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The Guardian
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
The Institute review – this is how you butcher a Stephen King novel
Me, I'm always in the mood for hokum. You can serve it to me at any point on the largest platter you have and I will grab my hooey knife and absurdity fork and start shovelling. But, like any chef, you have to know what you're doing. You have to make some effort, have the basic ingredients assembled in the right proportions and send it out from the kitchen hot, steaming and looking delicious. Tepid hokum, bland hokum – well, that ain't no hokum at all. And so to the latest Stephen King adaptation, this time by Benjamin Cavell and directed by Jack Bender (Lost, From, Under the Dome – the latter another King tale) of the horror master's 2019 novel The Institute, travelling to our screens under the same name. Luke Ellis (Joe Freeman, the son of Martin Freeman and Amanda Abbington, in his first major role and bringing much to a part that barely wants to allow anything) is a super smart 14-year-old, planning a move to MIT when he is snatched from his home one night and relocated to a shadowy government facility (the institute) deep in the forests of Maine to assist with unspecified but – he is assured – world-saving work. Not just because of his IQ but because of the nascent telekinetic powers he also possesses. What were the odds! You can probably take it from here, but let me do my professional duty. The institute houses an array of youngsters who have demonstrated either telekinetic (TK) or telepathic (TP) abilities in their ordinary lives. No one, as yet, has demonstrated both, and none has our spiky hero's gift for analysing everything around him and showing the grownups how incredible kids can be, yeah? Kalisha (Simone Miller) is a TP and keeps kissing Luke – I am not too clear why, but it has something to do with her having had chickenpox, maybe, and wanting to pass it on? God knows. George (Arlen So) is a TK and gets to use up the first episode's nugatory SFX budget by raising a pool of spilt water into the air as a glistening vertical stream. Nicky (Fionn Laird) is a slightly older inmate who grew up in foster care and is – quite loudly, for such a heavily surveilled facility – sceptical of the authorities' insistence that the children will have their memories wiped at the end of all this and be returned safely to their unquestioning parents. This is probably wise. Sign up to What's On Get the best TV reviews, news and features in your inbox every Monday after newsletter promotion Said authorities comprise Ms Sigsby (Mary-Louise Parker, playing icily against type) who cares not a jot for her young charges beyond what they can do to further the mysterious project. Behind the professional facade, she has a self-harm habit and a father with dementia – but, if this is meant to make her less of a cipher than any of the other characters being moved around the cheap, uninspiring sets, it does not work. Ditto the bleak affair she is having with Dr Hendricks (Robert Joy), who is in charge of the research and experimentation programme. Rounding out the staff are Stackhouse (Julian Richings, who is British and bony-faced, so you know he is the real villain of the piece) and the sadistic Tony (Jason Diaz), who actually carries out the tagging, drugging and restraining of the institute's young captives/lab rats that Hendricks' programme requires. Outside the facility is the B plot. Good cop and even better guy Tim (Ben Barnes, bringing, like Freeman, the most he can to an unrewarding part) has taken a job with local police as a night knocker (a patrolman who makes sure everything's locked up and calm) to recover from the trauma of being forced to shoot an armed 16-year-old back in the city. A strange lady keeps warning him about mysteries and untrustworthy townsfolk, but I wonder if anyone will ever take heed and start to wonder what goes on in the heavily fortified concrete building buried in the woods on the outskirts of town? And with that, and the promise that Tim will (eventually – it takes far too long) intersect with the main narrative, the last basic King box is ticked and we can see exactly what happens when you keep the plot but strip out the man's genius for bringing his characters to life, while building dread at a cellular level. Instead, we get what looks like the torture of children to shock and upset, with some gratuitous references to the Holocaust to make things worse. If you stripped those out and upped the pace, The Institute might have made for some perfectly serviceable fun for the early-adolescent demographic. As things stand, it's hardly fun at all. The Institute is on MGM+ on Prime Video in the UK and US, and on Stan in Australia.
