Stephen King Loves These 10 Netflix Thrillers

Constant reader and writer Stephen King is also a habitual viewer. While I like to think of myself as the queen of television binge-watching, my tiara doesn’t shine as brightly in comparison to the number of thrillers King views most weeks. While he’s seemingly streamer agnostic, we’ve noticed many of the titles he seems to love are Netflix originals.

So, I compiled a list of 10 tense titles streaming on the app that the beloved author is obsessed with. After all, who better to take recommendations from than the King of Horror? I’ll see myself out. 

Dark (2017)

A missing child is at the center of a mystery that spans three generations and includes four families. King thought the sci-fi series was terrific, and described it as “dark and complex…and…well…very German.” He even recommended a recap series to help new fans keep all the details straight, so we can assume he binged all three seasons.

The Diplomat (2023)

A diplomat juggles an international crisis and a rocky marriage in this political thriller. While most of us were just happy to see Keri Russell return to TV so soon after The Americans, the recommendation from Stephen King drove us to move it much higher up the watchlist. Uncle Stephen seemed to dig it and praised it for its sharp dialogue and lack of teen angst. 

Kleo (2022)

A former spy killer seeks revenge against the people who betrayed her in this action-packed series set in 1989. King tweeted, “What a breath of fresh air! Suspenseful and also very funny.” That’s how most of us found out about this darkly comedic German thriller, and what a win for weirdos like us with Netflix subscriptions. 

The Haunting Of Hill House (2018)

A fractured family haunted by memories of their past must confront the terrifying events that happened to them in the past. This adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House is what started a chain of Netflix collaborations with Mike Flanagan. Flanagan is not only a fan of Stephen King but has also been known to adapt a novel or two (Gerald’s Game and Doctor Sleep). So, we imagine King’s praise for his series was received very well. 

Midnight Mass (2021)

Unexplanable events plague an isolated island community after the arrival of a mysterious priest. Many people couldn’t help comparing this Mike Flanagan series to some of King’s own work. So, we love that he watched it before it hit Netflix and reminded the people this, “beautifully photographed terror” would be streaming soon. While the Midnight Mass bandwagon grew quickly, it is very cool that King was one of the first viewers.

Mindhunter (2017 – 2019)

Two FBI agents investigating the psychology behind murder find themselves in over their heads. This is another period piece that Stephen King couldn’t get enough of. This thriller is inspired by the non-fiction book Mindhunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit by John Douglas and Mark Olshaker. This chilling series kept audiences in their seats for two seasons, so King was correct again. 

Mr. Harrigan’s Phone (2022)

A teen befriends an old man, who gives him a phone that allows him to continue contacting him after he dies. This PG-13 movie stars Donald Sutherland (Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992))and Jaeden Martell (The Lodge and Arcadian). It is also based on the Stephen King novel of the same name. Because King is very vocal about which movie adaptations of his books he enjoys, many of us leaned in when he called an early cut of the film “brilliant.”

The Stranger (2020)

A Stranger exposes the secrets and lies of suburban families in this limited series. When King describes something as an “Excellent mystery. Addictive,” we all turn our TVs on. This thriller was no exception to the rule, and we were lucky he led us to this UK chiller. If you like a little mess with your mystery, this might be the series for you.

Stranger Things: Season 4 (2022)

A boy’s disappearance is just the beginning of a small town’s battle with supernatural forces and government secrets. Like many of us, King has been a day one fan of this series. Also, like most of us, he found the fourth season to be “really cool–as good or better than the previous three.” He even got a kick out of the Carrie riff some people missed while thirsting after the newer cast members. King was having such a good time that he was bummed he had to wait for Volume 2 to drop. 

The Tourist (2022 -2024)

A man wakes up with amnesia in the Australian outback and has to work fast to figure out his identity because he’s in danger, girl. This is another Netflix series that Stephen King was there for on day #1. After taking in the first episode, he called it, “flat-out terrific. Exciting, suspenseful, mysterious.” This was more than enough to send his fans over to the streamer in droves to check out both seasons of this Jamie Dornan-led thriller.

Have you seen these 10 thrilling Netflix titles? If so, do you share the same levels of excitement that Stephen King does? Do you have a favorite? Let me know at @misssharai.

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