There Are 3 Adaptations Of This Stephen King Story, But Which Is The Best?

Stephen King's work has been adapted for decades, from his lengthy novels like It, which received a miniseries and two films, to Carrie, which was adapted in various forms. There have even been adaptations of stories like Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, which became a beloved, award-winning classic in The Shawshank Redemption.

However, the second Stephen King novel ever published, 1975's Salem's Lot, has been adapted into two miniseries as well as a feature film that came out just last year. The novel follows a writer named Ben Mears, who returns after 25 years to a town from his youth called Jerusalem's Lot, or Salem's Lot for short. He strikes up a romantic relationship and befriends a local teacher, with his work focusing on the Marsten house. Kurt Barlow purchases the property for his own shady purposes. However, unbeknownst to the town, Barlow is actually a vampire.

Shortly after Barlow's arrival, young Ralphie Glick goes missing, becoming the first person in town to be turned into a vampire. Barlow begins turning townsfolk into vampires, building a team of loyal creatures. Mears and his fellow Salem's Lot resistance find themselves in for a fight, even pushing them to face their loved ones in horrifying new ways.

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By  Alyssa Avina

Salem's Lot has become one of Stephen King's best-known works, thanks in large part to the numerous adaptations that helped those outside the author's circle discover the story. With so many adaptations of Salem's Lot, one surely must be the superior take on King's vampire tale, but which one is it?

2024's Feature Film Adaptation Of Salem's Lot

The 2024 adaptation of Salem's Lot has a lot going for it. Director Gary Dauberman penned all the scripts for the trilogy of Annabelle horror films, and directed the third installment. He also created the DC Swamp Thing series and co-authored the video game adaptation Until Dawn. Dauberman also has a distinct understanding of King's work, having written both It and It: Chapter Two, which were well-received with huge financial returns. The cast was led by the charismatic Lewis Pullman, who recently made a splash as Bob in Thunderbolts*, and the Oscar-nominated actress Alfre Woodard.

Dauberman's Salem's Lot features spectacular visuals, with unique usages of light. It also offers some great scares, playing into the book's horrors with a modern lean for today's audience. The terrifying creature design helps the vampires appear monstrous and frightening, remaining true to the director's promise of a scarier adaptation.

However, having cut much of the story to fit a feature runtime, many of the characters felt hollow, with the film thriving on spectacle over substance. Salem's Lot 2024 disappointed critics and audiences, especially given the pedigree of talent bringing the story to life. The film was intended to be released in 2022, but faced numerous delays before finally ending up on the HBO Max streaming service in 2024, potentially due to the perceived quality of the film, with which reviews agreed.

2004's Salem's Lot TV Miniseries

The 2004 Salem's Lot miniseries was penned by Peter Filardi, the same man behind the scripts for The Craft and Flatliners. It also boasted one of the best casts of any adaptation, with Rutger Hauer's portrayal of Kurt Barlow being particularly memorable. The Rob Lowe-led adaptation proved to be an adequate adaptation of the material. The characters thrived, thanks in large part to the star-studded cast, with the miniseries format allowing them to feel developed and tactile in the world before the vampire fight gets underway.

However, the miniseries did change the fate of certain characters, like James Cromwell's Father Callahan, whose tale has a very different ending than the book. While the characters felt rich, the 2004 Salem's Lot adaptation was light on scares, even with intimidating performances. It may also be the version with the most lackluster creature design. While each adaptation has presented horrifying yet distinct features for the vampires, the 2004 iteration felt very run-of-the-mill when it came to other versions of vampires. Although it may not pack the scares horror fans may have hoped for, the 2004 version of Salem's Lot is a competent take on the material that Stephen King fans can still enjoy.

1979's Salem's Lot Miniseries

The 1979 Salem's Lot miniseries had the distinction of being directed by horror icon Tobe Hooper, who helmed The Texas Chain Saw Massacre only five years prior, and would become known for films like Poltergeist. The cast was headlined by TV star David Soul, known as Hutch on Starsky and Hutch, and James Mason, who delivers a charismatic take on the Richard Straker character. Hooper's adaptation was the first to bring King's vampire creatures to life with makeup akin to Nosferatu, but with his own devilish spin, making for a truly terrifying vampire tale.

Hooper's Salem's Lot succeeded in areas where other adaptations have since fallen short. Unlike a truncated feature film adaptation, it works within the miniseries format, allowing the characters to breathe. The 1979 Salem's Lot is also scary, succeeding in presenting audiences with a horrific creature design that doubles as nightmare fuel. In capturing the perfect balance between frightening and emotional character arcs, Hooper's 1979 Salem's Lot still stands out as the best adaptation of King's novel. It is also the only iteration to earn itself a sequel, but that wasn't necessarily a good thing.

A Return to Salem's Lot Is Best Left Forgotten

A Return to Salem's Lot was marketed as a sequel to the 1979 miniseries. However, despite the production and filmmaker Larry Cohen marketing the film with Barlow from the 79 version on the poster, it shares none of the same characters. It is a maligned entry that is more laughable than scary, and it is best left forgotten as an attempted cash-in on the Salem's Lot name.

While there may yet be more Salem's Lot in the future, it's still clear that Tobe Hooper's 1979 adaptation is the best version, and the place to start for anyone interested in Stephen King's vampire tale beyond the pages of the novel.

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Salem's Lot

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Release Date

October 3, 2024

Runtime

113 minutes

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  Makenzie Leigh

  Susan Norton
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  Lewis Pullman

  Ben Mears

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