17 Stephen King movies you need to see

The movie: A writer-turned-teacher Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson), is struggling with alcoholism, so opts to relocate his family to an isolated hotel in the mountains for the winter. The plan? He’ll take on the role of caretaker for the season, work on his novel, and his family can relax. Soon after their arrival, his son Danny (Danny Lloyd) discovers his gift, his wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall) discovers her husband’s changing, and Jack? Well, Jack’s making friends with the staff...

What it got right: According to Stephen King, Stanely Kubrick got nothing right when adapting the terrifying tale. Yet the director's immaculate chiller has so many well placed scares and unforgettable images that we have to respectfully disagree. This is a masterclass in dismantling a story, and rebuilding it with chosen fragments, intentionally so as to craft a mood of utter terror. And sure, while it strays from the story on the page, it matches the fear beat-for-beat.