The Institute Review – The Stephen King Adaptation Needed a Better Editor

A series based on a Stephen King novel? Say no more. However, The Institute isn’t vintage King, if we’re being honest there. It’s a decent – albeit unoriginal – story that’s been told many times before. Translated to the small screen, it’s a mixed bag that doesn’t cement itself in the upper echelon of King adaptations.

Teenager Luke Ellis (Joe Freeman) is a genius, who displays a degree of telekinetic ability. One day, Luke wakes up in an isolated facility where he meets other children with telekinetic and telepathic powers. The boss of this place, Ms. Sigsby (Mary-Louise Parker), informs Luke that he’s part of a group destined to do great things for the world, and once he graduates from this institute, his mind will be wiped and he’ll go back into the world none the wiser. Yet, Luke’s stay in this facility – much like the other children’s – is rife with pain and torture. Elsewhere, Tim Jamieson (Ben Barnes) arrives in town and takes a job as a night knocker. While Luke and Tim’s journeys seem separate, they are destined to intersect at some point. 

The Institute‘s first two episodes, “The Boy” and “Shots for Dots,” are a slog. Each episode runs over 50 minutes and they go on and on – without much happening. Yes, there are important narrative milestones, such as when Luke gets kidnapped and discovers more about this mysterious institute and its inhabitants, but these episodes required a ruthless editor who wasn’t afraid of cutting through the fluff. If the goal is to make the audience feel as bored as the kids locked inside the facility, mission accomplished, but that doesn’t exactly translate into fascinating television, now does it?

The good news is that once these two episodes pass, the series improves drastically. The excitement increases in each passing episode, while genuine stakes start to form – both for those on the inside and outside. You want to know more, because the truth proves to be as sinister and deceptive as you initially thought it would be.

But what about the performances? Well, Ben Barnes doesn’t know how to give bad ones. As Tim Jamieson, he plays a man haunted by his past but remains determined to redeem himself for his past mistakes. He becomes the voice of reason in a town that often turns a blind eye to the quiet evil around it. He’s determined, resolute, and empowered by a strong sense of justice for doing what’s right rather than what the authorities deem correct.

Barnes’ powerhouse portrayal is complemented by the younger cast of the series. Joe Freeman plays Luke Ellis with a cool and confident demeanor, while Viggo Hanvelt turns into an unexpected scene-stealer as Avery. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said about the majority of the older cast members. Mary-Louise Parker, who’s normally excellent, doesn’t feel believable as the antagonist Ms. Sigsby. Parker’s performance comes across as more disinterested than indifferent or cold – a shame since Sigsby feels like a modern-day Mildred Ratched in the source material. 

Overall, The Institute‘s slow start doesn’t help the series. While curiosity is established from the beginning, it takes serious time to get to the place where something – anything – happens. As soon as it hits this pivotal point, it transforms into a pulsating and addictive series. The problem is, how many people are going to wait it out until then? The Institute is one show that could have been aided had it been trimmed down – both in terms of actual episodes and runtime.

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