By Michael John Petty
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Of all of Stephen King's novels, perhaps one of the most beloved (including by the author himself) is 'Salem's Lot. A classic vampire novel in the same tradition as Bram Stoker's Dracula, 'Salem's Lot follows an unlikely cast of characters as they're faced with extraordinary and otherworldly circumstances that forever change their lives. Although there have been a few adaptations in the past, none have been more highly anticipated than Gary Dauberman's 2024 feature film, which had been delayed since 2020. Now that the vampire thriller is streaming on Max, it's time to take a look at how this adaptation ended, and what it all means for the Lot.
How Does 'Salem's Lot' End?
It's not long after author Ben Mears (Lewis Pullman) returns to Jerusalem's Lot that things begin to change. With the disappearance of young Ralph Glick (Cade Woodward) — who was sacrificed to the vampire Kurt Barlow (Alexander Ward) by his manservant Richard Straker (Pilou Asbæk) — the town quickly descends into utter darkness. Soon, others such as Mike Ryerson (Spencer Treat Clark) are attacked by vampires on Barlow's behalf, and only a small cast of characters knows what's going on. Ben, his new girlfriend Susan Norton (Makenzie Leigh), schoolteacher Matt Burke (Bill Camp), Dr. Cody (Alfre Woodard), and the young Mark Petrie (Jordan Preston Carter) are all that stands between the Lot and complete destruction. Unfortunately, not everyone makes it out alive.
After Matt and Mark enter the Marsten House to kill the head vampire involved, they're attacked by Barlow, who turns Matt into a vampire. Straker arrives and prepares Mark as a sacrifice, but the young vampire hunter escapes, killing Barlow's human familiar in the process. This leads to Barlow using Susan's mother, Anne Norton (Debra Christofferson), as his new human emissary, under the stipulation that Susan (who has dreams of leaving the small Maine town) would be turned into a vampire and remain in the Lot forever. As Ben, Dr. Cody, Mark, and Susan plan their next steps, they reveal the truth to the local priest, Father Callahan (John Benjamin Hickey), who decides to help Mark explain the vampiric events to his parents. Unfortunately, seeking revenge for Straker's death, Barlow arrives at the Petrie house, kills Mark's parents, and seemingly kills Father Callahan as well. Though Mark escapes, he spends the night evading his own batch of bloodsuckers.
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As this is happening, Ben and Susan try to reason with Susan's mother, but she sics a vampire on Susan, turning her. The following day, Ben, Mark, and Dr. Cody reunite and discover that the vampires have all congregated at the local drive-in theater, with the bloodsuckers each sleeping in the trunks of their respective vehicles. After discovering a vampire Susan, Anne Norton kills Dr. Cody, with Ben and Mark narrowly escaping before the vampires begin to wake. Thankfully, Mark finds a clever way to burn most of the vampires alive in the sunlight (and kill Anne too), but as darkness falls, Barlow is awakened. As the vampire lord chases Mark, Susan attacks Ben, who is tragically forced to kill the woman he loves. In the end, Ben kills Barlow too, driving a wooden stake through his head and rescuing Mark. The two survivors of 'Salem's Lot escape into the sunrise, having vanquished the darkness that killed their town.
Faith Is the Only Defense Against 'Salem's Lot's Bloodsuckers — If You Can Keep It
Generally speaking, 'Salem's Lot honors traditional vampire lore. That means that vampires can only enter one's house if they are invited, wooden stakes through the heart (and apparently, the head) can kill them, and they have a general aversion to religious objects and icons. We see this most powerfully on display here when characters like Mark, Ben, Susan, and Father Callahan all use crucifixes (or, objects they've made into a crucifix, with prayers of blessing laid over them) on the creatures of darkness. Just as in the 'Salem's Lot novel, these crosses glow white-hot in the presence of evil and push back against all vampires. Of course, these objects aren't inherently powerful relics on their own, they require a certain amount of faith to wield.
