It’s easy to forget just how much good stuff is buried deep in the Apple TV+ catalog. For every headline-making hit like “Ted Lasso” or “Slow Horses,” there are smaller, quieter projects that slipped under the radar — sometimes unfairly so. The Stephen King adaptation “Lisey’s Story” is arguably one of them.
Based on what the author has called his favorite of all his novels, the 8-episode miniseries on Apple’s streamer blends mystery, romance, and psychological horror into something that’s as much about grief as it is about supernatural danger. King himself adapted the book for television, giving the show a patina of creative authenticity.
Starring Julianne Moore and Clive Owen, “Lisey’s Story” stands out (at least to viewers like me) for its haunting visual style. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, for sure, but if you don’t mind horror and you’re willing to slow down and let it draw you in — it’s quite possible that you’ll find yet another Apple TV+ gem hiding right here in plain sight.
A Stephen King Apple TV+ adaptation that deserves a second look
When King spoke to Variety in 2017, he singled out “Lisey’s Story” as the one book he most wanted to see adapted — specifically because TV, unlike film, could give it the space it needed. He compared most book-to-movie adaptations to “sitting on a suitcase,” cramming too much story into too little time. A limited series, he explained, could give his narrative sufficient space to “breathe,” just as a series like Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” had done so well.
Apple TV+ gave him exactly that: Eight hours to unpack the novel’s mix of romance, trauma, and the eerie otherworld known as Boo’ya Moon. The result is a slow-burn psychological thriller anchored by Moore’s quietly devastating performance as a widow piecing together her late husband’s hidden life.
Though it never reached the cultural saturation of “The Morning Show” or “Severance,” “Lisey’s Story” nevertheless found a core group of fans. On Reddit, for example, viewers have praised its acting, production values, and emotional depth — and some even say it inspired them to pick up the novel afterward. Bottom line: For subscribers to Apple’s streaming platform looking beyond the obvious hits, “Lisey’s Story” might be a story worth your time — especially if you’re a Stephen King fan.
