[Fantastic Fest ’22] ‘King on Screen’ review: Examining the cinematic works of Stephen King

King on Screen is a documentary about the cinematic works of Stephen King making its world premiere at Fantastic Fest. King has been a fixture of movies and television since Carrie premiered in 1976. Filmmaker Daphne Baiwir has been a huge fan of the author going back to childhood and has put together a film that is both insightful and informative using a mix of personal stories,, behind the scenes footage, and clips to showcase the impact of the iconic writer.  

Even those who have never picked up one of King’s books are familiar with him. His contributions to horror are easy to locate. The catalog of King adaptations include Oscar winners and box office hits. Naturally, King on Screen touches on these. Baiwir is keen on the fact that King’s influence reaches many different levels, however. To that end, the documentary also makes sure to include other themes that are prevalent in his works.

King has always had a knack for writing coming of age stories. Many directors talk about how these adventures were their introduction into King’s works. There is also talk about some of his more inspirational tales. The documentary has an interesting discussion about the political nature of his works, and there are even tidbits about what shaped him as a creator.

This does a great job of painting a complete picture of the author. There is no doubting Stephen King is a horror icon, but King on Screen focuses on just how good he is at crafting stories. Comprehensive documentaries tend to have a long run time. This is especially true of horror. It is impossible to tell the complete story of King in under two hours, but what is covered is still impressive. Using around thirty hours of footage, Baiwir is able to get to the heart of what makes the horror icon so important to so many.

As with any documentary that focuses on a specific subject, the question becomes whether it will appeal to a mass audience. King is such a well known commodity, this is less of an issue. The Easter egg filled opening is a great example. Hardcore King fans will enjoy trying to pick everything out, but even those with a cursory knowledge of him will enjoy it.

King on Screen is showing at Fantastic Fest