In the case of Father Callahan's confrontation with the vampire Barlow, the film establishes early on that the priest's faith has been wavering over the years. He's become an alcoholic and struggles to at first believe Ben, Susan, and Dr. Cody's tale, even with an expert medical opinion present. Yet, when confronting the Type One vampire (a classification revealed in The Dark Tower books), the priest is able to muster up enough faith to drive the villain back. At least, for a time. Father Callahan's faith eventually falters and the light of the cross fades out, resulting in his apparent death at Barlow's hand. It's a pretty hard blow in the film, and plays out a bit differently than in the novel, but it ultimately reveals that faith is the strongest shield when it comes to the powers of darkness, and when one's faith isn't sturdy, it leaves a person susceptible to vampiric power.
Helping Mark Avenge His Family Allows Ben to Overcome His Childhood Trauma
Another major theme throughout 'Salem's Lot is the idea of redemption through the salvation of others. In this case, Ben is haunted by the death of his parents, who were killed in a car accident when he was a child (another change from the book). It was their sudden demise that sent Ben to live in the Lot for a time, and it's also the reason he's returned now, hoping to exorcise his own personal demons. Unfortunately, Ben doesn't find the answers he's looking for about life in upstate Maine, but instead learns a lot about death. Not only is he forced to kill Susan, but he soon begins to see history repeat itself through young Mark Petrie.
It's only by helping defeat the vampire menace, and especially in rescuing Mark — who is likewise new to town — that Ben is able to move on from 'Salem's Lot forever. More than that, helping Mark set right a horrible wrong by annihilating the vampire who killed his family allows both of them some much-needed closure. In many ways, Mark represents Ben's childhood innocence. Both of them had their childhoods cut short suddenly, but unlike Ben who had nobody to help him navigate this new world, Mark has someone by his side who understands. As they leave town together, we're left hopeful for both of their futures.
Jerusalem's Lot Represents the Death of Small-Town America
Part of the reason 'Salem's Lot is one of Stephen King's favorite works is due to its exploration of small-town decline. In an interview with The Highway Patrolman magazine, King once recounted that, "In a way, it is my favorite story, mostly because of what it says about small towns. They are kind of a dying organism right now." Based around the real town of Jeremiah's Lot, Vermont, King's fictional Jerusalem's Lot decomposes before our eyes. There's something obvious yet profound about the idea of an out-of-town vampire coming in and draining a small American town of all life and competition, leaving it for dead.
In short, ' Salem's Lot offers us a heartfelt but tragic look at the dying breed that is small-town America. While perhaps not as well-established or explored as the town from director Gary Dauberman's previous King adaptation, the two-part It, 'Salem's Lot still manages to get to the point. Though the film's ending is largely hopeful, there's something still tragic about the way Jerusalem's Lot is left: vacant, and with enough corpses to fill the whole town. Considering Ben and Mark took out all the vampires, it doesn't seem like we'll be returning to the Lot any time soon.
'Salem's Lot is available to stream exclusively on Max.
Salem's Lot (2024)
Horror
Thriller
In Salem's Lot (2024), writer Ben Mears returns to his childhood town to craft a novel, only to find that its residents are being transformed into vampires. As the sinister forces grow, Ben and a group of allies must confront the malevolent presence threatening to consume the entire community.
- Release Date
- October 3, 2024
- Director
- Gary Dauberman
- Cast
- Lewis Pullman , Alfre Woodard , Makenzie Leigh , Bill Camp , Spencer Treat Clark , Pilou Asbæk , John Benjamin Hickey , William Sadler , Jordan Preston Carter , Nicholas Crovetti , Cade Woodward , Kellan Rhude , Debra Christofferson , Rebecca Gibel , Mike Bash , Fedna Jacquet , Avery Bederman
- Runtime
- 113 Minutes
- Writers
- Gary Dauberman
- Studio(s)
- New Line Cinema , Atomic Monster , Vertigo Entertainment
- Distributor(s)
- HBO Max
- Movie Features
- Horror
- Salem's Lot
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