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Needful Things

  • 1993
  • R
  • 2h 1m
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
30K
YOUR RATING
Needful Things (1993)
Theatrical Trailer from Columbia Pictures
Play trailer2:00
1 Video
38 Photos
Dark FantasySupernatural HorrorCrimeDramaFantasyHorrorThriller

A mysterious new shop opens in a small town which always seems to stock the deepest desires of each shopper, with a price far heavier than expected.A mysterious new shop opens in a small town which always seems to stock the deepest desires of each shopper, with a price far heavier than expected.A mysterious new shop opens in a small town which always seems to stock the deepest desires of each shopper, with a price far heavier than expected.

  • Director
    • Fraser C. Heston
  • Writers
    • Stephen King
    • W.D. Richter
  • Stars
    • Max von Sydow
    • Ed Harris
    • Bonnie Bedelia
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.3/10
    30K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Fraser C. Heston
    • Writers
      • Stephen King
      • W.D. Richter
    • Stars
      • Max von Sydow
      • Ed Harris
      • Bonnie Bedelia
    • 139User reviews
    • 69Critic reviews
    • 43Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 7 nominations total

    Videos1

    Needful Things
    Trailer 2:00
    Needful Things

    Photos38

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    Top Cast29

    Edit
    Max von Sydow
    Max von Sydow
    • Leland Gaunt
    • (as Max Von Sydow)
    Ed Harris
    Ed Harris
    • Sheriff Alan Pangborn
    Bonnie Bedelia
    Bonnie Bedelia
    • Polly Chalmers
    Amanda Plummer
    Amanda Plummer
    • Nettie Cobb
    J.T. Walsh
    J.T. Walsh
    • Danforth Keeton III
    Ray McKinnon
    Ray McKinnon
    • Deputy Norris Ridgewick
    Duncan Fraser
    Duncan Fraser
    • Hugh Priest
    Valri Bromfield
    Valri Bromfield
    • Wilma Jerzyck
    Shane Thomas Meier
    Shane Thomas Meier
    • Brian Rusk
    • (as Shane Meier)
    William Morgan Sheppard
    William Morgan Sheppard
    • Father Meehan
    • (as W. Morgan Sheppard)
    Don S. Davis
    Don S. Davis
    • Reverend Rose
    Campbell Lane
    Campbell Lane
    • Frank Jewett
    Eric Schneider
    Eric Schneider
    • Henry Beaufort
    Frank C. Turner
    Frank C. Turner
    • Pete Jerzyck
    Gillian Barber
    Gillian Barber
    • Myrtle Keeton
    Deborah Wakeham
    Deborah Wakeham
    • Myra
    Tamsin Kelsey
    Tamsin Kelsey
    • Sheila Ratcliff
    Lochlyn Munro
    Lochlyn Munro
    • John LaPointe
    • Director
      • Fraser C. Heston
    • Writers
      • Stephen King
      • W.D. Richter
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews139

    6.329.7K
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    Featured reviews

    7Kooozey

    A hilarious dark comedy and maybe the most underrated movie ever

    There's just nothing wrong with this movie, really. It's a rare case where critics absolutely blew it. It has a great plot idea, great actors and is generally entertaining as hell, even after having watched it four times or more.

    Much of the criticism doesn't make any sense to me. Someone wrote that the town was ugly from the beginning. Well, otherwise it would be way less realistic. Gaunt used the ugly stuff that was already there to destroy the place and it's citizens, that's what Ed Harris' whole soliloquy at the end was all about. Some critics say it's unpleasant and depressing. I just don't see how. Don't watch any movies about say war then, if this is too dark or too ugly for you. What the hell. Personally i laughed a great deal. It's not a master piece by any means, but a good dark comedy. A fun little movie.
    5rhonda_karen

    Needful Things

    I love Stephen King, and I've tried to see as many of the movie adaptations of his books as possible. I haven't read a Stephen King book I didn't like - and Needful Things was the first Stephen King book I ever read, so it has a special spot for me. I think this was a pretty good movie, but could have been better if made into a mini-series and more of the stories in the plot could have been developed more fully. I realize this isn't always possible, but in the case of this movie, so many important plot twists were left out it was kind of hard to recognize the story. I think the casting was pretty good and this is a cute little movie to watch if you have some time to kill. But I definitely recommend that you pick up the book and read it if you want the whole story. You'll be shocked to see how much was left out.
    7Horror-yo

    Very interesting classic concept, good smooth two-hour long picture

    Critics would always find this too mainstream just on account it's a Stephen King story and it deserved better.

    I haven't read the novel, but I'd say the essence of the story and with it all of the various articulations of the morals are carried out well enough to produce an effect on the viewer. However classic the main theme is, "careful what you wish for", selling your soul to the devil for a mere material item (for 30 pieces of silver) etc... it's still developed in a way that is unique enough that it makes for a compelling watch.

