Earlier this year, we already got everyone to the cinema so we may now get everyone over to the drive-in as well. Sounds good to me. What could go wrong? Okay, let's not get ahead of ourselves because this is 'Salem's Lot after all, adapted by writer-director Gary Dauberman from Stephen King's novel of the same name. Our Maine character in this supernatural horror is Ben Mears (Lewis Pullman), an author who returns to his hometown of Jerusalem's Lot in Maine in the hope of getting some ideas for his new book. But it turns out that the town has other ideas since an epidemic of mysterious deaths and disappearances crops up, and Ben and the townspeople discover signs that a vampire might be behind all of said disarray.
Involved in the proceedings are also Ben's new romantic interest and office clerk Susan Norton (Makenzie Leigh), a young boy named Mark Petrie (Jordan Preston Carter), priest Callahan (John Benjamin Hickey), teacher Matt Burke (Bill Camp), doctor Cody (Alfre Woodard) and the town's peculiar new residents R.T. Straker (Pilou Asbæk) and Kurt Barlow (Alexander Ward) who together have moved into an infamous house that Ben is all too familiar with. Ben and his compatriots soon find themselves in harm's way.
Nothing about the film's setup will surprise you in any way as we have our main guy arriving at a place he either knows or has known very well, except that he's at the wrong place at the wrong time considering whose arrival coincides with his, which pushes him and everyone else into a life-or-death situation. At the same time, 'Salem's Lot also knows what it is—meaning an old-fashioned vampire escapade—and it isn't interested in reinventing the wheel or anything. For what it wants to be, it's a wholly enjoyable and satisfactory adventure to the dark corners of a small town where the people become prey to a predator. It mostly works because the characters are distinct enough for a simple story such as this, making you at least care about their survival if not root for them wholeheartedly, though it's hard not to root for the strong-willed Mark who often feels more like a main character than Ben does.
Part of that is because Pullman in the lead role doesn't exactly possess the kind of charisma that would elevate the middling material he's given, although there's nothing outright disappointing to mention either. Ben as a character just isn't dealing with anything particularly interesting, which might be a missed opportunity. Same goes for other cast members as well, albeit Carter steals the spotlight with his composure and Camp is a delightful presence whenever they're on screen.
It does, however, seem that the movie has gone through the wringer since it feels like there's a lot of material left on the cutting room floor (editing by Luke Ciarrocchi), perhaps to get the runtime under two hours. Based on how the story unfolds, it is more suitable for a much slower burn than we get and shifts between locations, characters or both can be quite abrupt, or you might even feel like an entire scene was cut (this is especially noticeable in romantic developments between Ben and Susan, and Straker's involvement). You do definitely get a sense of the gothic, creepy atmosphere that would be a better fit for the material in some scenes, but the unevenness absolutely has an impact on the overall pace, making it feel rather rushed and clumsy for no good reason.
Still, you can at least enjoy the above-average filmmaking that manages to summon two crucial elements: time and place. Cinematographer Michael Burgess and Dauberman do confident moves with the camera whilst having fun with colours, silhouettes and shadows, providing a solid amount of playfulness that suits the otherworldly threat. Marc Fisichella's production design creates cool environments for the characters and all the 1970s period details, ranging from dozens of cars to props, add depth to the fine imagery. Add Virginia Johnson's costume design to the mix and everything looks pleasant visually.
Composers Lisbeth Scott and Nathan Barr's score also understands the assignment as their music growls like a bloodthirsty animal with its rumbling bass and devilish vocals to invoke a great level of dread and urgency. Even if there's hesitation in terms of connecting one scene to the next, the general mood in those scenes is primarily maintained pretty well thanks to the craftsmanship.
There might not be anything too unique at stake here, but for a breezy, somewhat grisly humans-versus-vampire tale, the film has enough bite and entertainment value coursing through its veins. It's a bit of a shame that so much seems to have been trimmed in order to turn into something easily digestible, when you could've rolled the dice just as easily and we could be looking at a more memorable, slowly burning entry to the vampire horror club. Maybe we'll get that version in 27 years when someone inevitably gives this material another go.
Smileys: Production design, score
Frowneys: Some issues with pacing and editing
I know that she got turned but I could crucifix her.
3.0/5
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