Stephen King's Underrated Time-Travel Series Is an Instant Netflix Hit

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2025 was another big year for fans of Stephen King, with the release of the critically acclaimed dystopian thriller The Long Walk and Edgar Wright's take on The Running Man just two of the many King-influenced projects to arrive. King's work isn't just current; it is enduring, with plenty of adaptations of his work from yesteryear also finding streaming success alongside newer releases. This trend has now continued into 2026, with the first full week of the year seeing an underrated King adaptation enter the Netflix top ten.

At the time of writing, the ambitious sci-fi thriller, 11.22.63, is one of the ten most-streamed titles on Netflix in the U.S. Having only just debuted on the streamer on January 7, the series has been an instant success and outperformed tough competition, including the likes of Emily in Paris and The Beast in Me. Originally released in 2016, the eight-episode miniseries is an adaptation of King's best-selling 2011 novel of the same name and stars James Franco in one of his most underrated roles. Boasting an 83% approval rating from critics and 88% from audiences on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, a synopsis for 11.22.63 reads:

"James Franco plays the role of Jake Epping, an ordinary high school teacher, who is presented with a chance to change history. When a longtime friend (Chris Cooper) shows Jake how to travel back in time, he tasks Jake with a mission he has been trying in vain to complete: stopping the assassination of John F. Kennedy on Nov. 22, 1963, and solving one of the biggest mysteries of the 20th century. Jake quickly learns that the past does not want to be changed, and that his attempts to divert the course of history can quickly turn dangerous."

Another Famous Writer's New Series Is Topping the Netflix Charts

King is a mainstay on the streaming charts, and, at this time of year, so is another prolific writer: Harlan Coben. The latest adaptation in the partnership between Coben and Netflix was released on New Year's Day, and is still topping the streaming charts today, despite competition from the Duffer Brothers’ Stranger Things. The series is titled Run Away, and has earned plenty of praise from both critics and fans for keeping viewers on the edge of their seats with a typically twisting mystery tale.

11.22.63 is streaming now on Netflix. Make sure to stay tuned to Collider for the latest streaming stories.