Before King’s stories were all haunted hotels and killer clowns, there was The Body—and from it came Stand by Me, a film that captured the raw, unfiltered ache of growing up like few others ever have. Set in 1959 and told through the memory of a now-grown writer, the film follows four boys—Gordie, Chris, Teddy, and Vern—on a two-day trek to find a dead body… and maybe figure out who they are in the process.

Starring Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, and Jerry O’Connell in breakout roles, and narrated with perfect wistfulness by Richard Dreyfuss, Stand by Me balances humour, heartbreak, and the slow, quiet realisation that childhood doesn’t last forever. It’s about stories, scars, and the people who shape us—no matter how far we drift.