King on Screen

Daphné Baiwir's 2023 documentary is about the adaptations of Stephen King. From the first adaptation in the mid-seventies to the present, more than fifty directors have filmed his books, and the documentary takes up that body of work. The method is to listen to the directors. Frank Darabont, Tom Holland and others describe which book they chose and why, and how they worked with King's texts; where adaptation becomes difficult is shown through examples. King himself does not appear in a new interview; archive recordings are used. The narrative also makes room for the failed adaptations, though its criticism stays measured. Who it's for: those who like horror cinema and debates about adaptation. Who it's not for: viewers expecting an examination of King's writing; the documentary keeps to the films.