

Russia is also the place you will find the Rotonda, a circular hall located inside an 18th century building. It is rumored that the hall was a meeting place for Freemasons at one point before it became the hangout of musical groups in the 70s and 80s. It is believed that if a person writes a heartfelt wish on the graffiti-covered walls, it would come true, but at a terrible price. Don’t go near the basement though, as it is said that if someone enters it alone, they will either return a few years older or become completely insane.

6 Leave the stones alone

Sweden gave us ABBA, Roxette, Avicii, functional and sustainable design, excellent coffee and has some of the most mesmerizing landscapes in the world. It is also in Sweden where you should never get on a silver train known as Silverpilen as it will transport you to an abandoned station in the middle of a forest from which you can never return.

Train stations are not the only creepy things in this country.

There is also the main square in Gamla Stan (Old Town) where blood flows across the cobblestones each November as if re-enacting the “Stockholm Bloodbath” that took place more than a century ago. 92 members of the Swedish nobility were either beheaded or hanged in the square because they opposed the Dane. To honor these souls, a red building nearby incorporated 92 white stones in its design. Should anyone try to remove one of these stones, the ghost of the slain person representing that stone will rise from its grave haunt Stockholm forever. Suffice it to say, all the white stones remain intact.

5 Ghosts of history

Antarctica isn’t cold enough to keep the ghosts at bay. In fact, it is said to be one of the most haunted places on Earth. Legend has it that while the explorers and scientists of yore that once endured this harsh landscape might be long gone, their spirits still hang around. For instance, Sir Edmund Hillary believed that he had seen Sir Ernest Shackleton’s ghost in his abandoned hut when he and his New Zealand party reached Antarctica in 1958.

In 1979, a plane flying tourists on a day-trip from New Zealand crashed into the side of Mount Erebus killing all 257 people on board. The corpses of the deceased were allegedly stored at McMurdo Station which is an American base on Ross Island. Soon, visitors to the island began to report hearing disembodied voices, and seeing trails of footprints that ended abruptly.

There are even so-called ghost mountains that lie underneath four meters of ice and has never been seen by humans, only mapped by radar.

4 Fear and trepidation in the woods

Japan is a fantastic travel destination that offers some of the most breathtaking sights in the world, including Mount Fuji, Shinto Shrines, Buddhist Temples and landscapes covered in cherry blossoms.

It is also the birthplace of several terrifying urban legends and horror movies, many of which center around creepy locations. These locations include the Round Schoolhouse ruin situated in Bibai, Hokkaido. The circular school building was constructed in 1959 and most of the students were the children of coal miners who worked nearby.

After Japan started importing coal instead of mining it, the school was eventually abandoned in 1974 with most of the furniture left behind. The ruin has long since been a great attraction for ‘ghost hunting’ parties. Those who have braved the woods to reach the old ruin, have returned claiming to have heard terrifying screams echoing through the night and being attacked by shadowy figures that jumped out at them from between the trees.

It is also rumored that those who actually step inside the building, return not only traumatized, but completely deranged. As such, mediums in Japan refuse to go near the site and paranormal investigators believe it to be an interdimensional portal.

3 Spirits of the Land Down Under

While there are certainly terrifying real-life creatures to found in Australia such as great white sharks, huge spiders and snakes, there are also hordes of spirits unable to cross over to the other side. Or so it seems, at least.

In the abandoned Beechworth Lunatic Asylum an 80-year-old man tugs at tourists’ clothes while a young girl mumbles at those who pass by close to her, desperate to be heard but no one can understand what she’s saying. At the Old Adelaide Gaol, you might just run into the spirit of hangman, Ben Ellis, who is still seeking atonement for the prisoner who didn’t die instantly but instead hung on the rope for 22 minutes before drawing his last breath. In the Monte Cristo Homestead, the constant rattling of chains alerts visitors to the presence of the spirit of a mentally ill patient named Harold who was chained to a bed for 40 years before he died.

The most haunted town in Australia is reputed to be Picton, with the Redback Range Railway tunnel singled out as the most haunted place inside it. It is believed that many people committed suicide here and that a train accident led to the death of a local girl in 1916. Her spirit is said to roam the tunnel to this day. Visitors to the tunnel have reported seeing figures suddenly appearing before them, ghostly children running around and white lights hovering above them as they walk.

2 Wandering ghosts

Europe is steeped in history which makes it the ‘ideal’ location for scary experiences. The continent has everything from haunted Victorian cemeteries and Jack the Ripper tours to vampire castles, creepy statues, and monks haunting the streets.

