10 Best Films About Writer's Block

As discussed, one of Stephen King's favourite tropes is that of the tortured writer. And although David Koepp's Secret Window – from King's novella Secret Window, Secret Garden – doesn't feature an alcoholic, there is something clearly...off about Mort Rainey. Mainly, his quirkiness can be attributed to Johnny Depp's eccentric, surprisingly nuanced performance (this was just before Depp's acting became more caricature).

But King's twist-driven thriller remains one of the better, if predictable, filmic realizations of the author's work. Rainey holes up in a cabin to finish a new work he can't seem to start, all the while tormented by a strange Southerner (John Turturro) who claims that he stole a short story of his. It was screenwriter Koepp's third foray into directing, and he manages to attach a sense of style that works in tandem with Depp's performance.

The less said about their later collaboration, Mortedecai, the better.