John Carpenter's Films - Ranked From Worst To Best

9. Christine (1983)

Pros: Surprisingly effective suspense sequences. Great fifties soundtrack. One of the better King adaptations

Cons: The killer car premise is a little hard to take seriously. Weird teen dramedy elements. Takes a while to get going

Overall: There aren't many directors who could make a film about a killer care suspenseful or scary but Carpenter just about manages to do both in Christine, an adaptation of a Stephen King novel. Such was King's popularity at the time that production on the film started before the book had even been released.

Usually, that would spell trouble, but under Carpenter's assured direction Christine turns out to be a pretty nifty film that is surprisingly free of cheap gimmicks. That's not to say it's not ridiculous, because it absolutely is, but at least it's fun and has some standout scenes (such as the one where Christine forces herself down an alleyway that is far too narrow).