Salemâs Lot has been a beloved Stephen King book for nearly 50 years, and has already been adapted twice. The Maine town whose quaint exterior masks an intense vampire problem finds its way back on the map thanks to Gary Daubermanâs new feature, originally slated for a theatrical release before being shuffled to Max. It offers a golden-hued nightmare that admirably commits to its 1970s setting, but doesnât quite nail the elements that have made Kingâs story so enduring.
Perhaps itâs just that Salemâs Lot, a doorstop of a book as many King novels tend to be, isnât suited for containment into a movie that runs under two hours (both previous adaptations were TV miniseries, and hovered closer to three hours). While thereâs a clear protagonistânovelist Ben Mears, played here by Lewis Pullman (Outer Range, Lessons in Chemistry, Thunderbolts*)âthe book also gives space to several other Salemâs Lot residents, introducing them and exploring their twisted inner lives. The reader has ample time to realize the place isnât as wholesome as it appears even before a supernatural menace lurches into town.
King also devotes a lot of words to the most prominent landmark in Salemâs Lot: the Marsten House. The crumbling mansion with a tragic past looms over the town, broadcasting a constant reminder that darkness can fester in even the most idyllic communities. Its sinister allure is what draws Ben, who lived in Salemâs Lot as a child, back to town; itâs suggested along the way that the house is actually intertwined with evil itself, making it the perfect HQ for a traveling vampire.
If your first encounter with Salemâs Lot is Daubermanâs film, however, you might not pick up on⊠any of that. The Marsten House is part of the story, sure, but its importance feels reduced. Details about its history are relegated to a montage in the opening credits, a quick conversation or two, and some library microfiche scrolling. While itâs understood and even expected that any adaptation will take liberties with its source material, audiences should also be given enough detail that they can just sit down and enjoy a movie or TV series without having read what came before.
The characterization of Ben Mears is probably the biggest stumble in this take on Salemâs Lot. In the book, Ben is haunted by an encounter he had in the Marsten House decades ago after entering on a kiddie dare; heâs also grieving the far more recent loss of his wife. Both details are absent here. Instead, all we get is that Ben is a semi-successful author whose most recent book received middling reviews; heâs returned to Salemâs Lot, where his parents died 20 years prior, hoping that reconnecting with his youth will spark fresh inspiration. Pullmanâs performance doesnât add much depth; it feels like heâs skating across the surface, even as Benâs drawn into a romance with the only cool girl in town (Makenzie Leigh as Susan Norton) and befriends local teacher Matt Burke (Bill Camp).
His circle further grows when, a week into his stay, the machinations of Richard Straker (Pilou AsbĂŠk, unfortunately underused) and his vampire master, Kurt Barlow (Alexander Ward), escalate from âantique store opening soonâ to âbloodsucking chaos,â and we meet Dr. Cody (a wonderfully wry Alfre Woodard), Father Callahan (John Benjamin Hickey), and tweenage horror fan Mark Petrie (Jordan Preston Carter).
They band together to fight back, but without the groundwork laid to suggest whatâs happening in Salemâs Lot is a cosmic inevitabilityâthe sheriff, played by the great William Sadler, declares at one point that the town is dying and thatâs why Barlow settled there, an observation that seems plucked from thin airâit feels a bit like Ben just happened to pick the worst possible moment to visit.
There are other flaws in the scriptâthereâs some heavy-handed foreshadowing, like a harmonica seemingly introduced solely so that it can provide a spooky sound effect a few scenes laterâbut Daubermanâs obvious affection for his setting, keeping Salemâs Lot in 1975 just like Kingâs book, is absolutely a positive here. The production design and cinematography stay true to the retro vibes, and the addition of a drive-in theater proves a period perfect detail that brings a nifty dimension to the story.
The special effects, however, donât keep up the vintage feel, especially when it comes to one particularly memorable CG shot (youâll know it when you see it). Thereâs definitely more gore than weâve ever seen in a Salemâs Lot adaptationâan advantage of not being made for broadcast TVâbut it doesnât go over the top. Unfortunately, itâs never very frightening, with jump scares doing the heavy lifting and âCharacter X, why did you do that dumb thing?â supplying an awful lot of the tension.
And maybe thatâs the general problem with this Salemâs Lot. Itâs entertaining and it follows the general contours of Kingâs well-loved story, but it doesnât bring much of anything new to the table other than the drive-in scenes. Without that sense of creeping dreadâthat the Marsten House is a focal point of unholy energy thatâs been infecting the town for generationsâit feels like an adaptation thatâs both faithful but also curiously missing some of the most interesting parts.
Itâs not a bad movie. Itâs worth adding to your Halloween-season viewing queue. But watching it, youâll understand why Warner Bros. opted for a streaming releaseâand likely agree with the decision.

Salemâs Lot arrives October 3 on Max.
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