Jerusalem’s Lot is a weird place. It’s even weirder when it sits on a shelf for years like a forgotten jar of pickles in the back of the fridge. We finally got Gary Dauberman’s take on the classic Stephen King story in late 2024, and honestly? The cast of the Salem's Lot film is basically the only reason the thing didn't just drift off into the Max streaming abyss without a trace.
You’ve got a mix of heavy hitters and fresh faces trying to make sense of a script that moves faster than a vampire at a blood bank. It’s a lot to process. Especially when you realize how much they actually changed from the book.
Lewis Pullman and the Weight of Ben Mears
Lewis Pullman had some big shoes to fill. If you recognize him, it’s probably from Top Gun: Maverick or maybe that creepy The Strangers sequel. He plays Ben Mears, the writer who returns home to find inspiration and instead finds a town full of people with very long teeth.
Pullman brings this sort of quiet, "I've seen some stuff" energy to the role. He’s not playing a superhero. He’s playing a guy who is genuinely out of his league. Most people don't realize that Pullman actually carried a lot of the emotional weight because the movie cuts out so much of the town’s backstory. You basically have to believe he loves this town just by looking at his face.
The chemistry with Makenzie Leigh (who plays Susan Norton) is... well, it’s there. People have complained it felt a bit rushed, but that’s kind of the movie’s fault, not the actors. They have to fall in love, fight vampires, and deal with Susan's overbearing mother in about twenty minutes of screen time. It’s a sprint.
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The Alfre Woodard Factor
Let's talk about the biggest shift: Dr. Cody. In the book, Dr. Jimmy Cody is a guy. In the 2024 film, he's Dr. Cody, played by the legendary Alfre Woodard.
Honestly, it’s an inspired bit of casting. Woodard brings a level of gravitas that the movie desperately needs. She decided to give the character a backstory rooted in the 1970s—this idea of a woman doctor in a small Maine town who has seen it all. She isn’t just there to be "the doctor." She’s the voice of reason when things go south.
"Thinking back to 1975, that was the first time when people started to really talk about women doctors in different ways... I love the fact that we're in 1975 and this woman doctor figures so highly now." — Alfre Woodard
She adds a layer of professionalism that makes the supernatural elements feel more grounded. When she starts believing in vampires, you believe in them too.
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The Rest of the Lot: Hits and Misses
The ensemble is massive, which is the problem with adapting a 400-page book into a two-hour flick. You lose people.
- Bill Camp (Matthew Burke): He’s arguably the best part of the whole thing. He plays the high school teacher who first realizes something is wrong. Camp has this way of looking exhausted that perfectly fits a man watching his neighbors turn into monsters.
- Jordan Preston Carter (Mark Petrie): This kid is a beast. In this version, Mark is way more of a "vampire-killing machine" than a scared twelve-year-old. He wears a Creature from the Black Lagoon shirt and basically carries a stake like he was born with it.
- William Sadler: He plays Parkins Gillespie. It’s a smaller role, but seeing a genre legend like Sadler (who was also in The Shawshank Redemption) is a nice nod for King fans.
- Pilou Asbæk (Richard Straker): He’s the guy from Game of Thrones (Euron Greyjoy). He’s creepy as the "familiar" to the main vampire, but the movie doesn't give him nearly enough to do. He’s just... there, being menacing in a suit.
Why the Vampire Design Matters
We have to talk about Kurt Barlow. Played by Alexander Ward under layers of prosthetics, this isn't the "charming European" version of the vampire. This is the "blue-skinned, Nosferatu-looking nightmare" version.
Ward is a creature performer. He doesn't have lines; he just has presence. The 2024 film leans hard into the 1979 miniseries look. It’s effective, sure, but some fans were bummed they didn't get the sophisticated Barlow from the 2004 version. It’s a choice. A scary one, but a choice nonetheless.
The film ends at a drive-in theater, which is a massive departure from the source material. It puts the cast of the Salem's Lot film in a totally different environment for the final showdown. Seeing them fight between rows of cars instead of in a dusty cellar is a visual treat, even if the logic is a bit shaky.
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What You Should Do Next
If you've watched the movie and felt like the characters were a bit thin, you really need to go back to the source. The film is a highlight reel, but the actors did the best they could with the time they had.
Next Steps for the Horror Obsessed:
- Read the 1975 Novel: It’s Stephen King’s second book and arguably his most atmospheric. You’ll get the "missing" scenes for characters like Father Callahan and Susan’s mom.
- Watch the 1979 Miniseries: Compare Alexander Ward’s Barlow to Reggie Nalder’s iconic performance. It’s a masterclass in how to be scary without saying a word.
- Check out Alfre Woodard’s other genre work: If you liked her as Dr. Cody, she’s fantastic in Annabelle and even Star Trek: First Contact.
The 2024 cast did a hell of a job trying to condense an epic story into a bite-sized horror movie. Even if the pacing was a mess, the talent on screen was undeniable.