Stephen King names The Cycle his favorite horror film of 2026 as it climbs streaming charts

Stephen King fans have had plenty of content to enjoy over the past few years, and with such a surplus of source material to draw from, movies and shows inspired by his writings likely aren't going anywhere anytime soon. Looking back to 2025, King had three feature film adaptations of his work, starting with The Life of Chuck and continuing with The Long Walk and The Running Man. The Long Walk was the only film of the bunch to find success at the box office, but all three movies have been thrust into the spotlight thanks to various runs of streaming success in 2026. This year, King has had one of the most popular shows in the world thanks to Prime Video's Carrie series, which has already been picked up for a second season.

In addition to the many projects based on his work that are released every year, Stephen King is also not shy about sharing his thoughts on movies and TV shows in which he has no involvement. The latest project to earn the Stephen King seal of approval is The Cycle, the new horror movie that the author described as The Thing meets Silence of the Lambs. The film stars Deborah Ann Woll, best known for her role as Karen Page in Marvel's Daredevil series — she will also be seen starring as Laufey in the new God of War game coming out in February. The Cycle is streaming on both Shudder and AMC+ right now, and the film has crept into the top 10 on both platforms as it continues to rise in the ranks by the day.

What Is 'The Cycle' About?

The Cycle was written and directed by Jordan Downey, with Kevin Stewart also contributing to the script. The horror film also stars Jeffrey Donovan, Jack Doolan, and Will Hochman, best known for playing Joe Hill in Blue Bloods. The Cycle tells the story of a daughter tasked with unraveling the mystery of her dead father after his body, missing for over 30 years, is found at the center of a horrific crime scene. The Cycle holds a strong 95% from critics and a solid 68% from audiences on the aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes.