In 2024, we’re still reaping the rewards of the movement within horror cinema that began about a decade ago, when movies like The Witch, The Babadook, and It Follows helped usher in the indie/arthouse boom, which some pundits foolishly labeled “elevated horror.” Such projects are free to explore the horror genre without the usual worry that studio films have, which is to try and appeal to as wide a demographic as possible. Yet, the box office success of these niche pictures, Longlegs and The Substance being two recent examples, would indicate that studio horror is no longer capable of providing both thoughtfulness and surface-level entertainment. Salem’s Lot (2024) — the latest horror film from Warner Bros.’ New Line Cinema division (itself a bastion of indie horror in its heyday before its acquisition by WB) — proves that perhaps all it takes is a little dose of Stephen King.
Author Stephen King has long been lauded as a horror guru for a reason: his output is as gripping as it is prolific. It’s no surprise that his short stories and novels have a long history of being adapted into some of the most beloved horror movies of all time. From The Shining to Carrie to Christine to Misery, some of the best King adaptations have managed to appeal to a broad audience while retaining their transgressive power. Of course, his 1975 novel Salem’s Lot has been adapted to the screen several times before, most famously by The Texas Chain Saw Massacre director Tobe Hooper as a two-part CBS miniseries in 1979.
Tobe Hooper’s Salem’s Lot is generally regarded as the definitive screen version of the novel, given how its length allows for the majority of the book’s characters, subplots, and scenes to appear, as well as capturing Stephen King’s palpable sense of dread. This new feature film adaptation of Salem’s Lot, written and directed by Gary Dauberman (best known for his work on the Annabelle trilogy and Andy Muschietti’s It duology), cannot hope to contain as much material as either the ’79 or 2004 miniseries. Dauberman, however, doesn’t try to compete with the eerie, unsettling tone of Hooper’s version. What the filmmaker does do is make King’s story into the best kind of B-horror flick: a fun, spooky, engaging romp that has just enough of a heart and a brain to not be trashy.
One of the most impressive aspects of Gary Dauberman’s Salem’s Lot is just how much material from the book he manages to adapt in under 2 hours. Some whole moments and scenes are present, of course, but some are reduced to a single look or line of dialogue that, impressively, allows so much of the spirit of the novel to be retained. The entire basic plot of the story is intact: in search of inspiration for his next book, popular but not exactly beloved author Ben Mears (Lewis Pullman) returns to his childhood home of Jerusalem’s Lot, Maine, where he soon connects with his troubled past.
After growing close with a local real estate agent’s assistant, Susan (Makenzie Leigh), and a schoolteacher, Matt Burke (Bill Camp), Ben and other citizens like Dr. Cody (Alfre Woodard) and the young horror and magic nerd Mark Petrie (Jordan Preston Carter) begin noticing some strange happenings concerning the new antique store run by Richard Straker (Pilou Asbæk) and his unseen benefactor, Kurt Barlow (Alexander Ward). It seems that Barlow may actually be a bloodthirsty vampire, slowly but surely turning everyone in Ben’s hometown into an army of undead slaves. Writer-director Gary Dauberman takes as much time as he can building up the suspense and holding back much of the vampire action, so that when the fangs finally hit the fan, it feels like a genuine release of tension.
At least, that’s how it feels for folks looking for a vampiric romp. For fans of the book, it might feel like the novel stuck on fast-forward. Salem’s Lot (2024) tries to cram in as much as possible but obviously can’t hope to include everything (for example, there’s one scene where a beloved moment of both the book and the Hooper TV adaptation is merely referenced with an off-screen sound effect). This pacing and structure does make for some wonkiness; where a novel can switch perspective between numerous characters with little trouble, it’s a bit odd to have Ben missing from so much of the movie, particularly during the back half.
Then there are the dreaded changes every obsessive Stephen King fan grits their teeth over. For as much as Gary Dauberman sticks closely to King’s novel (even setting the film in 1975), he still takes some creative liberty by adding his own twists, flourishes, and inventions. Some of these changes are rough, especially towards the beginning, with its opening scenes feeling like the audience has entered the movie halfway through the first act. Yet, Dauberman eventually finds a groove, and if you can match his energy, then Salem’s Lot (2024) is a ton of fun.
It’s easy to suspect that Gary Dauberman was paying close attention to the vibe his colleague James Wan brought to Malignant, as this movie’s creepy suspense eventually gives way to some heart-pounding and action-oriented setpieces. In other words, Salem’s Lot (2024) eventually stops trying to scare you and starts trying to delight you. It will certainly delight many fans, particularly because it makes a twice-adapted story feel engaging and surprisingly rich. Despite the ‘70s setting, this version of Salem’s Lot is more akin to the vampire fare of the 1980s, with films like the original Fright Night and especially The Lost Boys coming to mind.
Salem’s Lot (2024) is a popcorn horror flick that works best in theaters, which is ironic because the reality is that it will only be seen a handful of times in very select theaters (at least in the USA, as it seems to be getting a theatrical release in the UK and Ireland). The fact that it’s getting a streaming release as a “Max original film” after numerous delays is something of a miracle when you consider how many (completed) projects Warner Bros. has shelved under David Zaslav‘s regime. Mr. King himself can be thanked for his noticeable support on social media. One of the themes of King’s novel involves how pure evil can infect and, eventually, thrive within the supposed wholesomeness of small-town America. Although that’s still an aspect of this film, Dauberman slyly recontextualizes it.
This new version of Salem’s Lot chronicles the demise of the American small town, both literally and metaphorically — a fate that the film seems to also lament and admit (if begrudgingly) is deserved. Long before vampires enter the picture, Ben, Susan, and Mark feel hopelessly trapped by their connection to this place, while other denizens act suspicious of Ben, the wrong “outsider” to be wary of. Salem’s Lot (2024) presents an idyllic town that “you can’t go home again” to, whether you wish to or not. Moreover, Gary Dauberman has made the movie a meta-commentary about both the pleasures and slow death of the communal experience. He’s made a great flick for drive-ins, but most towns no longer have one. Is this progress, or loss? All that’s really certain is, to quote a famously bald and pale gentleman who is not Kurt Barlow, “the world is a vampire.”
Salem’s Lot premieres on Max on October 3!
Release Date: October 3, 2024.
Directed by Gary Dauberman.
Written by Gary Dauberman.
Based on Salem’s Lot by Stephen King.
Produced by James Wan, Michael Clear, Roy Lee, & Mark Wolper.
Executive Producers: Gary Dauberman, Stephen King, Michael Bederman, Richard Brener, Andrew Childs, Allison Furgal, Dave Neustadter, Victoria Palmeri, & Judson Scott.
Main Cast: Lewis Pullman, Makenzie Leigh, Alfre Woodard, William Sadler, Bill Camp, Pilou Asbæk, John Benjamin Hickey, Jordan Preston Carter, Spencer Treat Clark, Nicholas Crovetti, Cade Woodward, & Alexander Ward.
Cinematographer: Michael Burgess.
Composers: Nathan Barr & Lisbeth Scott.
Production Companies: New Line Cinema, Atomic Monster, Vertigo Entertainment, & The Wolper Organization.
Runtime: 113 mins.
Rated R.
