In 1975, writer Ben Mears (played by Lewis Pullman) returns to his quaint childhood home in Maine, seeking inspiration amidst the growing lack of patience from his publishers. He becomes a town curiosity, frequenting the library for research. Mears befriends Susan Norton (Makenzie Leigh), a budding realtor, forming a bond that evolves into love. However, his tranquility is shattered when a child disappears, and another dies, raising suspicions about his involvement in these incidents.
The film version of 'Salem’s Lot,' directed by Gary Dauberman, premieres on Max. The film's twist to horror and the harrowing performances lend it a unique style. Yet, it skips the small-town social intricacies of the original novel by Stephen King. The cultural fears of the 70s, inspired by the CIA's shadowy activities, had a pivotal role in the original book, making the story's vampire, Barlow (played by Alexander Ward in the film), extraordinarily persuasive by capitalising on the insecurities of the closely-knit community.
Despite introducing a marginal shift to King's tale by casting a black actor, Jordan Preston Carter, to play the brave outsider Mark, the film misses an opportunity to address potential racial tensions in this predominantly white conservative town. Despite these shortcomings, the chemistry between Pullman's Ben and Carter's Mark lends credibility to their characters.
With sequences like the kidnapping of Ralph featuring strikingly silhouetted visuals, Mark quickly identifies vampires as the culprits behind the children's disappearances. He resolves to protect his town, joining forces with adults like Ben, Susan, Mr. Burke (Bill Camp), and Dr. Cody (Alfre Woodard).
However, despite Dauberman's fantastic directing and thrilling action scene, the lack of substantial character development for Ben and Mark compromises the film's depth. This revised version of 'Salem’s Lot' seems too eager to rush into the heart of horror, ignoring the novel's profound underlying themes about the paranoias of suburban life, xenophobic attitudes, and the importance of unity for survival.