The Guardian
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
The Institute review – this is how you butcher a Stephen King novel
Me, I'm always in the mood for hokum. You can serve it to me at any point on the largest platter you have and I will grab my hooey knife and absurdity fork and start shovelling. But, like any chef, you have to know what you're doing. You have to make some effort, have the basic ingredients assembled in the right proportions and send it out from the kitchen hot, steaming and looking delicious. Tepid hokum, bland hokum – well, that ain't no hokum at all. And so to the latest Stephen King adaptation, this time by Benjamin Cavell and directed by Jack Bender (Lost, From, Under the Dome – the latter another King tale) of the horror master's 2019 novel The Institute, travelling to our screens under the same name. Luke Ellis (Joe Freeman, the son of Martin Freeman and Amanda Abbington, in his first major role and bringing much to a part that barely wants to allow anything) is a super smart 14-year-old, planning a move to MIT when he is snatched from his home one night and relocated to a shadowy government facility (the institute) deep in the forests of Maine to assist with unspecified but – he is assured – world-saving work. Not just because of his IQ but because of the nascent telekinetic powers he also possesses. What were the odds! You can probably take it from here, but let me do my professional duty. The institute houses an array of youngsters who have demonstrated either telekinetic (TK) or telepathic (TP) abilities in their ordinary lives. No one, as yet, has demonstrated both, and none has our spiky hero's gift for analysing everything around him and showing the grownups how incredible kids can be, yeah? Kalisha (Simone Miller) is a TP and keeps kissing Luke – I am not too clear why, but it has something to do with her having had chickenpox, maybe, and wanting to pass it on? God knows. George (Arlen So) is a TK and gets to use up the first episode's nugatory SFX budget by raising a pool of spilt water into the air as a glistening vertical stream. Nicky (Fionn Laird) is a slightly older inmate who grew up in foster care and is – quite loudly, for such a heavily surveilled facility – sceptical of the authorities' insistence that the children will have their memories wiped at the end of all this and be returned safely to their unquestioning parents. This is probably wise. Sign up to What's On Get the best TV reviews, news and features in your inbox every Monday after newsletter promotion Said authorities comprise Ms Sigsby (Mary-Louise Parker, playing icily against type) who cares not a jot for her young charges beyond what they can do to further the mysterious project. Behind the professional facade, she has a self-harm habit and a father with dementia – but, if this is meant to make her less of a cipher than any of the other characters being moved around the cheap, uninspiring sets, it does not work. Ditto the bleak affair she is having with Dr Hendricks (Robert Joy), who is in charge of the research and experimentation programme. Rounding out the staff are Stackhouse (Julian Richings, who is British and bony-faced, so you know he is the real villain of the piece) and the sadistic Tony (Jason Diaz), who actually carries out the tagging, drugging and restraining of the institute's young captives/lab rats that Hendricks' programme requires. Outside the facility is the B plot. Good cop and even better guy Tim (Ben Barnes, bringing, like Freeman, the most he can to an unrewarding part) has taken a job with local police as a night knocker (a patrolman who makes sure everything's locked up and calm) to recover from the trauma of being forced to shoot an armed 16-year-old back in the city. A strange lady keeps warning him about mysteries and untrustworthy townsfolk, but I wonder if anyone will ever take heed and start to wonder what goes on in the heavily fortified concrete building buried in the woods on the outskirts of town? And with that, and the promise that Tim will (eventually – it takes far too long) intersect with the main narrative, the last basic King box is ticked and we can see exactly what happens when you keep the plot but strip out the man's genius for bringing his characters to life, while building dread at a cellular level. Instead, we get what looks like the torture of children to shock and upset, with some gratuitous references to the Holocaust to make things worse. If you stripped those out and upped the pace, The Institute might have made for some perfectly serviceable fun for the early-adolescent demographic. As things stand, it's hardly fun at all. The Institute is on MGM+ on Prime Video in the UK and US, and on Stan in Australia.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
WBD Acquires Stephen King's ‘The Institute' for Max in Europe
