Stephen King Reveals His 10 Favorite Movies of All Time

Several prominent American writers have made significant impacts on popular culture, but few can compare to Stephen King’s success and influence. Since publishing his debut novel, “Carrie,” more than half a century ago, he has left an indelible mark on collective cultural consciousness much like Mark Twain did before him (though that’s quite a comparison!). Known for inspiring numerous films-both masterpieces and some less successful adaptations-it comes as no surprise that King is a passionate movie enthusiast. According to Deadline, King recently revealed his personal top ten favorite movies of all time on social media, each one a cinematic classic without any duds in the mix.

Here are ten films that rank among my favorites, with the exceptions of MISERY, SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, THE GREEN MILE, and STAND BY ME. These movies aren’t listed in any specific order:

* SORCERER
* GODFATHER II
* THE GETAWAY
* GROUNDHOG DAY
* CASABLANCA
* TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE
* JAWS
* MEAN STREETS
* CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE 3rd KIND
* DOUBLE INDEMNITY

— Stephen King (@StephenKing) September 8, 2025

King’s choices in films are quite robust overall, with the majority hailing from a specific era. Given that Stephen King was born in September 1947, just nine months after another influential American figure, Steven Spielberg, it’s no wonder two iconic Spielberg classics made it onto King’s top ten list. His preference for movies tends to lean towards the Boomer generation, as many of them are films he watched growing up, such as Casablanca and Double Indemnity, or those released during his twenties and thirties. Let’s not judge him for that. After all, it’s likely your own all-time favorites stem from your childhood to your mid-to-late twenties, when one is at their most impressionable.

Amongst the top ten films that King prefers, only one is an outright comedy – the 1993 time loop movie starring Bill Murray titled “Groundhog Day”. This film is considered one of the funniest movies ever made, which explains its inclusion on his list. Interestingly, King excluded any films based on his own works, so titles like “The Shawshank Redemption”, “Stand By Me”, “The Green Mile”, and “Misery” were not part of the selection. Additionally, no mention was made of “The Shining”, a film that, to be candid, might find itself on King’s list of least favorite films. However, in our opinion, it doesn’t belong there. My apologies for any disappointment, Steve.

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2025-09-10 01:04