“Salem’s Lot” is my personal favorite Stephen King novel, so I was excited to watch this new movie, streaming exclusively on MAX. I had never seen the past adaptations of the novel, so I can’t compare them to this. But I do know that the ’70s mini-series is somewhat of a cult classic.
With that in mind, here’s my “Salem’s Lot” 2024 movie review!
“Salem’s Lot” (2024): A New-to-Streaming Review
Plot Overview
“Salem’s Lot” follows author Ben Mears as he returns to his hometown to gather some inspiration for a new novel. Upon his arrival, something else is also found, “The Lot,” that starts unleashing its terror and transforming the town. The story is good but doesn’t depict the novel perfectly. It seems rare for that to happen with films in general. But from what I remember of King’s vision, it’s close. It’s creepy, eerie and bloody with the right atmosphere, that’s for sure.
How “Salem’s Lot” Fell Short
What it does lack is the acting, which, ironically enough, is pretty important.
The cast is led by Lewis Pullman as Ben Mears, who did an alright job with what he was given. He’s believable as an author looking for inspiration. He’s definitely not the hero type, but that isn’t how his character is molded. I think, overall, his performance was believable.
Behind Pullman was Makenzie Leigh as Susan Norton, who I thought was pretty bad, honestly. Her lines seemed very forced at times and almost too corny for my liking. Alfre Woodard was a nice touch as Dr. Cody, but her acting wasn’t her best either. She’s a fantastic actress, but this just didn’t work out. The best performance for me was Jordan Preston Carter as Mark Petrie. The kid has some decent skills and could definitely have a solid future in the film industry. His character was also my favorite, kind of almost donning a mini “Blade” type of feel. Props to him.
The Good
As noted, I liked the atmosphere and color palette in “Salem’s Lot.” Its dark blues, green, and foggy environment worked well. It definitely added to the horror aspect. I also felt as though the creature design of Kurt Barlow (William Sadler) was good. He’s definitely a lot more menacing and scary-looking than vampires of late in film.
A small detail I enjoyed was that while feeding, you could see the veins in his scalp pulsing as his food flowed through him. It’s a nice little touch, but it’s quick, so blink, and you may miss it.
Bottomline
The film was two hours long, and for a solid chunk, it was almost as if not a lot had happened. I know things obviously happened, but it almost felt like it stalemated at certain points. The creature action was pretty minimal, and the film relied heavily on jump scares, which bothers me. I need more than jump scares. Most of them are predictable, as most jump scares tend to be. So that definitely wasn’t my favorite in a horror film about a vampire that is absolutely brutal in the novel.
Overall, “Salem’s Lot” is OK at best. I just want someone to give this novel justice in film because I truly feel it’s King’s best and most horrifying work.
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