While Stephen King himself has undoubtedly impacted the world of horror in general, his bloodiest story redefined the genre forever. For years, the author has been referred to as the King of Horror, and this is a title that is very much deserved. From Pennywise the Clown to Randall Flagg, Stephen King’s best villains have kept both readers and audiences on their toes. However, there has always been one particular story that has stood out because of its influence on the horror movie genre.

While there have been some great Stephen King adaptations in 2025, many of his older works are absolute classics. Despite being released in the 1980s and ’90s, several Stephen King movies have continued to inspire other horror titles, like The Shining, The Shawshank Redemption, and Misery, for example. But the one Stephen King story that really, truly, redefined the horror genre forever was Carrie.

Stephen King’s ‘Carrie’ Changed the Horror Genre Massively

Carrie was Stephen King’s first published novel and was released in 1974. Within two years, Carrie was adapted for the silver screen, which proved to the world that King’s works made great movies. However, back in 1976, Stephen King had no idea that his first major project would redefine the horror genre forever, nor would it become one of the best religious horror movies of all time.

For a long time, the horror genre relied heavily on overused tropes and somewhat repeated storylines. While there were others that attempted something similar, Carrie was the first title to fully lean into the idea of how female “hysteria,” as it were, could result in truly disastrous revenge. The character of Carrie White wasn’t a typical horror movie lead at the time. The premise of the film, at a glance, seemed to be about a teenage girl who suffered abuse at the hands of pretty much all of those around her. With a high school backdrop and a story that initially focused on the trivial importance of prom night, the implementation of a bullied character was only natural. Nobody expected someone of her character archetype to snap, but especially not Carrie White.

However, Stephen King’s Carrie ​​​​​​taught both readers and audiences that someone like Carrie White should not be underestimated, especially when supernatural powers are involved. Because she wasn’t a stereotypical horror lead or even antagonist, Carrie White’s rampage was even more impressive. The titular character might not have been the very first of her kind, but she was certainly the most notable.

Carrie was, and still is, a hugely influential title in the horror movie genre. Since its release in 1976, several other films have taken inspiration from Carrie. For example, the likes of Jennifer‘s Body, Ginger Snaps, Look Away, and The Craft all have thematic parallels. Even Stephen King’s Firestarter, which was published in 1980 and adapted for the screen in both 1984 and 2022, can be compared to Carrie ​​​​​​to a certain degree. To this day, audiences still love Carrie White’s unhinged story, and the audience response to Mike Flanagan’s upcoming Carrie adaptation proves that.