After a few years of remaining in the sort of awkward limbo with its fate up in the air and the only real updates we ever received being the news of another delay, WB finally deciding to rather quietly release this directly to their Max streaming service doesn’t exactly speak highly of its quality. Yet, while it’s easy to see why they would opt to go this route as opposed to risking what would have likely been failure at the box office, I’m pleasantly surprised to say that 2024’s spin on the vampiric Stephen King classic is far more entertaining than it has any right to be. Just don’t go into it looking for a great, deep adaptation of the novel’s story. Gary Dauberman brings the same kind of goofy haunted house attraction style thrills seen in his directorial debut Annabelle Comes Home. None of its scare attempts are actually frightening, but are fun to shout and howl at the screen with alongside the hammier elements such as the jokes and Pilou Asbæk’s ridiculous performance that’s totally played for chuckles. The plot meanwhile is largely underdeveloped, hitting only general outline of the tale found in its source material. The villains go unexplored, entire side-characters/subplots are missing, and the backstories and motivations of the protagonists were clearly left on the cutting room floor. Even the entire aspect of a small American town being rendered desolate by an unholy force doesn’t hit like it should have due to the runtime rushing through everything to reach the next big set piece.  This will lead to a very hollow viewing experience for those who were hoping for a modern update that would’ve done the book’s narrative true justice or simply demand more from their cinema overall. If you’re merely looking for a solid bit of schlock horror this Spooktober though, this will certainly deliver the amusement you’re looking for in spades. It holds up well as a fun throwaway watch for the season that also provides some shockingly pleasant visuals in the form of smoky environments, glowing-eyed bloodsuckers, and the occasional colorful backdrop. Sometimes that’s all you need when you’re in or are trying to get into the Halloween spirit.