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Stephen King, the renowned horror writer, is known for his candid opinions on film and TV adaptations of his books. He’s been vocal about his dislike for certain movie versions of his works, even criticizing Stanley Kubrick’s acclaimed rendition of “The Shining.” Despite this, Rob Reiner, the late filmmaker, boldly adapted two of King’s stories, “Stand by Me” and “Misery.” Interestingly, King was impressed by both of Reiner’s films, a rare feat given his usual tough critiques.
Columbia Pictures
Released in 1986, “Stand by Me” is based on King’s novella “The Body.” The film tells the story of four boys, played by Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, and Jerry O’Connell, who embark on an adventure to find a rumored dead body, ultimately encountering life-altering experiences. Four years later, Reiner tackled “Misery,” a gripping tale about a romance novelist, played by James Caan, who is held captive by an unstable fan, portrayed by Kathy Bates. Despite the stark differences between the two stories, King was thoroughly impressed with Reiner’s cinematic interpretations.
In a 1986 interview with the Chicago Tribune, Reiner revealed that King had praised “Stand by Me” after its premiere, calling it “the best film ever made out of anything I’ve written.” Even decades later, in a 2016 interview with Deadline, King still held “Stand by Me” in high regard, although he now placed “The Shawshank Redemption” alongside it as a top favorite. Our own rankings echo King’s sentiment, as we also consider these films among the best adaptations of his work.
When it comes to “Misery,” King’s admiration for Reiner’s adaptation goes even further. He acknowledged the film’s success in capturing elements that his book lacked, particularly its humor. “The chemistry between James Caan and Kathy Bates was magical, and the film added a comedic touch missing from my novel,” King shared in a New York Times interview in 2025. The article suggests King even considers “Misery” a superior film to the original book, highlighting the significance of Reiner’s achievement in winning over such a discerning author.
Stephen King has heaped praise on Rob Reiner
Columbia Pictures
According to a Chicago Tribune interview with Rob Reiner from 1986, King told him personally after the premiere of “Stand By Me” that it was “the best film ever made out of anything I’ve written.” Thirty years later, after having a lot of time to reflect on “Stand by Me” — and having a lot more adaptations of his works to compare it to — King reaffirmed in a 2016 interview with Deadline that it was still one of his favorite adaptations, though he said “The Shawshank Redemption” now sat right next to it at the top of his list. We also put both films near the top of our own ranking of the best Stephen King movies.
As for “Misery,” King took things a step further in complimenting Reiner’s film version. The author said the movie actually did some things better than his book did, particularly in making it a little bit funnier. “The combination of James Caan and Kathy Bates was magic, and it had a touch of humor that was missing from my book,” he told The New York Times in 2025. The piece itself goes on to state that “King even believes ‘Misery’ is a better movie than it was a book,” suggesting that the acclaimed author said more on the subject than was directly quoted. That’s high praise indeed from someone who doesn’t give it easily when it comes to adaptations.
