‘SALEM’S LOT: Vampiric Tale Has No Bite

By Harrison J. Bahe

When author Ben Mears comes back to his childhood home in search of some inspiration for his next book, he discovers that people in his home town are mysteriously turning into blood-sucking vampires.

‘Salem’s Lot has been in release limbo for two years. Originally set to release theatrically in 2022, it was delayed to 2023, and then delayed to 2024, where it was ultimately decided to release the film on Warner Bros.’ streaming platform Max. It was feared that this film might follow the same fate as the infamous Batgirl cancellation, which saw a nearly completed film tossed in the trash for tax purposes. One wonders if ‘Salem’s Lot and Batgirl should have switched places…

The 2024 ‘Salem’s Lot is the third attempt to adapt Stephen King’s sophomore outing. The first being the more widely known 1979 TV movie adaptation and the 2004 TV series. Third time’s a charm, right? Wrong. The 2024 ‘Salem’s Lot visually captures the time period of the novel and even fits in some hidden King references (a certain car makes a brief cameo) but aside from that, considering the current state of horror films, it generally falls flat in its execution. ‘Salem’s Lot also falls victim to the notion that supporting characters automatically accept the existence of vampires without a cinch. Closely following the behind the scenes drama of this film, the director can attest to the fact that his film originally ran three hours but was cut down to a reasonable (and marketable) one hour and fifty three minutes. This cut down is felt through the film. It doesn’t have time to 1.) establish the characters, 2.) create a tone, and 3.) establish the villain. In short, the film felt rushed, under developed, and wasn’t particularly scary; at least not as scary as it should have been.

‘Salem’s Lot is quite a conundrum of a film and joins many other failed attempts at bringing a Stephen King story to the big (small?) screen. The film has been so badly cut to shreds that the final product bled to death. Even the third act of the film is underwhelming and features a non-threatening villain who is defeated quite easily. Apologies for the spoilers. The movie was so bad that it inspired me to read the book to figure out where things went wrong. ‘Salem’s Lot has underdeveloped characters, felt rushed, and is full of frightless set pieces which is why I give this film—

2 Stakes out of 5

‘Salem’s Lot is Rated R for bloody violence and language. It is currently streaming on Max.