The best of Rob Reiner

Today, we received the sad news that Rob Reiner and wife Michele have both passed away. Authorities in Los Angeles are currently investigating what happened, and for now, details remain unclear. While we wait for more information, we wanted to take a moment to focus on Rob Reiner's work. On a personal level, he's one of my favorite directors. As a huge Stephen King fan, I've always felt that Rob Reiner (along with Frank Darabont) was one of the few filmmakers who truly understood Stephen King's stories. Of course, his career goes far beyond Stephen King adaptations, and thought: what better way to revisit his legacy than putting together a Top 5.

5. When Harry Met Sally... (1989)

This film lives and dies by its conversations. And that's exactly why it still works. Long before modern rom-coms turned self-aware into a personality trait, When Harry Met Sally... trusted that two people talking could be enough. The famous diner scene gets all the attention, but the real magic is in the small stuff: the walks through New York, the awkward phone calls, the way time quietly passes between scenes. Reiner understood that relationships aren't built on big moments, but on everything in between.

4. A Few Good Men (1992)

Everyone remembers "You can't handle the truth," but what's easy to forget is how restrained the film is until that moment. Reiner spends most of the runtime holding back, letting the tension simmer rather than explode. What makes the film work isn't just Nicholson's performance, but how confidently Reiner stages power: who's sitting, who's standing, who's in control of the room. It's old-school filmmaking, precise and patient, and that's why the climax hits as hard as it does.

3. The Princess Bride (1987)

There are very few films where every single character feels iconic, but this is one of them. Even minor roles, permanently carved into pop culture. Reiner's biggest achievement here is tone. The film never winks too hard at you, but it's always in on the joke. It respects fairy tales while also gently laughing at them. That balance is why people discover The Princess Bride at different stages of life, and fall in love with it every single time. I rewatched it again just a few months ago, and I wouldn't be surprised if I end up revisiting it once more.

2. Misery (1990)

This is where Reiner really shows his steel. Misery is shockingly controlled: one main location, two central characters, no distractions. Every decision is about pressure. It's also an incredibly difficult Stephen King story to adapt. The novel is full of internal monologues, dream sequences, and fragmented memories, yet the film avoids most traditional horror tricks. There are no big musical cues or flashy edits, just performance and pacing. Kathy Bates completely dominates the screen, but Reiner deserves enormous credit for knowing when to pull back and let the discomfort do the work.

1. Stand by Me (1986)

Reiner doesn't romanticise childhood here. There's warmth, but also fear, sadness, and the quiet understanding that some friendships don't survive growing up. It's a film that somehow feels deeply personal to almost everyone who sees it, and that's no accident. For me, this is probably the film that best captures the spirit of Stephen King's work. It's also King's own favourite adaptation, and as Rob Reiner said back in a 1986, Stephen King excused himself for fifteen minutes after watching it for the first time and later remarked: "That's the best film ever made out of anything I've written."