Summary
Fromthe dead coming back to life inPet Semataryto a young girl’s powerful abilities inFirestarter,Stephen Kinghas crafted many classic scary tales that have been turned into unforgettable movies. AlthoughMike Flanagan’s non-horror storyThe Life of Chuckisn’t fairing well at the box office, fans are always eager to see King adaptations. Whenthe author calls a movie terrifyingorcomments on a bad slasher, he knows what’s impressive and what’s not, and it’s always compelling to hear his recommendations.
For several years, King wrote a column forEntertainment Weeklyand shared the movies that he loved, along withthe ones that he didn’t enjoy, likeKill Bill. He had positive things to say about one popular horror movie, and it’s one that still makes an impression today.
Stephen King Once Praised The 1999 Horror Movie The Sixth Sense, And It’s Still One Of The Best Ghost Stories
In a 2007 article forEntertainment Weekly,Stephen King shared the best movies he had seen in the past 15 years, and he includedThe Sixth Sensein his list.He wrote:
“here’s a list of good films I’ve seen during the last 15 years. I’ve put an asterisk beside two — just two, mind you. These are the great ones — for me, at least.”
While King countedMystic RiverandSling Bladeas the two “great” films he had seen,his praise forThe Sixth Sensemakes sense considering the many supernatural stories he has written. Released in 1999, the film has an 86% Rotten Tomatoes rating and a 90% on the Popcornmeter.The Sixth Senseis just as impressive todayas it was when it was released.Bruce Willis stars as Dr. Malcolm Crowe, a child therapist who works with Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment), a nine-year-old who sees ghosts.
What are some other movies that Stephen King praised along withThe Sixth Sense?
Thanks toits eerie and gripping premise, the famous twist at the end, and Mischa Barton’s terrifying scene as a child named Kyra Collins,The Sixth Senseis still considered one of the most well-crafted movies of the 1990s. When compared to'90s horror movies with underwhelming villainswho didn’t scare anyone,The Sixth Senseis so frightening because it genuinely made audiences believe that ghosts exist, at least for the duration of its runtime. The movie mastered the art of the jump scare before horror fans became tired of the overused trope. It’s also a movie that has sympathetic characters and an emotional, moving tone, which sets it apart from many cheesy paranormal films.
It’s interesting thatKing also enjoyed the supernatural movieStir of Echoes, which wasreleased the month afterThe Sixth Sense.Both movies have a lot in common, althoughStir of Echoesis a more underrated film since M. Night Shyamalan’s movie overshadowed it.
Stephen King Also Liked The M. Night Shyamalan Horror Movie The Happening
Stephen King also complimented the M. Night Shyamalan movieThe Happeningin a 2008 article forEntertainment Weekly. The author wrote:
“Of Fox’s two summer creepshows, give the edge toThe Happening, partly because M. Night Shyamalan really understands fear, partly because this time he’s completely let himself go (hence the R rating), and partly because afterLady in the Waterhe had something to prove. And, happily,Happeningplays as a relatively small movie.”
Some of Shyamalan’s movies are more compelling than others, and it often comes down to just how clever the big twist is. Many preferthe ending ofThe Visittothe disappointing adaptation ofOld, which doesn’t pay off the intriguing premise. AlthoughThe Happeningwasn’t a critical hit when it was released in 2008 and only has a 17% Rotten Tomatoes rating, King praised Shyamalan’s ability to craft a scary story. Zooey Deschanel and Mark Wahlberg star as a married couple who are trying to escape a neurotoxin that causes people to take their lives. While the consensus is that the movie is lackluster, even the least impressive Shyamalan film has some frightening scenes.
