“Stephen King – The Necessary Evil”

Over 400 million books have been sold and film adaptations of his works can hardly be counted: Stephen King is undoubtedly one of the best-known and most influential writers in contemporary literature. And in his case, that now means a period of almost half a century.

Hardly any other author has had the privilege of being as successful and productive over so many decades. At times, several works by the now 74-year-old were published in certain years.

Who can claim to really know his (complete) work? (We at least know someone there…) The fact is that King has had a decisive influence on the literary genres of horror and fantasy since the 1970s, that he emulates his mentor Richard Matheson and has a very idiosyncratic approach to the fantastic with links to childhood as a special area of ​​experience . Anyone who has held a book of Kings in their hands knows the US city of Maine.

But what else determines the narrative worlds of the author? A French documentary directed by Julien Dupuy primarily asks about the meaning of evil in King’s work. With rare interviews, it even uncovers a humanistic program behind the murky worlds that may have been constructed with the tools of trivial fiction, but illustrate social problems and expose very concrete demons of the American people.

“Stephen King – The Necessary Evil”: January 21, arte, 11:20 p.m. (stream until March 21)