Stephen King’s Best Sci-Fi Miniseries Is So Good You Can Binge It in One Sitting In Less Than Half a Day

Stephen King’s work has been adapted for the screen many times, but few adaptations have hit the sweet spot quite like 11.22.63. The limited series format turned out to be perfect for the story, letting it breathe without the heavy cuts that movies often have to make.

Based on King’s 2011 novel, the eight-part miniseries blends sci-fi, thriller, and drama, and it’s short enough to binge in less than a day. The best part is, it can be entirely watched in mere 8 hours.

The show follows Jake Epping, played by James Franco, a recently divorced English teacher from Lisbon, Maine. One day, his friend Al Templeton, played by Chris Cooper, reveals a secret, there’s a way to travel back in time to 1960. Al convinces Jake to take on a mission: stop the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963. But life in the past isn’t simple. Jake begins to build a new life and even falls in love, making his mission harder and far more personal.

Alongside Franco and Cooper, the cast includes Sarah Gadon as Sadie Dunhill, Lucy Fry as Marina Oswald, George MacKay as Bill Turcotte, and Daniel Webber as Lee Harvey Oswald.

The series premiered on Hulu on February 15, 2016, with Stephen King, J.J. Abrams, Bridget Carpenter, and Bryan Burk serving as executive producers. It was praised by most critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an 83% rating from 64 reviews.

The site’s critics’ consensus says, “Though the execution feels almost as dated as the period it represents, 11.22.63 gradually reveals a compelling, well-performed series of events.” Metacritic gave it a score of 69 out of 100, based on 35 reviews. It even won the Saturn Award for Best Television Presentation.

Franco’s involvement came about in an unusual way. According to reports, he originally approached King about adapting the novel into a movie, only to learn that Abrams had already secured the rights.

Franco wrote an essay about the book for Vice, which Abrams saw, and he also tweeted his disappointment about missing out on the project. This caught the attention of Bridget Carpenter, who later offered him the lead role. Franco accepted, but only if he could also direct part of the series.

Sarah Gadon said she was drawn to the role of Sadie Dunhill partly because it meant working with Abrams. Her character becomes an important part of Jake’s life in the past, adding emotional depth to the mission.

You shouldn’t be here. #hulu112263 @JamesFrancoTV @StephenKing @BadRobot @Hulu pic.twitter.com/lZ174kXUAD

— 112263OnHulu (@112263OnHulu) November 19, 2015

11.22.63 manages to mix history, suspense, and romance in a way that keeps viewers hooked from start to finish. For King fans, or just anyone who loves a tightly told, binge-worthy story, it’s one of the best adaptations out there.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!