Despite wrapping filming back in 2021 and numerous tweets from the King himself calling for its release, WB has fully dragged their feet in unleashing the vampiric vision of writer/director Gary Dauberman. Why this latest iteration of Salem’s Lot took so long to emerge from its coffin is anyone’s guess, especially since Dauberman penned the pop culture phenomenon It, along with many entries in the hugely successful Conjuring Universe. Whatever the case, Stephen King’s stories have proven to be timeless wherever and whenever they may be set. This entry firmly plants itself in Jerusalem’s Lot, Maine, circa 1975. Gordon Lightfoot’s folksy “Sundown” becomes an atmospheric theme song in the hands of Dauberman. Old school horror seems to be falling into favor again, even with deviations from the source material, leaning less gothic and more suspenseful fun. In the vein of vampiric 80s delights Fright Night and The Lost Boys, this refresh of a well-known classic delivers fast-paced horror action and tasteful cinematic visuals.
As with many of King’s prose, Salem’s Lot follows a successful author, Ben Mears (Lewis Pullman, Skincare, The Strangers: Prey At Night), pulled into the ghastly orbit of an ancient evil. In this case, that translates to a classic Nosferatu-esque vampire whose grip tightens over the denizens of a charming small town. In the aftermath of an enticing opening credits sequence flooded with atmospheric newspaper clippings, a “shipment” gets brought up to the old Marsten house. Vacant for forty years, new owner Barlow appears destined for quite the entrance. In its earlier sequences, Dauberman establishes Jerusalem’s Lot as a similar town to Derry, with many secrets hiding just beneath the surface. The (mostly) innocent townsfolk have no idea what has been awoken.
Our motley cast of adult characters include receptionist and budding real estate agent Susan Norton (Makenzie Leigh, Girls Against Boys, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk), the curious but skeptical Dr. Cody (Alfre Woodard, Netflix’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, Annabelle), frequently-drunk Father Callahan (John Benjamin Hickey, The Bone Collector, Flightplan), gravedigger Mike Ryerson (Spencer Treat Clark, The Town That Dreaded Sundown, Animal Kingdom), chickenshit Officer Parkins (William Sadler, Disturbing Behavior, Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey) and scholarly Matthew Burke (Bill Camp, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, Stephen King’s The Outsider) to name but a few. As with previous versions, eleven-year-old Mark Petrie (Jordan Preston Carter, Shaft) emerges as the breakout star, and potentially the only soul who has a chance in the battle against the vampires. Also intriguing is Game of Thrones standout Pilou Asbæk, whose Renfield inspiration, Richard Straker, proves to be an intimidating, if underused, character.
In order to face off against the evil dwelling inside the Marsten home, Mark will have to team up with Ben and the other adults. A great use of shadow keeps the central baddie expressly hidden, utilizing the exact correct amount of the freaky overlord. Those hoping for creature design similar to the original will probably delight here, and there are additional tweaks that just plain work. The beady yellow eyes and horrifying set of teeth are a must, especially considering that their description has been laid out so neatly in the novel. In major moments, such as the Drive-In set finale, the design of these creatures and their horrifying nature show off the hard work of the makeup and effects team. These are the freakiest vampires we have seen in quite some time. As of this writing, Robert Eggers has not yet released his Nosferatu. Still, even if it ends up simply being the second best vampire movie of the year, Salem’s Lot remains leagues above those that have hit the screen in recent years.
Tobe Hooper’s 1979 miniseries adaptation of Salem’s Lot was the first of its kind—in turn, this meant it was often slowly paced to a fault, yet lovingly embraced the gothic decadence of its source material. Now, envision the polar opposite. Whilst Dauberman’s script of course manages to capture the inherent brilliance of King’s novel, the movie itself has been cut from an entirely different cloth from the 1979 attempt, Larry Cohen’s campy sequel A Return to Salem’s Lot, or the second, Rob Lowe-starring 2004 miniseries effort. Of course, in evading the lengthier characterizations and backstories, big deaths may not hit as hard for casual viewers. That may be the only downside of 2024’s version, which otherwise appears to be the flashiest and most engaging way to infiltrate the material. The imagery feels to be the perfect meeting of old and new, propping up unique scene transitions but allowing the eerie lighting to shine. Playing fast and loose with the richly-defined characters, opting to condense and underline the creepier elements, definitely works in favor of forming a satisfying, memorable whole. Going straight for the jugular to embrace King’s mean streak, 2024’s Salem’s Lot represents the best case scenario in re-adapting a beloved title for a new generation.
Rent a room in the sleepy village of Jerusalem’s Lot if you dare—Salem’s Lot arrives just in time to kick off spooky season, exclusively for Max subscribers on Thursday, October 3rd.
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