Salem's Lot — Review

Gary Dauberman’s SALEM’S LOT shares similar DNA with Andy Muschietti’s IT adaptation in how it brings to life a Stephen King setting, with this newest version of Jerusalem’s Lot sharing trope commonality with 2017’s Derry. Both provide cosy small-town New England vibes, colourful characters who inhabit the locations and a dark malevolent presence that lurks beneath the surface. Dauberman did co-write both IT and the 2019 sequel IT: CHAPTER TWO, so the tonal connection shouldn't come as a complete surprise.

SALEM’S LOT tells the story of author Ben Mears, who “returns to his childhood home of Jerusalem’s Lot in search of inspiration for his next book only to discover his hometown is being preyed upon by a bloodthirsty vampire.” Such a logline promises tension, seduction and violence, but the movie primarily draws us in through the lives of the characters, both those returning to and those looking to escape from the Lot. It's in the quieter moments where the characters' personalities are allowed to shine that we come to care about them and their respective fates, which makes the presence of vampiric danger all the more threatening.

SALEM'S LOT generally succeeds as a modern horror piece that knows how to balance thrills with character, and it'll no doubt encourage some to check out either of the previous miniseries' or read King's sophomore novel. It's a satisfying supernatural story that feels right at home releasing in the heart of the spooky season, and it’s yet another highly watchable movie to come from the written works of one of our most respected and treasured horror minds.