Adapting a famous Stephen King novel, especially one that already spawned a cult mini-series directed by none other than Tobe Hooper himself, has got to be a pretty big uphill struggle. There are few people who probably understand this better than screenwriter Gary Dauberman, who adapted both IT and IT: Chapter 2 for modern audiences. Dauberman's proven himself twice in that regard, and now with Salem's Lot (which he also directs), he pulls off a sensationally creepy hat trick.
Dauberman's feature-length take on King's classic vampire novel is a solidly entertaining scare-fest that pays homage to the original adaptation while also doing its own thing. What's Salem's Lot about? Pulling us straight back into the mid '70s with the thematically appropriate sound of Gordon Lightfoot's "Sundown," Salem's Lot starts with horror writer Ben Mears (Lewis Pullman) rolling back into his hometown of Jerusalem's Lot to find some inspiration for his next novel. Little does he know he's about to have it served up to him on a plate.
The town has two new residents providing plenty of mystery and action: ancient vampire Barlow (Alexander Ward) and his human caretaker Richard Straker (Pilou Asbæk), who are hellbent on turning the town into their personal diner and army of the undead. There's also a budding romance between Ben and local retailer Susie Norton (Makenzie Leigh), but it gets quickly overshadowed by snowballing disappearances and a fight for survival. Salem's Lot doesn’t take itsel.