Director Daphné Baiwir examines not the literary work of prolific author Stephen King but the vast body of ongoing adaptations of King’s work, beginning with 1976’s Carrie, in the documentary King on Screen. With over 80 films and TV series and counting, adapting his work by over 50 directors, the horror author remains one of the most adapted in the world. King on Screen assembles talking heads to examine what it is about his literary work that translates to the screen so well and why his audience remains captive decades later. However, the documentary’s feature format struggles to encapsulate its subject’s overwhelming scope.
Baiwir begins her examination with an extended opening sequence that sees her traversing a fictional realm packed with King references. She drives through a forest, emulating the opening of The Shining, until she arrives at a shop named after the short story “In the Tall Grass.” Inside, Baiwir finds a slew of cameos and Easter eggs, highlighting that King’s work is so abundant that it’s inescapable. But this strangely acted, almost dreamlike scene makes for a jarring introduction that feels out of place. Luckily, the doc soon segues into a conventional talking heads format.
King on Screen assembles prominent filmmakers well acquainted with adapting the author’s work to explore her thesis that most Constant Readers discover the author’s work through their adaptations. Mike Flanagan, Mick Garris, Vincenzo Natali, Kevin Kolsch and Dennis Widmyer, Greg Nicotero, and Frank Darabont are among the featured interviewees delving into their love of King and what drew them to his work.
Michael Clarke Duncan in ‘The Green Mile’
Frank Darabont becomes the beating heart of the documentary as he recounts how he first met Stephen King in a fervent bid to adapt The Shawshank Redemption. Darabont’s behind-the-scenes anecdotes are infectious as he breaks down his approach to The Mist or recalls how it was Bruce Willis that led to Michael Clark Duncan‘s casting in The Green Mile. It’s these insightful and tender moments that carry King on Screen even as its ambitions and scattered approach seek to undermine them.
As the doc skips around, almost haphazardly, touching on various adaptations, the talking heads discuss subjects and films that highlight King’s ability to pen complex female characters or champion diversity. It unwittingly highlights a stark contrast of the doc’s uniformity when it comes to its interviewees. Only a small fraction of adapted works get discussed, with only a small demographic of people behind them represented on screen. It raises questions that the doc doesn’t answer.
While Baiwir successfully underscores how prolific King and his adapted works remain, King’s expansive output presents a tricky hurdle for the director to connect the interviews and talking points to a cohesive throughline. It amounts to a collection of affecting tales about King’s films, what they mean to the filmmakers that adapted them, and their lasting imprint on pop culture in a surface-level way. There’s enough efficient charm and insight here to charm casual purveyors, but Constant Readers will likely find themselves wanting more.
King on Screen screened at Panic Fest 2023, and is set to release this summer in theaters.
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