Salem's Lot (2024)

In his second directorial effort, Gary Dauberman delivers a new adaptation of one of Stephen King's most terrifying books.

The vampire novel in Dauberman's hands ends up having an interesting film.

The script follows Ben Mears as he returns to his childhood town in search of inspiration for his next novel. What he finds is a town steeped in mystery and terror, with its residents under the control of a dark force that reveals itself to be a vampire.

Although the changes at the beginning are not severe, the plot of the film begins to change and it is from the moment of going after Barlow that the film begins to disassociate itself from the novel.

Gary Dauberman may have found it difficult to replicate the ending of the book, or he simply wanted to do something different.

They seemed to want this film to take a different direction like Pet Sematary (2019) and while it wasn't a good decision, at least it wasn't worse than what that adaptation did.

One of the strengths of Salem's Lot is its setting. Jerusalem's Lot remains a small town where isolation and paranoia play an important role in creating the atmosphere of terror. The special effects and the design of the vampires are correct.

This revision of King's celebrated novel uses a more than adequate tone and aesthetic to go along with the source material's blend of gothic horror and deep America.

The performances are good, but not outstanding, with cliché-laden protagonists who are well-defended, and a terrifying antagonist, thanks to some remarkable effects.

The pace, with some ups and downs in between, keeps the viewer's interest, although a little more blood is missing in the explicit moments.