Stephen King is widely considered the master of modern horror. From haunted hotels to demonic clowns, his stories have terrified readers for decades and inspired countless adaptations that have seeped into popular culture. Yet, despite his long career of imagining the darkest fears imaginable, King recently revealed that one film managed to get under his skin like no other: The Blair Witch Project.

The admission comes in the upcoming documentary Chain Reactions, which explores how iconic works of horror influence one another across generations. In the film, King discusses his personal reactions to various horror milestones and candidly admits that Eduardo Sánchez and Daniel Myrick’s 1999 found-footage phenomenon unnerved him on a deep level. For an author who has conjured some of the most terrifying creations of all time, this revelation is both surprising and illuminating.

King explains that The Blair Witch Project succeeded because of its sheer simplicity. Unlike many Hollywood horror films of the 1990s, which leaned heavily on special effects and increasingly elaborate gore, Blair Witch stripped everything down to a raw, experiential terror. Presented as recovered footage from a doomed student documentary crew, the film blurred the line between fiction and reality. Audiences at the time weren’t entirely sure if the footage was real, and the viral marketing campaign fueled speculation that the actors might actually be missing.

According to King, this uncertainty and sense of authenticity triggered a primal fear. “It got under my skin,” he admits, describing the uneasy feeling of watching something that didn’t play like a movie at all but rather like a chilling discovery. The shaky camera, the incomplete narrative, and the claustrophobic atmosphere of being lost in the woods tapped into something universal: the terror of the unknown.

For King, who has built a career on exploring fear in its many forms, the fact that Blair Witch could still unnerve him speaks volumes about the film’s effectiveness. It wasn’t elaborate monsters or buckets of blood that made him squirm. Instead, it was the relentless dread, the slow psychological erosion of its characters, and the haunting suggestion that something unseen was always just beyond the trees.

When The Blair Witch Project debuted in 1999, it sparked a cultural event. The film cost a mere $60,000 to produce but grossed nearly $250 million worldwide, becoming one of the most profitable films ever made. It also ignited the found-footage trend that dominated horror for years, inspiring everything from Paranormal Activity to REC and beyond. Many critics and fans credit it with redefining the possibilities of low-budget horror.

King’s appreciation underscores why the film resonated so strongly. As he notes in the documentary, great horror doesn’t necessarily need spectacle-it needs atmosphere and the ability to play on the audience’s imagination. Blair Witch never shows its monster, never explains the full story, and never gives closure. This refusal to provide answers leaves the mind scrambling to fill the gaps, and as King has often said in his own writing, “the unknown is always scarier than the known.”

The author’s comments also invite reflection on how horror creators inspire and scare each other. King himself has influenced generations of filmmakers, with his novels adapted into classics like Carrie, Misery, and The Shining. Now, in a full-circle moment, he acknowledges how a younger generation’s experimental film managed to rattle him. It’s a reminder that no one, not even the master of horror, is immune to fear.

Interestingly, Blair Witch was met with mixed reactions at the time. While some audiences hailed it as groundbreaking, others criticized its shaky camerawork and minimalistic approach. Over the years, however, its reputation has solidified as one of the most important horror films of the late 20th century. King’s endorsement further validates its place in horror history.

In Chain Reactions, King elaborates on the importance of horror constantly reinventing itself. Just as gothic novels influenced him in his youth, and just as his own works influenced Hollywood’s horror boom, new voices and experimental formats are essential for keeping the genre alive. The Blair Witch Project, in his view, was a perfect example of innovation that turned expectations upside down.

He also notes that the film’s ambiguity is part of its power. By refusing to show the witch or provide easy answers, it forced viewers to confront the limits of their own imagination. King likens this approach to his own philosophy of sometimes holding back details in his writing. The mind, when left to its own devices, conjures terrors more vivid than any filmmaker or novelist could describe.

The documentary also features insights from other horror creators, who share their own influences and fears. Yet King’s admission stands out, not just because of his legendary status but because it demonstrates how horror works on everyone. Fear doesn’t discriminate, and even those who make a living terrifying others can find themselves haunted by a film’s lingering dread.

As horror continues to evolve, The Blair Witch Project remains a testament to the genre’s capacity for reinvention. It proved that sometimes less is more, that suggestion can be more terrifying than spectacle, and that atmosphere can outweigh any budget. King’s revelation that it was the film that truly unsettled him is the ultimate badge of honor for its creators.

With Chain Reactions set to debut later this year, fans will soon be able to hear more of King’s thoughts and gain insight into how different eras of horror intersect. For now, his confession is a reminder of the enduring power of fear-and how even the king of horror bows to the witch in the woods.

Tags: Stephen King, The Blair Witch Project, Chain Reactions documentary, horror movies, found footage horror, Eduardo Sánchez, Daniel Myrick, horror influences, psychological terror, cultural impact