Salem's Lot (2024) review: The fate of Ben Mears, Kurt Barlow, and Jerusalem’s Lot

Directed and written by Gary Dauberman, Salem’s Lot is a supernatural horror film based on Stephen King’s 1975 novel of the same name. Starring Lewis Pullman, Makenzie Leigh, and Pilou Asbæk, the movie delves into the character of Ben Mears, who returns to his childhood home in Jerusalem’s lot searching for inspiration for his new book.

However, he quickly discovers that the town has been overrun by a bloodthirsty vampire. To save his town, he assembles a group of ragtags to kill it. Salem's Lot has the following official synopsis:

“An author returns to his hometown of Jerusalem's Lot in search of inspiration for his next book, only to discover that the townspeople are being attacked by a bloodthirsty vampire.”

Salem’s Lot released in the US on October 3, 2024, after premiering at the Beyond Fest earlier in September. The movie ends tragically as Ben and Mark leave their town, now overrun by vampires. Despite Ben killing Kurt Barlow, the villain behind the vampire outbreak, he is also forced to kill his love interest, Susan Norton, who has already turned into a vampire.

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Salem’s Lot features a tragic yet thrilling ending

Salem's Lot pits Ben Mears and his group of ragtags against vampire Kurt Barlow, who is chiefly responsible for the chaos in the town. The vampire wishes to turn the city into one overrun by vampires. In the final battle, Ben Mears is able to kill Barlow, which results in the light in his eyes dimming.

However, the city has already been turned into one of vampires by this point. Jerusalem’s Lot is seen being converted into a ghost town, and most of its residents have now turned into vampires. Ben Mears also befriends Mark by this point, a young boy he sees himself in.

The two end up leaving the town towards the end of Salem's Lot, well aware that their hometown is now starkly different than before. Ben, who had previously lost his parents in Jerusalem’s Lot, is now seen dealing with the loss of a number of his friends. The character comes full circle as he had previously decided to visit the town to escape his past trauma. At the same time, he appears determined to protect Mark and wishes to help the child escape his past.

He is also seen dealing with the moment he kills Susan Norton, who had already been turned into a vampire. Ben knew that Susan would also need to be killed. Hence, he left the task to one of his allies, Dr. Cody, portrayed by Alfre Woodard. Woodard ends up perishing in the final battle as well, which leads to Ben being forced to finish the job.

This further acts as a trigger for Ben, who is now determined to never return to Jerusalem’s Lot. The film’s conclusion also sets up Jerusalem as a ghost town. It is seen being overrun by vampires, and most human residents either flee or are already dead.

While the story proves to be engaging and keeps viewers on edge, a range of elements from the original source were not included. Ben’s struggles with his first marriage and love were never revealed. Further, his relationship with his family was rarely delved into.

While the movie depicted the character as a writer looking for inspiration, a range of deeper elements were not integrated, which is bound to be a problem for some, especially fans of the novel.

Hence, Salem's Lot shows a small town delving into further chaos, as it is now essentially taken over by vampires. Further, the movie's ending also delves into how Jerusalem’s Lot was chosen by Kurt Barlow due to the corruption and decay already rampant in the city. While Ben can win his battle against Kurt Barlow, it all proves to be anti-climactic, as he is not able to save his hometown from evil.

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Salem’s Lot is now available to stream on HBO Max.