Salem’s Lot Review: A Return to Stephen King’s Vampire Haunt

Making a movie based on a Stephen King novel, especially one that has already been made into a critically acclaimed Television miniseries in 1979 by Tobe Hooper, takes work. Recreating the magic readers felt when they laid their hands on the 1975 Stephen King classic- Salem’s Lot is a big struggle, too. There are a few sections of people who understand the struggle and in-build expectations that come when recreating classic stuff like this. However, there would have been some people who could have understood this better than Gary Dauberman(the director of Salem’s Lot 2024 film). Gary Dauberman, who adapted both IT and IT: Chapter 2 for modern audiences, has proved himself twice in that regard. With Salem’s Lot, it can be said that he pulled off a mediocre hat trick at its best.

A new version of the classic 1975 novel and the 1979 miniseries has been delayed for over two years. At first, it seemed that, with all the covid delays, the film would never be released, but here we are with its release on 3rd October 2024. Salem’s Lot world premiere was held at the Beyond Fest on 25 September 2024. The film received mixed reviews from critics.

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Salem’s Lot Plot

Salem’s Lot takes place in 1975, the same year Stephen King’s classic novel was released. The horror film starts with writer Ben Mears(Lewis Pullman) heading back to his hometown- Jerusalem’s Lot– to find inspiration for his upcoming novel. His town, Jerusalem Lot, has two new residents- the ancient vampire Barlow(Alexander Ward) and his caretaker, who is a human named Richard Straker ( James Mason). These two new residents are determined to turn the whole Jerusalem town into their army of undead people(vampires). The movie also has a budding romance between its two characters, Ben and a local town resident, Susie Norton( Mackenzie Leigh). However, the horror elements and a survival fight from the bald vampire Barlow interrupt the romance sequences repeatedly.

The Mixed Reviews- A Mediocre hit at its best

How can one make a compelling movie in 2024 about vampires? The horror genre has evolved so much in the last past years. There have been a lot of films in this genre with typical vampire stereotypes, lore scenes from a dozen films that it is a very rare thing not to fall into the trap of recreating the already predictable scenes.

Salem’s Lot deals with this familiar story setting by leaning into the fantastic performances of its lead characters. The film does a brilliant job of mixing the genuine jumpscares with some fun sequences. For instance, there is a morgue sequence where the lead characters must make a crucifix quickly. The characters were clumsily taping the two pieces of wood together and struggling to remember the religious words to say at that time. The whole scene is funny to watch without distracting the viewers from the horror tension.

However, with some lighter moments in the film, it is still a horror film. With the spooky settings of the 70s, the creepy vampire character of Barlow, and some pretty scary jump scares, the film is a mediocre try at the Vampire lore with predictable elements running along with it.

Need more time for a horror film?

Another area for improvement with the film is the time duration. There is a reason why a miniseries of the same name was created in 1979. Covering all the novel’s aspects beautifully into a two-hour film is impossible. The 2024 Salem’s Lot seems a little rushed in that aspect. King’s novel has many characters, making it better suited for a mini-series. While Dauberman’s story does an excellent job of keeping up the horror tension of the film, some more time could have been given to the central characters’ relationship, especially the romance between Ben and Susie.

The main problem with recreating a classic novel or a miniseries is not falling into the trap of predictability and dealing with how much can be covered in a two-hour film. The vampire world has been depicted in a dozen films. This fact makes Dauberman’s latest take appear old-fashioned and not as scary as the 1979 Tobe Hooper miniseries with the same name.

The Silver Lining

However, the positive thing is despite all these issues, Salem’s Lot is a fun script and a creative direction by Dauberman. The horror film might not be loved much by die-hard horror enthusiasts but it comes off as a pretty horror-fun adventure with strong performances from its lead cast. The film pays its tribute to the classic King’s novel and the scary 1979 mini-series. The unique aspect of this film that sets it apart from its predecessor is the climax scene. A thrilling end sequence with the classic 70s setting gives this film a fresh look.