Warner Bros. Discovery has acquired 'The Institute,' the anticipated thriller series based on the 2019 Stephen King novel, for its streaming platform HBO Max in Europe. The MGM+ Original scripted drama series will be premiering in Portugal and the Nordics on July 14, and in France and Belgium on July 17. More from Variety HBO Max Continues Global Rollout and Sets July Launch in New Markets, Including Estonia and Iceland Warner Bros. Discovery Split: What Will Happen to the Movie Studios, HBO Max, Cable Networks and Other Businesses? Mike Flanagan on How a Studio Would've Ruined 'Life Of Chuck,' Stephen King's Notes and Why He First Said No to the 'Carrie' Series The eight-part series is executive produced Stephen King and directed and exec produced by Jack Bender. Story follows the story of teen genius Luke Ellis (Joe Freeman), who is kidnapped and awakens at The Institute, a facility full of children who all possess unusual abilities. In a nearby town, haunted former police officer Tim Jamieson (Ben Barnes) has come looking to start a new life, but the peace and quiet won't last. The series also stars Mary-Louise Parker, Simone Miller, Fionn Laird, Hannah Galway, Julian Richings, Robert Joy and Martin Roach. ''The Institute' is a perfect example of how we're strengthening Max with content that complements our standout lineup across HBO, Max, Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Studios, and Local Originals,' said Ragnhild Thorbech, SVP of programming and acquisitions at Max. Executive producers on the project are writer Benjamin Cavell ('Justified,' 'The Stand'), Gary Barber, Sam Sheridan, and Ed Redlich. Earlier this month, Warner Bros. Discovery, announced its plan to divide the company into two publicly-traded entities, one devoted to streaming and content production and one devoted to traditional television. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? 25 Hollywood Legends Who Deserve an Honorary Oscar
Geek Vibes Nation
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Vibes Nation
Mary-Louise Parker On Playing A Multifaceted Villain In The Institute And Collaborating With Jack Bender
After working together on Mr. Mercedes , actress Mary-Louise Parker ( Omni Loop ) and director and producer Jack Bender ( Lost ) are now teaming up again for The Institute . This brand-new horror/sci-fi series, based on the same-named Stephen King novel, centres on the story of the teenager Luke Ellis (Joe Freeman), who has been taken to a remote institute due to his special abilities. When he meets kids with similar powers, he knows that Ms Sigsby (Parker), the head of The Institute, will use them for her own good. Therefore, Luke sets a plan in motion to escape together with his friends, but that's easier said than done, even with powerful gifts. Ahead of the release of The Institute on MGM+ on the 13th of July, Geek Vibes Nation spoke to Parker to discuss playing an ambiguous character, working with Bender again, and the first table read. Geek Vibes Nation: Hi Mary-Louise Parker. Congratulations on the series. Mary-Louise Parker: Thank you. GVN: For The Institute , you're reunited with Jack Jack [Bender, director and co-producer], with whom you worked on Mr. Mercedes . How was it to step into Stephen King's world, especially with him? MLP: What was most interesting to me was that I wanted to work with Jack again, and we became so close from the moment we met. He feels more like family to me, and he's an incredible painter and writer, and he's written these phenomenal books. I've also got to know him through his books and writing. We have a great relationship, so I wanted to be a part of it. Stephen King himself is truly the master of storytelling, and he possesses a phenomenal, freakish ability to take an audience and hold them exactly where he wants them. GVN: There are a lot of multiple facets to your character, and there's always the delicate balance between her doing what she thinks is for the greater good and being completely evil. Since you've worked with Jack before, were you able to get even more out of her to achieve a more in-depth portrayal of her? MLP: It's interesting that you say that. She thinks she's doing it for the greater good of the world. Jack asked me this question, 'how far would you go to save the world from Armageddon apocalypse?' And that's what I kept going back to with this character, that she feels she's on the right side of history. Instead of slowing down and questioning, she's become even more relentless in pursuit of this goal of her mission, and she can compartmentalise and set aside any moral concerns about what she's doing and how truly inhumane her choices are. GVN: One of those moments where you see that she has almost no emotions whatsoever is during the birthday scenes, which were creepy to watch. How was it for you to play those scenes cause there are a few of them? MLP: For her, that's just another step. We have to get through this step. My character has to be excited; here's the cake. The logistics of her day are based on ticking off those kind of things. It's as if she's able to justify her behaviour, and those are the most dangerous people. GVN: While The Institute isn't a great place to be, to say the least, it's great to see a female at the head of it. She's not taking orders from the men below her. How is it, despite her being who she is, to at least portray a female boss? MLP: I do like it a lot that she's boss. And if she would fail, it would be because she allowed herself to trust people she shouldn't have trusted. It's the kind of mistake that would happen in that kind of environment. It's just better to stick with your paranoia and let that fuel you than to make the mistake of trusting someone. She becomes the victim of her narrative because it's as if she's been