Review of Needful Things (1993) by John K — 08 Jun 2011

A Stephen King export with some star power, Needful Things is a high budget entry in the King catalog. Max Von Sydow plays a fairly trite villain who manipulates the simple townspeople of Castlerock by selling them their deepest material wishes in exchange for sinister deeds.

Ed Harris gives a rather typical role as good natured law man his full enthusiasm. The story is standard King faire and the script offers no real surprises. It is a decisively competent and efficient horror film that will appeal to a wide audience.

There is a choice scene where two ladies fight to the death with a meat cleaver and butcher knife that offers the film's best and most intense moment. That scene alone makes it worth sitting through.