Salem’s Lot: Review. By Daniel Rester.

‘Salem’s Lot (1975), Stephen King’s second published book, is one of the great vampire novels. It captures small-town America well and populates its setting with memorable characters. King unfolds the plot with plenty of mystery, atmosphere, and subtext. 

I didn’t expect writer-director Gary Dauberman’s new film adaptation to capture all of the richness of King’s novel with a runtime of less than two hours, but I had hoped it would at least deliver some of the magic of King’s work. Unfortunately it disappoints as both a King adaptation and as its own thing. While it’s not terrible, this ‘Salem’s Lot feels like a rushed and generic vampire film. 

The likable Lewis Pullman plays Ben Mears, an author who returns to his childhood town of ‘Salem’s Lot in the 1970s so he can write about the decrepit Marsten House. He finds that the building now belongs to an antique shop owner and his partner, who recently arrived. As Mears gets to know the locals, people start disappearing or dying in peculiar ways. 

Eventually Mears teams up with love interest Susan (Makenzie Leigh), brave kid Mark (Jordan Preston Carter), and schoolteacher Matt (Bill Camp), among others. They must fight against those who have turned into vampires as they seek to destroy the fanged mastermind Kurt Barlow (Alexander Ward). 

Dauberman’s film moves choppily from scene to scene, leaving little room for genuine suspense or character development. He streamlines the plot in order to get to action and scare scenes often. Some of the famous parts of King’s book still make it in and work in the moment, such as the floating child tapping on the window, but Dauberman doesn’t let the dread of situations linger long enough before moving on. 

There is one excellent scene that is an exception to the above. It involves Mark and gravedigger Mike (Spencer Treat Clark) sitting at a bar. Dauberman uses shadows, hushed dialogue, and a Donovan song to great effect. It’s a creepy and creative scene that finds a groove that much of the rest of the film is lacking. 

The production values are solid, evoking the ‘70s without being too on the nose about it. I’m not sure about Dauberman’s inclusion of a drive-in theater though. It’s something that’s not in the book, which is fine except that it feels like it’s only included here as a studio note for a climactic location. 

The cast is pretty good, with Leigh being the only weak link in the main group. Camp and Carter come off best and manage to rise above their diluted characterizations. Ward can be intimidating as Barlow, but I wish his vampiric look wasn’t so CGI-heavy. 

‘Salem’s Lot is slick and serviceable vampire entertainment, always watchable but never very interesting. It’s an anemic adaptation of a terrific piece of King literature. 

Rating: 5.3/10

---

We hope you're enjoying BRWC. You should check us out on our social channels, subscribe to our newsletter, and tell your friends. BRWC is short for battleroyalewithcheese.

---

Trending on BRWC:

---

Cool Posts From Around the Web:

---

---