One of Stephen King’s ‘best movies of all-time’ is now streaming on Netflix

Stephen King’s 1999 movie, The Green Mile, widely hailed as an all time classic, has just landed on Netflix.

Based on the 1996 novel from the acclaimed author, the three-hour fantasy adaptation follows a prison guard Paul Edgecomb (Tom Hanks) who encounters a Black prisoner on death row John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan), convicted of murdering two girls.

All is not as it seems, however, as Paul begins to discover both John’s soft demeanour and the supernatural gift that will change his life – and cast doubts on John’s guilt.

Since it first came out over 25 years ago, it has received spades of praise for its deeply emotional and powerfully rendered storyline, woven with the surreal yet grounded in gritty reality.

What’s more, it sees Frank Darabont return to direct another King adaptation after the knockout success of the beloved Shawshank Redemption (he returned for a final bite with 2007’s The Mist).

Needless to say, the duo seem to have cooked up more movie magic.

‘One of the best movies ever made, every bit as good as Shawshank Redemption. Every facet is phenomenal – acting, directing, production, and writing,’ Rotten Tomato user, Edward G, wrote.

‘Fantastic film. Outstanding cast, story, direction. Every detail was perfect,’ Phil D echoed.

‘Pacing was wonderful, the acting was fantastic, and it was emotionally moving. Despite the long runtime, it really felt like I was on my couch for under 2.5 hours. I was just so attentive and didn’t want to miss anything,’ Tyler S shared.

It was a sentiment shared by several critics at the time.

‘The three-hour-plus film permits the kind of detailing that not only brings the storytelling to life, but sometimes persuades us we’re breathing to its rhythms,’ Boston Globe praised.

‘Unassumingly strong, moving performances and Darabont’s durable storytelling make it a trip worth taking,’ New York Times generously bestowed.

The horror novelists screen reign has stayed on top going into 2026 with widespread praise for both his feature movie The Long Walk which came out in September and his recent horror series, IT: Welcome to Derry.

But if you’re all caught up on King, then a trip into the archives might just be the fix you need.

The Green Mile is now streaming on Netflix.

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