    Ed Harris (order) vs von Sydow (chaos) in a small town setting, with pretty relevant humor dished out on the side throughout (that guy and the jukebox, the priest and reverend feud, "BUSTER"...), in a good paced highly eventful film with spirit that never feels like it drags on, and with the metaphorical aspects (whether innuendos in the dialogue, or elements in the decor...) depicted with care during all two hours of it, all in all makes for a pretty good deal.
    6ma-cortes

    A rare shopkeeper comes to a little American town happening weird deeds

    A strange person comes to a little town named Castle Rock(similarly the name of this movie production) , he's a shopkeeper(Max Von Sidow) delivering fantastic objects to the people, but the items surge an evil forces , terrorizing and originating wreak havoc. The sheriff(Ed Harris) suspects on the scheming seller and owner an antique shop, then he now encounters himself in the middle of a mayhem. The perplexing sheriff attempts to warn everybody his hidden intentions and malignant powers .

    The fantastic picture packs weird events, fantasy, irony, some of humor and is quite entertaining. Cast is frankly excellent as Ed Harris, Max Von Sidow, Bonnie Bedelia and magnificent support cast as Amanda Plummer,Morgan Shepard,Ray McKinnon,Don S Davis and the deceased J.T. Walsh as an overacting character. Atmospheric musical score by Patrick Doyle including frightening chores coincidentally to Jerry Goldsmith's Omen film and colorful cinematography by Anthony Westman. This is an acceptable big screen directorial debut for Charlton Heston's son, named Fraser C Heston though the outcome isn't as good as you'd expect. Written by W. D. Ritcher, a Sci-Fi expert which seem doesn't improve in the transition from page to screen and based on horror master Stephen King's bestselling novel of the same title. King movies rendition are converting as prolific as his novels, from ¨Creepshow¨ along with ¨Cats's eye¨, ¨Silver bullet¨,¨Maximum overdrive¨ unique directed by King and various TV take on as ¨Rose red, The storm of the century,The stand,Golden years and Langoliers¨ have been numerous his adaptations. Rating : Passable and acceptable .
    G.Spider

    An entertaining film.

    I have never read the King novel 'Needful Things' and so can't compare it with this film one way or the other.

    But this film, about a mysterious character who sets up a shop in which local residents find various treasures and are then tricked into perpetrating horrors against their neighbours, is entertaining and contains some good characters and marvelously black comedy. Though there are a few cheesy moments (like that ridiculous model which is supposed to represent a skinned dog), the film is still a winner. Max Von Sydow is good as the literally devilish owner of the Needful Things store and the climax is nicely-done.

    Stephen King Movie Adaptations, Ranked

    Stephen King Movie Adaptations, Ranked

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    Related interests

    Doug Jones and Ivana Baquero in Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
    Dark Fantasy
    Daveigh Chase in The Ring (2002)
    Supernatural Horror
    James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Sharon Angela, Max Casella, Dan Grimaldi, Joe Perrino, Donna Pescow, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Tony Sirico, and Michael Drayer in The Sopranos (1999)
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    Drama
    Elijah Wood in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
    Fantasy
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    Horror
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    Thriller

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Stephen King's original novel also featured a return appearance by Ace Merrill, the bully played by Kiefer Sutherland in Stand by Me (1986).
    • Goofs
      One man buys a first edition, signed copy of "Treasure Island" by Robert Louis Stevenson. In later scenes, he and the little girl who stole it refer to the title as "Huck Finn" by Mark Twain. In the video and DVD release, his words are dubbed over to correct the mistake. On the television broadcast, the mistake was not corrected. This is an audio mismatch and a continuity error, depending on which version you saw.
    • Quotes

      [after Buster drives himself and Gaunt into Gaunt's shop and blows it up, Gaunt emerges from the ruins, completely unscathed]

      Leland Gaunt: [stepping through the debris] Oh... you know, there are days I really hate this job. This is not my best work, not by a long shot. Oh, sure, a few murders and a couple of rather lovely explosions. I would hardly call it a rousing success, but what the hell? I'll be back.

      [to Alan]

      Leland Gaunt: In the meantime, you and Polly, you are two terrific kids, and you'll marry her. Trust me. She's a lovely girl, Alan. You'll have a wonderful family. Oh, by the way, give my regards to your grandson. Bob will be his name, international trade his game. I'll see him in Jakarta. 2053, August 14th, 10 a.m. A nice, sunny day. We'll make headlines.

    • Alternate versions
      On May 22, 1996, the TBS network aired a 187-minute extended edition. The extra footage includes more of the citizens of Castle Rock and their lives, namely the character of Cora Rusk, played by Lisa Blount, shown only in passing in the current version.
    • Connections
      Featured in Joe Bob's Drive-In Theater: Viki Williamson Night (1995)
    • Soundtracks
      Achy Breaky Heart
      Written by Don Von Tress

      Performed by Billy Ray Cyrus

      Courtesy of Mercury/Nashville

      By Arrangement with PolyGram Special Markets

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 27, 1993 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United States
      • Canada
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Pacto con el diablo
    • Filming locations
      • Gibsons Landing, Gibsons, British Columbia, Canada
    • Production companies
      • Castle Rock Entertainment
      • New Line Cinema
      • North Shore Studios
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $15,185,672
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $5,202,478
      • Aug 29, 1993
    • Gross worldwide
      • $15,185,672
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 2h 1m(121 min)
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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