Needful Things
Movie, 1993, Castle Rock, Set in A new shop in town
Needful Things is #15 of 42 in release order and #34 of 42 in chronological order in the Stephen King Universe.
The story
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.
Needful Things recap
Needful Things (1993) brings a mysterious antiques dealer to Castle Rock, Maine, whose shop sells each customer the one thing they most want. Fraser C. Heston directs Max von Sydow as Leland Gaunt and Ed Harris as Sheriff Alan Pangborn. Gaunt asks a small price plus a "prank" on a neighbour, and he chooses the pranks to set old grudges alight. A boy, Brian Rusk, smears mud on Wilma Jerzyck's sheets; Wilma blames the fragile Nettie Cobb (Amanda Plummer), and the two women kill each other. Town selectman Danforth "Buster" Keeton (J.T. Walsh), a gambler embezzling public money, sinks into paranoia and kills his wife. Gaunt gives Polly Chalmers (Bonnie Bedelia), Alan's fiancee, a charm that eases her arthritis and turns her against Alan. The church is bombed, and the town erupts in a riot.
Needful Things ending explained
Needful Things ends with Gaunt walking away from the ruins of his shop. Alan stops the riot and shows the townspeople how Gaunt played them against each other. Buster comes out wired with explosives; Alan almost talks him down, but Gaunt taunts him, and Buster pushes Gaunt through the shop window, setting off the bomb. Gaunt steps out of the wreckage unharmed, says it was not his best work, tells Alan and Polly he will see their grandson in 2053, and drives away.
Post-credits scenes
No. Needful Things has no mid- or post-credits scene.
Where to watch Needful Things
Needful Things is streaming on YouTube (free) in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 6.3/10, Rotten Tomatoes 33%
Where it fits
- Release order: after It, before The Shawshank Redemption.
- Chronological order: after Stand by Me, before Castle Rock.
What to watch before Needful Things
In release order, the essentials before Needful Things (1993) are The Dead Zone (1983), Cujo (1983), and Stand by Me (1986).
Cast
- Max von Sydow as Leland Gaunt
- Ed Harris as Sheriff Alan Pangborn
- Bonnie Bedelia as Polly Chalmers
- J.T. Walsh as Danforth Keeton III
- Valri Bromfield as Wilma Jerzyk
- Ray McKinnon as Deputy Norris Ridgewick
- Lisa Blount as Cora Rusk
- Shane Meier as Brian Rusk
- Duncan Fraser as Hugh Priest
- William Morgan Sheppard as Father Meehan
- Amanda Plummer as Nettie Cobb
- Don S. Davis as Reverend Rose
Directed by Fraser Clarke Heston.