Every Stephen King Movie Ranked Worst To Best
1. Stand By Me (1986)
"I never had any friends like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?"
On the surface, Stand By Me is about four friends (Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman and Jerry O'Connell) who head out one day to find a missing dead body.
Deeper than that, though, it's a film that captures the aching heart of Stephen King's greatest creations - a film about confronting fears, ourselves and each other in a world will always try to hold us down.
It's also a beautiful ode to friendship, with its young cast capturing a world of authentic feeling in their love for each other (particularly a fired-up Feldman and wise Phoenix), whether they're making jokes, pulling pranks, or admitting devastating truths about their lives.
Based on the novella "The Body," Stand By Me may not be a horror flick, but it is King at his most human and universally affecting. It's simply the best.