wronged despite trying to do everything right. It's human nature when you do something bad or that you're ashamed of to try to explain it to yourself in a way or even justify it. However, hopefully, you can, at a certain point, understand what was wrong, a mistake, etc. Courtesy of Geek Vibes Nation GVN: I talked to Ben [Barnes] and Joe [Freeman]. They were discussing the first table read and the excitement from the very first scene. How was that table read for you? MLP: I was so distracted by my dog at the first table reading. I also always feel like I'm not doing enough. Ben is just so friendly, and my daughter is a huge fan of his music and acting. Joe was just so sweet. I was all over the place at the first read. I barely even remember, to be honest. However, before the first read, I had great hopes because I had seen some of Joe's tape. And I just thought, 'Well, this kid is kind of freakishly perfect for this part.' It's unbelievable that it was his first acting job. He has such purity, and he can dive in unselfconsciously when circumstances are difficult, or things are moving quickly. He was remarkably sweet and self-aware for such a young person. It's amazing. GVN: I was wondering what the set looked like, especially The Institute itself. Was there a lot of on-set designs, or was it mainly green screen or a combination of both? MLP: The series didn't utilize many special effects. This was an excellent crew that worked incredibly hard. They created many of those effects in the room, such as making the door shake or the ceiling move, which is much better than having to imagine it and then add it later. This was a very well-prepared crew, and that gave the actors a lot to work with. GVN: In this series, the kids possess either telekinesis or telepathy. What kind of ability would you like to have yourself? MLP: I would want to wake up and be a polyglot. I want to be fluent in 12 different languages. I've even picked out the languages. I wouldn't want to have psychic or kinetic abilities. GVN: Which one is the one at the top? MLP: Probably Amharic. My daughter's from Ethiopia, and it's difficult speaking through two sets of translators. I'm trying to learn Amharic. It's quite a complex language, but I'm getting there. GVN: One last question: what other Stephen King adaptation would you want to be part of? MLP: They're not finished with this story. In this work, King has explored various aspects, including special skills, kinetic abilities, and related topics. However, there's something about the idea of this organized treatment of these young kids, which is so horrific and so heartbreaking because you see them with their happy families for just a second before they set fire to it, and there's something about that. King has a next-level ability with storytelling. It engages the audience, and it's great for an actor to have a story like this. The Institute is out on MGM+ on the 13th of July
Geek Vibes Nation
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Vibes Nation
Jack Bender & Benjamin Cavell On 'The Institute': 'It's About Human Monsters—and Kids Saving Themselves'
Adapting Stephen King's work always entails significant risks. The fans will undoubtedly have expectations of the film or series, and as a director or series producer, you want to honour the 'King of Horror' in the best way possible. Jack Bender ( Lost ) and Benjamin Cavell ( Justified ) took on that challenging task for their latest project, The Institute . The series, co-produced by both, is co-written by Cavell and co-directed by Bender. It follows Luke Ellis (Joe Freeman), a teenager who is abducted and taken to a secret facility called The Institute due to his unique abilities. When he meets kids with similar powers to him, he decides to stand up to The Institute's head, Ms Sigsby (Mary-Louise Parker), and try to fight back. This results in a series that wonderfully balances aspects of different genres, including sci-fi and horror. Ahead of the series release on MGM+ on the 13th of July, Geek Vibes Nation sat down with Bender and Cavill to talk about the complex casting process, what it's like to have King endorsing your project and more. Geek Vibes Nation: Congratulations on The Institute . What was it about this particular Stephen King novel that made you want to turn it into a series? Jack Bender: Well, I love working with kids and teenagers. While it's difficult at times because you have to get the right cast to make it believable, I love it. The kids and their suffering was also something that I've seen in one of the school shootings we had in America. It was at Parkland High School. I saw how these kids, after suffering through that nightmare, coalesced into a powerful group that started standing up for themselves. They were seniors in high school. They were saying to the adults and the NRA and all the people they were fighting against, 'Get out of our way. We can fix this. It's our lives. You screwed up.' It's like that phrase,' the meek shall inherit the earth'. I thought to myself, children shall inherit the world, but first, they have to save themselves. Once Ben and I came together for this work, we completely agreed that it ultimately had to be about kids saving themselves. Benjamin Cavell: That was what attracted me as well. I also love this King's work, which focuses on