At the Zvíkov Castle in Czech Republic an apparition haunted its residents until 1597, but even though this spirit eventually dissipated, supernatural events continued. This included animals behaving strangely for no apparent reason, and unexplained fires. An eerie legend says that anyone who sleeps in the main tower of the castle will die within 12 months.

The Castle of Brissac in Maine-et-Loire, France, houses the wandering spirit of La Dame Verte who was murdered by her husband after he caught her being unfaithful to him. Visitors to the castle have reported seeing her ghost, wearing a green dress, with gaping holes where her eyes and nose used to be. Those who don’t suffer the misfortune of being scared witless by her, can hear her moaning around the castle.

Then there is the embalmed corpse of 2-year-old Rosalia Lombardo that is kept in a glass case in the Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo, Italy. The little girl has been perfectly preserved since her death in 1920. Some visitors are so overcome by how life-like her corpse is that they have become convinced she still blinks her eyes.

1 Hotel of the undead

The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel definitely rivals the Overlook. Urban legend has it that a bride fell down a flight of stairs at the hotel in 1920 and died instantly. She never left however, her veiled and wedding dress-clad spirit appearing to several guests over the years. Sometimes the back of her dress is on fire.

In Room 873 a man allegedly killed his wife and daughter, setting up the space for innumerable ghost sightings to the extent that the hotel sealed up the room. Some have reported seeing the impression of a small child appearing on the wall where the door of Room 873 used to be. Before it was permanently closed off, maids complained that they were unable to clean bloody fingerprints from the bathroom mirror and unholy screams woke guests in the middle of the night.

In another area of the hotel, a headless man appears periodically who, despite his lack of a head, still manages to play the bagpipes, freaking people out as he wanders along.

Top 15 Movies Based on Stephen King Stories

Dozens of Stephen King’s short stories and novels have been adapted into film and television, and it seems every one has its own love affair with the rest of King’s work.

The various King adaptations are packed with easter eggs and references to other titles, and it’s no surprise—King constantly does the same in the books themselves. Maybe it’s the oft-shared settings in and around Maine, maybe it’s King’s patchwork attempts at establishing a shared universe, or maybe it’s just self-congratulatory fun. Regardless of why King always references King, the same holds true for his movies and television shows.

This list is dedicated to ten of the cheekiest of those self-referential winks, times when King and his adaptors posed the question, “Say, do you remember King and his adaptors?”

Related: 10 Easter Eggs You Might Have Missed In Famous Crime Films

10 The Dark Tower – Pennywise

Stephen King always intended The Dark Tower to unite his many works into one shared multiverse, so pulling easter eggs from it feels like cheating. But because the movie was a Nikolaj Arcel adaptation, I’m calling it open season. Of its many easter eggs, it’s the unmistakable It reference that stands out.

At one point in the film, the young shine-empowered hero Jake Chambers finds himself stumbling through the ruins of the universe known as Mid-World. There, he wanders into the ruins of an ancient theme park. What remains is a half-buried statue with its clown hand emerging into the surface, holding Pennywise’s trademark bunch of balloons, as well as a theme park ride, labeled oh-so-subtly “Pennywise.”

9 Castle Rock – “Wanna See a Body?”

Let’s continue with getting the easy easter eggs out of the way first. Like The Dark Tower, Castle Rock’s TV show is also meant as a bridge between King’s various stories. Many locations, props, and even characters themselves are direct references to various King books. However, some of the show’s easter eggs are more subtle and unexpected, like one brief nod to Stand By Me.

As King has come to be known as a master of horror, some forget that he also penned the story that became the classic coming-of-age film Stand By Me. The movie’s inciting incident is young Vern’s sincere question to his gang of friends, “You guys wanna go see a dead body?” The same line shows up in Castle Rock episode five, when the Kid stands atop a roof, overwhelmed by a deluge of internal voices. Amidst the crowded chorus, one voice cuts through the rest and says, “Wanna see a body?”

8 It – Turtles

Fans of King lore will know of Maturin, the massive, god-like turtle that birthed at least one of the universes and who doesn’t look very highly upon Pennywise. In the novel, Maturin makes direct appearances, communicating with Bill and offering the boy advice and encouragement. Though its parts were cut from the movie, director Andy Muschietti included a few winks to the divine reptile.

Throughout both movies, during pivotal or emotionally charged scenes, turtles find their way onto the screen. They come in the form of a turtle sticker, turtle Lego bricks, turtle statues, and conversations about actual turtles. However, the most subtle reference (because it’s never stated in the movie) is that the root Mike obtains from the Native Americans to guide him on his journey is itself named Maturin. As director Muschietti said, “Maturin’s still there in the movie. It’s just not personified by a giant turtle.”

