10 Stephen King Movies To Watch Before It
4. The Dead Zone
The Dead Zone has a terrific central premise: If you knew in advance the atrocities someone like Hitler would go on to commit, what would you do? Would you say nothing or would you attempt to change the course of history?
That’s the choice facing Johnny Smith (Christopher Walken), who wakes from a coma to realize he can see into the future. Worst of all, his former girlfriend has “moved on” and is now a volunteer working for Greg Stillson (Martin Sheen), a senatorial candidate Johnny sees become President and order a nuclear strike against Russia.
In one of the film’s many quietly powerful scenes, Johnny puts his choice to his doctor (Herbert Lom), who lived through the Second World War. When the doc replies that he would “kill the son of a bitch”, Johnny attempts to do just that, setting in motion a series of events that will change the world.
Both book and movie received a boost in March 2016 when King tweeted: “Populist demagogues like He Who Must Not Be Named aren’t a new thing. See The Dead Zone, published 37 years ago.” In light of recent events, you should probably cancel any trips to Moscow (or anywhere else).