Although a handful of literature snobs turn their nose up at him (which tends to happen with popular authors), Stephen King is one of the most revered and bestselling writers working today. And as such, a lot of his stories have been turned into movies, and some of them have gone on to become classics.
King is responsible for a ton of iconic individual characters — from Jack Torrance to Carrie White to Pennywise the Dancing Clown — but his stories really shine when two characters share a riveting dynamic. With well-matched actors, those dynamics can really come to life on the big screen.
Donna & Tad Trenton (Cujo)
The star of Cujo might be the eponymous rabid St. Bernard, but the heroes of the story are the mother and son who are trapped in their car, trying desperately not to get mauled to death.
Before they find themselves in these dire circumstances, Donna and Tad Trenton’s home life is tested by the revelation of Donna’s affair.
Dennis Guilder & Leigh Cabot (Christine)
After the titular supernatural car gets its hooks into mild-mannered nerd Arnie and turns him into a total jerk in Christine, his best friend Dennis Guilder and his girlfriend Leigh Cabot try to intervene, but they don’t manage to save him in time.
Arnie is killed by Christine, and Dennis and Leigh team up to destroy the car once and for all. Their use of teamwork is how they manage to get rid of the evil 1958 Plymouth Fury.
Bill & Georgie Denbrough (It)
Bill Denbrough’s little brother Georgie is killed off in the opening scene of It, but his shadow is cast over the rest of the movie.
From the moment they're introduced, it’s clear that Bill and Georgie are close, and the following scenes showing Bill’s grief make that even more obvious.
David & Billy Drayton (The Mist)
Frank Darabont’s The Mist is one of the most criminally underrated Stephen King adaptations out there. Thomas Jane stars as David Drayton, a relatable everyman, who is stranded in a supermarket with his eight-year-old son Billy, played ably by Nathan Gamble, when a strange mist filled with Lovecraftian monsters descends upon the town.
Although David spends the whole movie trying to get home to his wife, The Mist is a father-son story that, without spoiling anything specific, ends tragically.
Wendy & Danny Torrance (The Shining)
The Shining is the story of a family. In the book, Jack Torrance is a good man who is turned evil by the demons in the Overlook Hotel and subsequently tries to murder his wife, Wendy, and son, Danny. But in Stanley Kubrick’s film adaptation, which King famously didn’t like, Jack hates his family from the beginning.
It’s the isolation that drives him to come after his family with an ax, not the hotel itself. This means that Wendy and Danny are in the same boat, desperately trying to survive. Jack is a pretty terrible father to Danny, but Wendy is a loving mother, so he’s at least having half a healthy upbringing.
Beverly Marsh & Ben Hanscom (It)
In the opening act of It, it becomes clear that everyone in the Losers Club is mercilessly bullied by their peers. There are also a couple of non-Losers Club members who are bullied and eventually find companionship in the club.
These include Beverly Marsh, whose abuse by her bullies is a cakewalk compared to the abuse she gets from her father, and Ben Hanscom, the new kid at school. It’s clear that Bev isn’t going to date Ben, but she still appreciates his attempts to woo her.
Paul Edgecomb & John Coffey (The Green Mile)
Although it has supernatural elements, The Green Mile is not your average Stephen King story. It’s a tragedy set on death row in which prison officer Paul Edgecomb, played by Tom Hanks, has his convictions challenged by inmate John Coffey, played by Michael Clarke Duncan.
Coffey is a Christ figure (indicated by his J.C. initials) with a heart of gold who wins over Paul by fixing his urinary problems, but is ultimately still forced to pay the piper.
Gordie LaChance & Chris Chambers (Stand By Me)
At the beginning of Rob Reiner’s Stand by Me, the quintessential coming-of-age movie adapted from King’s novella The Body, author Gordie LaChance reads that his childhood best friend, Chris Chambers, has passed away. This leads him into the movie-length flashback in which he narrates the story of himself, Chris, and two others trekking into the woods to find a dead body.
Wil Wheaton and River Phoenix share impeccable on-screen chemistry in their respective roles of Gordie and Chris, making them feel like real best friends.
Paul Sheldon & Annie Wilkes (Misery)
At its core, Misery is a two-hander. It’s about the relationship that develops between injured author Paul Sheldon and superfan Annie Wilkes after the latter saves the former from a near-fatal car wreck.
At first, it appears that Annie is genuinely concerned for Paul’s health and wants to save him. However, as the story develops and Annie is displeased with the latest Misery novel, it becomes apparent that she’s bad news and Paul is trapped in her house.
Andy Dufresne & Red (The Shawshank Redemption)
Still ranked by IMDb as the greatest film ever made, The Shawshank Redemption is a prime example of a masterpiece that wasn’t appreciated in its time. At the heart of the story is Andy Dufresne, a convict who isn’t prepared for prison, and Ellis “Red” Redding, the veteran inmate with whom he develops an unbreakable bond on the inside.
Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman share fantastic chemistry throughout the movie, anchoring the large-scale story with intimate, personal, emotional stakes.