The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Moving drama based on the story by Stephen King. An innocent man (Tim Robbins) is imprisoned for a double murder he did not commit. In jail he has a profound effect on those around him – in particular, his friend Red (Morgan Freeman). But the ongoing brutality and corruption of the staff means that he’s intent on finding his freedom.

I like the way it’s deliberately paced slowly to mirror the slowness of prison life. You can feel the decades dripping past, but it’s never boring. I also like the way it’s uplifting without being trite or sentimental. Indeed, there’s plenty of violence to balance any cuteness.

Tim Robbins has a quiet magnetism about him. He says little but he makes every word count. 

I also like the way that the escape itself makes up only a tiny part of the overall drama. The real story is about incarceration and friendship.

The Shining (1980)

Stanley Kubrick's terrifying, mesmerising classic both adapts and adds to the Stephen King horror novel.

Jack Torrence (Jack Nicholson) and his wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall) spend the winter snowed in at the remote Overlook Hotel in Colorado. Their son, Danny (Danny Lloyd), has a special gift of telepathy – also known as shining. As isolation takes hold, Jack suffers a mental decline that is only accelerated by supernatural events.

Nicholson is superb in the lead role – both funny and convincingly insane.

The music is incredible. It's hugely atmospheric. The "tricycle" scenes around the lonely corridors are hypnotic. The psychological domestic drama is perfectly blended with a supernatural thriller. It's surreal and impressionistic, but with a strong narrative pull.

Christine (1983)

John Carpenter's superb adaptation of the classic Stephen King novel about a haunted car. It also functions as a teen drama.

It's scary, thanks to expert pacing and also Carpenter's ominous, exciting music. The film looks terrific, too, and is visually striking.

It's in love with America: a celebration of cars, cheerleaders, drive-ins, and rock 'n' roll.

As well as the horror element, it's a story about friendship and growing up. There's very strong characterisation. Keith Gordon plays Arnie Cunningham, the nerdy boy who buys the 1958 Plymouth Fury and is quickly possessed by her. John Stockwell plays his friend Dennis, and Alexandra Paul plays Leigh Cabot, a new girl at school that both Arnie and Dennis are drawn to. Harry Dean Stanton plays the investigating detective.

Misery (1990)

Brilliant adaptation of the Stephen King novel. 

A writer (James Caan) crashes his car in a snowstorm and is rescued by his “number-one fan” (Kathy Bates), who unfortunately turns out to be a psychopath. She keeps him in her home against his will and forces him to write another book, while regularly having violent episodes and taking out her anger on him. 

The real genius of this tightly plotted film is the bleakly humorous thread running through it. Director Rob Reiner somehow makes this terrifying saga into a black comedy. Kathy Bates is cartoonishly scary, and judges it just right. 

The suspense is almost unbearable – especially when Caan is exploring the empty house as Bates is driving back to it – and there are a couple of absolutely unforgettable scenes.