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The New Stephen King Adaptation: Hit Or Miss?
Stephen King’s stories continue to captivate audiences as another adaptation hits screens this year, promising thrills and chills for fans.
Stephen King remains one of the most prolific writers of our time, with his work repeatedly adapted into films and series. For fans of his horror tales, 2025 has been a particularly good year. In February, The Monkey was released, directed by Oz Perkins, with more projects on the horizon.
One of those projects is The Institute, which premiered on July 13 on MGM+ in the U.S. The series is based on King's 2019 novel of the same name and is directed by Jack Bender, known for Lost. Bender is also an executive producer. For fans of the series From, who are still waiting for season 4, this is a welcome substitute.
While expectations were high, The Institute started with a modest score of 67% on Rotten Tomatoes. This rating is based on only six reviews, four of which are positive. The score may change as more reviews come in.
At the time of writing, the series is not yet available to the general public, so no audience rating exists yet. However, the initial reviews already provide a good sense of what viewers can expect.
Grant Hermanns from ScreenRant commends the series for its direct approach to threats and its faithfulness to the source material. He highlights Joe Freeman and Mary-Louise Parker as standouts in their roles as Luke and Ms. Sigsby.
Rebecca Cook from Metro.co.uk compares The Institute to Stranger Things, noting that this makes the series feel somewhat outdated. She emphasizes that this is unfair, as the Duffer brothers often pay homage to King. Still, she finds the series predictable and lacking in character development.
Melissa Hannon from CBR is more positive, praising the series for its darker tone and fidelity to the book. She points to the mystery, engaging characters, and the quest for justice as strong elements that keep viewers intrigued.
On the other hand, there are critical voices as well. Maggie Boccella from Collider finds the performances strong but states that not every King story needs a film adaptation. Daniel Fienberg from The Hollywood Reporter calls the series well-made but sees it as a collection of familiar King elements without true innovation.
One of those projects is The Institute, which premiered on July 13 on MGM+ in the U.S. The series is based on King's 2019 novel of the same name and is directed by Jack Bender, known for Lost. Bender is also an executive producer. For fans of the series From, who are still waiting for season 4, this is a welcome substitute.
Mixed Initial Reactions
While expectations were high, The Institute started with a modest score of 67% on Rotten Tomatoes. This rating is based on only six reviews, four of which are positive. The score may change as more reviews come in.
At the time of writing, the series is not yet available to the general public, so no audience rating exists yet. However, the initial reviews already provide a good sense of what viewers can expect.
Praise For Faithfulness To The Book
Grant Hermanns from ScreenRant commends the series for its direct approach to threats and its faithfulness to the source material. He highlights Joe Freeman and Mary-Louise Parker as standouts in their roles as Luke and Ms. Sigsby.
Rebecca Cook from Metro.co.uk compares The Institute to Stranger Things, noting that this makes the series feel somewhat outdated. She emphasizes that this is unfair, as the Duffer brothers often pay homage to King. Still, she finds the series predictable and lacking in character development.
Criticism Of Originality
Melissa Hannon from CBR is more positive, praising the series for its darker tone and fidelity to the book. She points to the mystery, engaging characters, and the quest for justice as strong elements that keep viewers intrigued.
On the other hand, there are critical voices as well. Maggie Boccella from Collider finds the performances strong but states that not every King story needs a film adaptation. Daniel Fienberg from The Hollywood Reporter calls the series well-made but sees it as a collection of familiar King elements without true innovation.
