Stephen King’s favorite film is this underrated ’70s box office flop

The King of Horror, Stephen King, is fond of a thriller and calls it his favorite film of all time, even though initially, upon its release it was panned. The William Friedkin-directed Sorcerer was released in 1977 and wasn't just a box office bomb but a rentals bomb too.

However, this gem was later identified by the public, which, of course, includes the master novelist, and now boasts a critic's approval of 82% on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of writing. The very reason for this negative reception was the French film, The Wages of Fear (1953), as this was its reimagining.

Following its release, the 1953 film won the Golden Bear at the 3rd Berlin International Film Festival, the Palme d'Or at the 6th Cannes Film Festival, and Best Film at the 8th British Academy Film Awards. The remake was nominated for Best Sound at the Oscars, losing to Star Wars.

Stephen King has mentioned his favorite film a couple of times. One was in 2017 when he gave an interview to the British Film Institute, where he kept this one on top in a list of eight films. For Sorcerer, he said,

"My favourite film of all time – this may surprise you—is Sorcerer, William Friedkin’s remake of the great Henri-Georges Clouzot’s The Wages of Fear. Some may argue that the Clouzot film is better; I beg to disagree."

The other films that made it to the Stephen King list include Les Diaboliques (1955), The Changeling (1980), Night of the Demon (1957), Village of the Damned (1960), Duel (1971), The Hitcher (1986), and The Stepfather (1987).

In 2009, the master novelist kept Sorcerer at number one again in Entertainment Weekly's Stephen King's Reliable Rentals list. These are his movies that never disappoint.

What is Sorcerer about?

Sorcerer failed commercially in theaters and rentals. (Image via Universal Pictures)

There ought to be something sorcery about the film that Stephen King is fond of this one.

The story revolves around four men: Kassem (Amidou), Victor (Bruno Cremer), Nilo (Francisco Rabal), and Jackie (Roy Scheider). They all want to leave the country they are living in, and they get an offer they probably can't refuse.

While the film initially tells the story in four segments that critics labeled as vignettes, these all connect when the protagonist ends up in a remote village. They are to transport nitroglycerin to a certain place to avoid any hazard.

Nilo isn't part of this team at first, but this mysterious man named Marquez is. However, Nilo replaces this one and is back in the game.

The company that has offered them the job has promised that if done correctly, they will get enough money to live the life they have always dreamed of. While they aren't cooperating on this journey, they eventually have to, as this is no one-man task.

Do they finish the task? You have to watch the film for yourself for that. We must tell you, this is certainly going to be an interesting film for you.

One critic, Robert C. Cumbow, panned the movie initially but then reconsidered his thoughts and gave it a positive review. He admitted he read his first one with embarrassment.