Stephen King's Top 5 Horror Recommendations For Halloween

Stephen King has five of his movies and shows to recommend for Halloween. As a master of the horror genre, Stephen King’s books, along with the many film and television adaptations of his work, are perfect for the Halloween season.

On Threads, King shared which of his movies and shows he recommends for Halloween, along with where they can be streamed. His recommendations include The Institute (MGM+ and Prime Video), 1922 (Netflix), Gerald’s Game (Netflix), Lisey’s Story (Apple TV+), and IT: Welcome to Derry (HBO Max). King also challenges viewers to seek out other adaptations as well. Check out his post below:

His suggestion to watch the IT: Welcome to Derry prequel series comes hours before the show’s premiere on HBO Max. It is based on the interlude chapters of King’s original novel and features Bill Skarsgård reprising the role of Pennywise, one of the author’s most well-known and terrifying characters.

After Welcome to Derry, The Institute is the most recent of King’s recommendations. The television adaptation released its eight episodes throughout summer 2025 and is continuing beyond The Institute season 1’s ending, with the series renewed for a second season that goes beyond the source material.

Given how many King stories Mike Flanagan has adapted now, it is fitting that King includes Gerald’s Game in his suggestions. The 2017 film was Flanagan’s first adaptation of King’s work, which has since been followed by Doctor Sleep, The Life of Chuck, and Flanagan has wrapped filming on Prime Video’s Carrie television series.

Lisey’s Story and 1922 are arguably among the more underrated Stephen King adaptations he mentions here. The former was adapted as a miniseries starring Julianne Moore and Clive Owen in 2021, while the latter is a movie from 2017 that received an impressive 92% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes.

King has not always spoken highly of how his stories have been adapted, including his infamous dislike of Stanley Kubrick’s take on The Shining. It speaks volumes for The Institute, 1922, Gerald’s Game, Lisey’s Story, and Welcome to Derry to highlight them among the many adaptations of his works.

Each of the five stories that Stephen King has recommended also offers a unique type of horror. While Welcome to Derry features a terrifying alien monster like Pennywise, The Institute‘s villains are ruthless humans who manipulate and imprison superpowered children. Some of these stories rely on more traditional scares, others are more psychologically chilling, but all are gripping tales perfect for Halloween.