Salem's Lot
HBO Max | Release Date (Streaming): October 3, 2024 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
47
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 20 Critic Reviews
Positive:
3
Mixed:
16
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
83
TheWrapWilliam BibbianiSep 26, 2024
A popcorn-spilling, shriek-inducing, tricky little treat. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperOct 2, 2024
Perhaps this story actually could have benefitted from the multi-episode series treatment, thus providing room for us to get to know more about these characters and their back stories, but as an old-fashioned scary vampire movie, “Salem’s Lot” serves its purpose. Read full review
68
The Daily BeastNick SchagerOct 1, 2024
A reasonably faithful and effective thriller, light on legitimate frights but polished and unnerving. Read full review
60
EmpireChris HewittOct 15, 2024
By no means the disaster many might have expected following its years-long delay. You’ll like it. Not a lot, but you’ll like it. Read full review
60
Total FilmJamie GrahamSep 26, 2024
Don’t be put off by the long wait. This is a little slimline but a lot of fun. Read full review
60
Screen RantAlex HarrisonSep 26, 2024
As a vampire movie, Salem's Lot is refreshingly old-school. Read full review
60
ColliderRobert Brian TaylorSep 26, 2024
Dauberman's film is competent enough that I think it will manage to find an audience who's into an overly traditional take on vampire lore, as well as win over King fans who have been onboard with this tale, in all its incarnations, since day one. Read full review
50
ReelViewsJames BerardinelliOct 10, 2024
A feature film adaptation of King’s best novel is deserving of something more epic than this throw-away production. Read full review
50
RogerEbert.comBrian TallericoOct 2, 2024
It’s no exaggeration to say there are scene transitions in “Salem’s Lot” in which it honestly feels like maybe you accidentally fast-forwarded a few minutes and missed the connective tissue. Read full review
50
The Hollywood ReporterLovia GyarkyeSep 27, 2024
Salem’s Lot is a clipped horror that partially works thanks to a handful of assured performances and key style choices. Read full review
50
IGNTom JorgensenSep 26, 2024
Like a human turned into a creature of the night, Salem’s Lot kicks off with a strong sense of identity that slowly gives way to mindless vampire nonsense. Read full review
50
SlashfilmChris EvangelistaSep 26, 2024
Eventually, Salem's Lot finds some life in its climax, gleefully unleashing monster mayhem that feels ported over from a much more enjoyable B-movie. Read full review
40
The Observer (UK)Wendy IdeOct 17, 2024
The vampire genre is, like its toothy protagonists, notoriously difficult to kill outright, but this flat and uninspired film could be a nail in its coffin. Read full review
40
iChristina NewlandOct 16, 2024
A fresh Stephen King adaptation should be exciting. It’s a shame, then, that Salem’s Lot – a small-town vampire chiller set in 1970s Maine – has absolutely zero new ideas or even a particularly frightening take on the old story. Read full review
40
The Irish TimesDonald ClarkeOct 9, 2024
The book may not show its age, but this adaptation feels more ancient than the oceans. Read full review
40
Wall Street JournalJohn AndersonOct 3, 2024
Mr. Dauberman, abetted by cinematographer Michael Burgess (“Malignant”), finds ways to make the Lot both anxious and dour, though the moods don’t always match up with the wobbly storytelling, or help set it on a purposeful path. Read full review
40
We Got This CoveredCarolyn JenkinsOct 2, 2024
The breathtaking visuals and bloody scares are not enough to bring this adaptation back from the dead. Read full review
40
The GuardianBenjamin LeeOct 1, 2024
While Dauberman manages a handful of effective moments (a morgue scramble with a homemade cross and a drive-in movie light trick are particularly good), he’s never able to capture the slow, escalating dread that a story such as this demands. Read full review
40
Arizona RepublicBill GoodykoontzSep 26, 2024
By the time the main vampire shows up, Salem’s Lot has already been rendered toothless. Read full review
33
The A.V. ClubJacob OllerSep 26, 2024
Salem’s Lot isn’t a disaster (far worse horror films have made plenty of money at the box office), but a bloodless and frail version of the story drained of its vitality. Read full review
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