/indigomusic/media/media_files/2025/09/17/feature-stephen-king-2025-09-17-12-33-53.png)
Even the master of horror, Stephen King, admits that certain films manage to frighten him. At 77, the legendary author opened up about the one movie that truly unsettled him while appearing in the new documentary 'Chain Reactions.'
King recalled that he first saw 'The Blair Witch Project' in 1999 while recovering in the hospital after a serious accident. He was in considerable pain and on strong medication at the time, watching the now-iconic found footage film with his son, Joe Hill. As the story of lost filmmakers wandering through cursed woods unfolded, Stephen King said he became increasingly disturbed by the eerie symbols hanging in the trees and the escalating tension. Eventually, he had to ask his son to switch it off—something he rarely does with horror.
Despite being "case-hardened" from decades of writing and consuming scary stories, King explained that once in a while, a film digs deep enough to get under his skin truly, and this was one of those rare occasions.
/filters:format(webp)/indigomusic/media/media_files/2025/09/17/stephen-king3-2025-09-17-12-33-53.jpg)
Image Courtesy: Getty
The documentary 'Chain Reactions,' directed by Alexandre O. Philippe, explores the lasting impact of Tobe Hooper’s 1974 classic 'The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.' Stephen King, along with other notable voices such as Patton Oswalt, Takashi Miike, and Karyn Kusama, reflects on how groundbreaking low-budget horror films shaped the genre.
Stephen King's Views on 'The Blair Witch Project'
Stephen King compared 'The Blair Witch Project' to Hooper's infamous masterpiece, pointing out that both were made with minimal budgets and amateur-style camerawork, which only amplified their realism. For him, the fear works best when the audience can’t quite see what's happening, allowing imagination to fill in the blanks.
He also shared his experience watching 'The Texas Chain Saw Massacre' for the first time in 1982. At the time, he was a struggling young father writing to keep ahead of bills. Sitting almost alone in a Colorado theatre, the raw, washed-out visuals and unpolished performances convinced him the film felt disturbingly real. He noted that the lack of Hollywood artifice and the gritty authenticity of everyday people made the horror resonate more deeply.
/filters:format(webp)/indigomusic/media/media_files/2025/09/17/stephen-king2-2025-09-17-12-33-53.jpg)
Image Courtesy: Getty
Beyond his reflections on genre-defining films, Stephen King remains creatively active. Earlier this year, he released a dark retelling of 'Hansel and Gretel' with illustrations by Maurice Sendak and also voiced the audiobook version. His latest novel, 'Never Flinch,' arrived in May.
'Chain Reactions' opens in New York and Los Angeles on 19th September, expanding nationwide on 26th September, offering fans an unmissable deep dive into the enduring influence of horror's most unsettling classics.
