At this moment, it’s hard to disconnect the new Salem’s Lot from its nearly two-year release delay, during which many feared the film would never, ahem, see the light of day. That’s an unfortunate situation. On the one hand, it clearly didn’t deserve to sit on the shelf for so long, caught up in the leadership change at Warner Bros. On the other, it doesn’t quite live up to the expectations that inevitably built as Stephen King pressured the studio to release it.

I hope, with time, it can exist on its own terms. But my viewing experience was shaped by this context, which seemed to make the movie’s virtues and failings equally glaring. I can’t speak to how well it adapts its source material; I’ve never read King’s original book, nor have I seen either of the two miniseries versions. I can only say I found the script inconsistently effective, balanced out by an often strong sense for horror image-making that should leave fans of vampire tales with enough to feel satisfied when the credits roll…

Pros

• A frightening, old-school take on vampires
• A strong sense for horror imagemaking that leaves an impression

Cons

• Storytelling dilutes focus instead of deepening the scares
• A shaky script with occasionally awkward-sounding dialogue