5 Stephen King Adaptations Better Than Mike Flanagan's Carrie

Published Oct 19, 2026, 8:45 PM EDT Ben is a Senior Writer on the New TV team at Screen Rant. He graduated from the University of Central Lancashire with a First Class B.A. Degree in English Literature and History. Born and raised in Ireland, Ben has always had a love for storytelling in all forms of media and operates multiple projects under the name Benjamin Blogs. Ben is a comic book writer and podcast host, in addition to his work as an entertainment journalist. He has worked as both a writer and editor for Screen Rant, Collider, and other media outlets across various departments, including features, news, reviews, and interviews. Mike Flanagan's Carrie has brought a widely popular story back into the zeitgeist, but despite broadly positive reviews, there are several Stephen King adaptations that exceed Carrie. Mike Flanagan is rapidly becoming one of the biggest and most respected names in the horror space, both in terms of television and film. With a run of incredible original horror stories, Flanagan's ability to create tension, explore the depths of complex characters, and weave the supernatural into incredibly grounded and gritty stories is proving to be absolutely spectacular. And beyond that, Mike Flanagan has managed to do it repeatedly in a short span of time. This is very likely the reason Flanagan is also becoming a repeat collaborator with the Master of Horror himself, Stephen King. Ever since King began releasing his stories to the world, they have managed to capture the imaginations of millions the world over, and set a new standard for the horror genre, at least as far as novels go. So, when his books also became feature films and TV shows, building on strong and detailed foundations, it led to a number of surprisingly incredible projects. Many of which manage to outshine the latest Carrie adaptation. 5 IT IT has to rank as one of the most popular stories by Stephen King of all time. A story about a small town with a dark presence that influences the inhabitants subtly, and a group of kids whose lives are tied to the monster known as Pennywise. This spectacular story has been adapted several times, but the original 1990 series starring Tim Curry as the Dancing Clown is in another league. The thing is, prior to this show's release, clowns were pretty popular at kids parties and as a form of entertainer that was simply seen as joyful and silly. But IT played a part in reframing the image of clowns, and turning these goofy guys caked in makeup into something sinister. Now, clowns are among the most terrifying characters anywhere they pop up. With a stellar miniseries, IT managed to convey one of King's best works, and the cast brought the narrative to life in a way that the pages of a book simply couldn't for the wider audience. With a faithful adaptation, daring efforts to make this an enduring piece of horror history, and, of course, Curry's performance, this series remains one of the best King adaptations of all time. 4 11.22.63 Much more recently, Hulu released another King adapted miniseries, based on the novel, 11.22.63. This is a wonderful example of when King has expanded himself beyond the confines of the horror genre, and branched into other types of stories, with this story in particular delivering a sci-fi thriller that could have failed tragically in an adapted format. Fortunately, the series starring James Franco as the high school teacher who discovers a portal to the past is a wonderful adaptation that effectively captures the intricate rules as laid out by the author in regards to time travel. Add to this delicate mix the fact that the story revolves around trying to stop the assassination, and this series could have easily become something that struggled to get any traction or respect among audiences. However, despite the obstacles and overwhelming odds, this series remains one of the absolute best pieces of work inspired by the writings of Stephen King. It's clever, it's rich, it's not afraid to navigate through genres and narrative arcs to create the best story, and as a result, this genuinely stands out as one of the best King adaptations ever made. 3 The Outsider On a slightly different note, and going even more recent, the 2020 limited series, The Outsider, is a dark and gritty police procedural series about a detective, played by Ben Mendelsohn, investigating a gruesome murder in a small town community. As simple as the premise sounds, the execution is excellent. From powerhouse performances from seasoned actors like Jason Bateman, Cynthia Erivo, Ben Mendelsohn, to outstanding entries from newcomers, this series is excellent. And of course, for good measure, the show blends in supernatural horror and a number of plot lines that make it a distinctly Stephen King story, which is all delivered in a phenomenal way that causes anyone who tunes in to take time, examine things closer, and think more deeply about the contents of the show in a way that echoes the efficacy of David Lynch's Twin Peaks. Of course, the series is not perfect, but over the run of 10 episodes, it does a remarkable job of setting up this powerful narrative, and then finds a way to tie it all back around. And ultimately, that feels like more than what we saw in the first eight episodes of Carrie. 2 Salem's Lot Salem's Lot is one of the most iconic narratives in King's bibliography, being published as the second novel in his career, and opting to focus on a particularly popular type of monster, the vampire. King wrote this novel with the idea of dropping a Dracula-like figure into a small, rural American setting, and seeing what would play out. Well, evidently King's novel made the impact it needed to, because shortly after the book was released, the TV series directed by The Texas Chainsaw Massacre legend himself, Tobe Hooper, was on the air. This series took the bones of what was already a spin-tingling story, and transformed it into something packed with dread and intrigue. Ultimately, the collaboration between two horror maestros paid off, and Salem's Lot has since been adapted twice more, though arguably the best iteration of this story on screen remains Hooper's original from 1979. Still though, there are other adaptations that have held up even better over time. 1 Carrie While Salem's Lot was indeed King's sophomore novel, his debut came with the unfathomably intense Carrie. With the book first appearing on shelves in 1974, then, within the space of two years, the story was picked up, and the film rights sold, leading to unfathomable success for King for years to come, with novel after novel being transformed to tell the story on the big screen. However, the original Carrie, directed by Brian De Palma and starring Sissy Spacek remains one of the most exceptional and confronting horror films of all time. Not simply because of the tension the movie evokes, or the tragedy of Carrie White's life, but also the real and visceral experiences she faces as a young woman, growing up in a world where she is being pulled down, pushed to fail, and ultimately driven to a state that results in the film's unforgettable climax. This film captured the essence of King's writing spectacularly, and it remains one of the best horror stories ever told on the big screen, in a way that continues to exceed even the most recent remake from a highly capable writer and director such as Mike Flanagan. Evidently, the 1976 original has proven once again that it can't be beaten, and it continues to be the benchmark for Stephen King adaptations. That being said, this film and all of the above have their strengths and weaknesses, just as the latest Carrie remake does. While these adaptations do stand out as being the very best of the dozens of projects adapted from Stephen King's vast body of work, it's always great to see new stories reimagine and reinvigorate these thrilling tales, and Mike Flanagan's contributions continue to stand out as some of the strongest.