45/41
This new adaptation of Stephen King’s classic “Salem’s Lot” is a missed opportunity
Scenario
An author returns to his hometown of Jerusalem in search of inspiration for his next book, only to find that the townspeople are being attacked by a bloodthirsty vampire. Writer Gary Dauberman told Den of Geek in June 2019 that his goal with the new version of Salem’s Lot was to make vampires scary again. He wants to move away from the sexier, more romanticized undead that have plagued pop culture for much of the last quarter century, thanks to everything from Interview with the Vampire to Twilight to The Vampire Diaries. When Ben reads through old newspapers on microfilm at the library, a headline reads “Local Couple Victims of DUI.” The newspaper was supposedly printed in 1956, at a time before the term “DUI” was used. References Trog (1970). SundownWritten and performed by Gordon LightfootCourtesy of Warner RecordsBy arrangement with Warner Music Group Film & TV Licensing.
Here, none of that exists
It’s well known by now that the film fell victim to studio interference, both WB and producer James Wan. The result is a mediocre, bland, lifeless product. King’s strength has always been in focusing on the human element – the characters, and how their relationships inform the narrative and provide an emotional core to his stories. It seems, from what’s left, that director Dauberman had an idea of how to tell the story while remaining faithful to the source material. His directorial approach is simple, almost naive, but for a story like this, it could have worked. However, any semblance of life has been sucked out (probably in the editing room), leaving behind what I would call a “non-movie.” The pace is so fast it becomes boring, making it impossible to care about the one-dimensional characters, who exist more as narrative devices than real people.
Alfre Woodard (Dr
The visual style doesn’t help either, as it’s reminiscent of The Conjuring series – a visually slick, sanitized horror aimed at mainstream audiences. The few character-driven moments seem geared toward efficiency, with the most basic framing, blocking, and composition, rather than any attempt to convey real emotion. Cody) delivers a performance that’s a cut above the rest. Makenzie Leigh (Susan), John Benjamin Hickey (Father Callahan), and Lewis Pullman (Ben Mears) – in that order – do their best with the material. The young actors are good, but everyone else… not so much.
A few performances are even laughably bad
If the characters seem one-dimensional despite the actors’ best efforts, it seems fitting that the main antagonist can’t even be described as such. His only discernible trait seems to be going “Bleaarrggghh” before feeding on his next victim. There’s virtually no blood or gore, and most of the violence happens off-camera. The music and sound design are serviceable but far from memorable, doing little to enhance the story’s nonexistent emotional impact. After nearly two hours of nothingness, the film devolves into a boring, mindless, and meaningless “action-packed” finale (keep an eye out for the sun moving at a convenient speed for the plot). The sequence is capped off by subpar CGI and one of the most disappointing endings I can remember.
The production values are clearly there, though
Even if this was never meant to be a masterpiece, there was a chance to make an emotionally resonant film with the timely theme of small-town American fear of “the foreigner.” Alas, what we’re left with is a hearty, bloated serving of nothing. Looking for something different to add to your watchlist? Take a look at the movies and TV shows coming to streaming this month.