THE STORY – Writer Ben Mears returns to his childhood home of Jerusalem’s Lot in search of inspiration, only to discover his hometown is being preyed upon by a bloodthirsty vampire, leading him to band together with a ragtag group to fight it.
THE CAST – Lewis Pullman, Makenzie Leigh, Bill Camp, Pilou Asbæk, Alfre Woodard & William Sadler
THE TEAM – Gary Dauberman (Director/Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 113 Minutes
The latest version of Stephen King’s “Salem’s Lot” has finally arrived over two years after its original intended release date. Director Gary Dauberman’s film is the latest in a long line of reinterpretations of King stories, stemming from the successful 2017 release of “It.” This marks the first time “Salem’s Lot” has been made into a feature film after the 1979 and 2004 miniseries. Unfortunately, condensing the vampire tale in this manner appears to have been a mistake. The narrative choices made only serve to diminish the story and make it feel inconsequential in scope and confused in its perspective.
Taking place in the small Maine town of Jerusalem’s Lot, the film shows how the peaceful village becomes the site of a vampire infestation. This setting is typical for King, as are the two protagonists – Ben Mears (Lewis Pullman), an author who’s returned to his hometown seeking inspiration, and Mark Petrie (Jordan Preston Carter), a young boy with a taste for magic. They both separately discover that a vampire named Barlow (Alexander Ward) is responsible for the murder of two boys, and the unlikely pair must work together with the help of an eclectic group of townsfolk to defeat the bloodsucker.
The ensemble is made up of a group of capable actors who turn in adequate performances. The exceptional exception is the great Alfre Woodard as Dr. Cody, who has a strong Maine accent and an even stronger presence. The veteran actress brings a level of gravitas to the otherwise expendable film. And yet, she also manages to be its funniest element, tossing off realistically exasperated reactions to the spooky happenings around her. Additionally, Pilou Asbæk gives an enjoyably campy performance as Straker, Barlow’s human assistant.
Before banding together, the film follows the adults’ and children’s stories separately. This split narrative gives the film an awkward energy, leading to a feeling of something missing in the narrative. Similarly, the scale of the story feels off. The action-heavy third act is undoubtedly the film’s strongest segment, but the stakes (no vampiric pun intended) suddenly escalate beyond the small story in a way that the film had not previously laid the groundwork. The cuts made to the story – whether in the writing phase, the editing phase, or both – are obviously felt.
The film’s narrative imbalance is reflected in its aesthetic stylings. On one hand, the use of color is exceptional. In a film all about the importance of daylight and how much time the characters have before the sun sets and the bloodsuckers appear, it’s only appropriate that so much of the movie is drenched in beautiful sunset and dusk tones. One scene involving the two doomed boys silhouetted against the twilight sky is particularly striking. With light comes shadow, and “Salem’s Lot” plays with them effectively, calling to mind the original “Nosferatu.” On the other hand, the visual choices aren’t matched by the special effects, which are unremarkable at best and cheesy at worst. The depiction of powerful glowing crosses that are used as weapons is especially unimpressive.
As nearly all Stephen King stories do, “Salem’s Lot” had potential. But despite some pretty visuals and a handful of decent jump scares, its writing and pacing bring it down, making the film feel rushed and, ironically, toothless.