human monsters as opposed to the more supernatural monsters that originate from other dimensions. It also explored the incredible theme of children coming together to save themselves. There isn't some grown-up action hero who hears about kids being victimised and then rides to the rescue. It's really about the kids having to bond together and figure out what they're good at, what they can do, and come up with their kind of great escape plan to get out of this. That was incredibly compelling to me. The Parkland kids and the school shootings are something that we still deal with in the United States that, thank God, you guys [the interview was conducted in London] don't have to deal with in the same way. Every political party, certainly in the United States, but in every country, is always talking about how they're doing it for the kids, whatever they're doing or justifying. It's always for the kids and their future. And yet, almost none of them ever really consult the kids. It felt like we had an opportunity to do that with this book. That's one of the brilliant things about Stephen's book. JB: Also, I just want to say, as in terms of Ben Barnes's character Tim and his wounds, that's something Benjamin, as our head writer, and our illustrious writing team, came up with and pitched. Tim's saving himself first from the wound he's experiencing, and that has let him into that small town. We wanted Tim to be close to The Institute so that we could focus more on him as well. The writing team came up with numerous great pitches, and Stephen ultimately said, 'Yeah, that's a good idea.' Stephen has been wildly supportive and loved every script and every episode that we've done. He's a big fan of the show. Courtesy of Geek Vibes Nation You sent him a few episodes first, and then he came on board. Is that true? JB: Well, I sent him the first episode and a promo reel, and he went, 'Oh, my God, this is so great.' After reading a couple of scripts, he said, 'I love this. I love the kids.' The fact that they're a little older in the book, except for Avery, the youngest, who's the same age. It's great. He just loved what we were up to, which is incredibly gratifying. BC: King always has the option of taking an executive producer credit on a show, but he rarely does it. He only does it when he genuinely wants to endorse the product. And that has been gratifying because he also cares deeply about this book, in part because of the kids and what it says about them. He writes wonderfully about kids and teenagers, and having him agree to be an executive producer on this and endorse what we had done was endlessly gratifying. As you already mentioned, the kids play a significant role in this series. How did the casting process go for the roles, and then how did you eventually end up with Joe Freeman, who is amazing? JB: He's amazing. I want to give credit to Seth Yanklewitz, who connected us. He was the head of casting for MGM+. We were looking for the kid and not finding him because he had to be the linchpin. He had to be the one who made us believe him and care about his character; otherwise, the show would not have its centre, no matter how brilliant the show is. Seth connected us to a wonderful casting director. We found Joe during our first round of kids casting in London. He had never acted before. This is his first experience. From the moment we saw that tape, we went, 'Wow, that's the kid'. I loved working with him. While he was tall, he possessed a youthful quality that ensured the character was the age we needed him to be. Joe was an exceptional find. For the rest of the kids around him, we wanted to feel like we were eavesdropping on real kids. We wanted it to be real kids. Some of the actors we cast had never acted before, while others were theatre actors, and a few weren't. I'm proud of our cast, as they deliver credible and authentic performances. BC: I agree. Jack and I were saying to each other from the very beginning of this, 'Where are we going to find these kids? And especially, where are we going to find Luke?' Just because, based on the book, you're going to have to ask so much of this kid. He had to portray all these different emotions and endure so much, and he needed to be the linchpin of the series. That was our concern. Our overarching concern when we developed this and wrote the pilot was, 'Where are we going to find this kid?' As soon as we saw Joe's audition tape, it was like, 'Yes, we found him.' JB: And he's surrounded by a great cast. For example, Mary-Louise Parker is our villain. She can manipulate you, charm you, and be brilliant. I've worked with her on Mr. Mercedes , and we loved working together. I've described her at times as a thoroughbred. She'll give you on-screen moments that are so unexpected without being over the top. The moments are grounded but are out of the box enough. She's exceptional at finding believability in the world of eccentricity and does deliver that. You believe her and hate her, and we're allowed to harbour those feelings. And Ben Barnes, in a different way, carries that wounded quality without being self-pitying at all and gives a wounded yet strong performance. He's out there to do a good job as a nightknocker. Whoever heard of that job, which I think Stephen King invented. The Institute is out on the 13th of July on MGM+