7 Pet Sematary – Cujo

The original Pet Sematary novel contained an overt reference to Cujo and its titular murderous St. Bernard. In the book, old neighbor Jud Crandall tells the protagonist, Louis Creed, about a rabid dog that killed four people a few years ago. The same story made its way into the 2019 film adaptation, but the story became even darker.

In the movie, Jud again tells the story, but this time to a guest in the middle of a child’s birthday party. It’s an inappropriate story for that setting and makes you question Jud’s judgment. More than that, it makes you wonder how that version of Maine could have so much bad luck with pets in just a few years.

6 The Mist – Gunslinger Roland

The 2007 big-screen adaptation of King’s The Mist was a tense and violent horror that provided some solid commentary on partisan factionalism. Perhaps the most notable part of the film is its ending: a bleak, anguish-laden sequence that pulls a complete 180 from King’s original, happier ending. As far as easter eggs go, however, it’s the opening shot that wins a spot on our list.

The very first shot is of protagonist David Drayton, painting Roland the Gunslinger from The Dark Tower. The painting is unmistakable, between the gun in the figure’s hand, his bandoliers, the solitary red rose, and the literal dark tower behind him. The figure looks like Clint Eastwood, reflecting the early Dark Tower cover art that portrayed Roland as a carbon copy of Eastwood.

5 The Shining – Hedge Maze Foreshadowing

Stanley Kubrick’s film version of The Shining is likely the best King adaptation ever, and ironically the one King likes the least. Regardless, it’s a classic. Its heavy use of symbolism, combined with Kubrick’s reputation as an obsessive auteur, has caused fans to pick over every frame of the film for symbols, allusions, foreshadowing, and even evidence that the moon landing was faked. Whether all or any of it is real, there is no end to the theories. One such clever observation is how the film cleverly foreshadowed its hedge maze ending.

For one thing, there’s Jack’s first tie, a decidedly forest-green affair with a large, exaggerated knit pattern that crisscrosses over itself, forming what looks eerily like a hedge maze. For another, there are the cartoons Danny watches. The first cartoon he watches shows Wile E. Coyote chasing the Road Runner through a literal maze of train tracks. The following cartoon Danny turns on features the same Looney pair, this time accompanied by a song that goes, “The coyote’s after you, Road Runner. If he catches you, you’re through.”

4 It: Chapter 2 – “Here’s Johnny!”

Speaking of The Shining, It: Chapter 2 references the horror classic that is unusually obvious for a non-multiverse-driven King film. Perhaps the single most famous piece of dialogue from The Shining comes from Jack Torrence as he breaks down a bathroom door, sticks his head through, and yells, “Here’s Johnny!” It: Chapter 2 repeats the line and shot almost exactly.

When Bev ends up stuck in a bathroom stall, Pennywise tries to force his way in, taking on the forms of the people closest to Bev and pushing on the door. In the form of bully Henry Bowers, Pennywise sticks his head through the cracked door and delivers the classic Nicholson line. The shot is even framed the same way as the original Kubrick shot.

3 It – Tim Curry Cameo

Tim Curry delivered a memorable performance as Pennywise in the 1990 It miniseries, and the 2017 film was essentially guaranteed to shout him out in some way. It did indeed, in the form of an unmistakably Curry-styled Pennywise doll.

In the film, Richie finds himself trapped in a room with dozens of frightening clown dolls, all variations on the Pennywise theme. One clown on the left has the exact hair, makeup, and outfit that Curry’s Pennywise wore, and the reference is clear.

2 Doctor Sleep – Original Danny

Many easter eggs are obvious and easy, but the reason this particular egg from Doctor Sleep gets the number two spot is that it seemed like the absolute last thing that would ever make it into the film.

During a little league game in which the villainous True Knots scouts out a young player with shine, the camera shifts to a conversation between two onlookers in the stands. One of those two men is actually a grown-up Danny Lloyd, who played the original Danny Torrance as a child. As fun as that is, it becomes much more impressive when you find out that Danny Lloyd retired from acting after The Shining and his Doctor Sleep cameo was his first acting job in 38 years.

1 It: Chapter 2 – Bad Endings

Perhaps the best easter egg from any King-based film comes in It: Chapter 2 in the form of King personally roasting himself. Throughout the film, a running gag is that Bill, now grown up and a successful writer, is talented and beloved—aside from his crappy endings. This is a nod to probably the most common criticism King gets in real life: that his books are wonderful but never end satisfactorily.

Taking it even farther, King himself cameos in the film and personally says to Bill that his endings stink. It shows a lot of endearing humility on King’s part, or if looked at another way, a bird flipped to his constant critics. Either way, it’s a fun easter egg and a natural culmination to King’s long career of referencing himself.