On July 13, MGM+ channel (owned by Amazon) launched the mystery series «The Institute», based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King.
The plot of The «Institute» centers on teenage genius Luke Ellis (Joe Freeman, son of Martin Freeman), who, after being kidnapped, wakes up in an institution full of children who, like him, have extraordinary abilities; and an ex-policeman living in a nearby town, who is fleeing from the ghosts of his past to a peace that will obviously not last long, as these two stories are bound to intersect.
In addition to Freeman, the lead roles are played by Mary-Louise Parker (Miss Sigsby), Simone Miller (Kalisha), Fionn Laird (Nick), Hannah Galway (Wendy), Julian Richings (Stackhouse), Robert Joy (Dr. Hendricks), Ben Barnes (Tim Jamieson) and Martin Roach (Chief Ashworth). The series was developed by the director of the acclaimed «From» Jack Bender and screenwriter «Justice» Benjamin Cavell, while King serves as executive producer.
After the announcement seemed like we were being prepared for a kind of «Stranger Things» in Amazon’s vision, given that the series showcases young characters with telekinetic and telepathic powers — some refining them through inhumane experiments at Hawkins Laboratory, while others in the so-called «Institute», but in both cases against their will.
Unfortunately, despite the similarity of the setting, «Institute» has not yet reached the high ratings and popularity of its sci-fi competitor: the series currently has a rather modest 78% «freshness» on Rotten Tomatoes from critics based on 9 reviews; the audience rating has not yet been formed, but a quick look at the first reviews shows criticism of the acting, as well as complaints about the boring and obvious plot.
What do critics say about the «Institute»?
Despite the fact that there are few reviews from specialized publications, even a small part of them can give us an idea of what «Institute» has prepared for us. Here are some direct quotes:
- «The Institute is simple, polished, and at times fascinating, but, like the book itself, it looks more like a plate of King’s tropes and archetypes than a fully developed or evolved version of the», — formula Daniel Finberg, Hollywood Reporter.
- «Coupled with Bender’s crisp, if rather straightforward direction and a solid script by Cavell and his team, The Institute proves to be much more than an X-Men or Stranger Things clone, but rather a thrilling ride from start to finish… albeit with a few ambiguous moments… », — Grant Hermans, Screen Rant.
- «Ultimately, The Institute is proof that not every Stephen King story needs to make it to the big screen. His works have a kind of eerie anxiety that no visual art can ever fully recreate, especially when it comes to more intellectual concepts. Very few filmmakers seem to understand this fact — mostly Mike Flanagan at the moment — and I wish the studios would just leave it alone», — Maggie Bocchella, Collider.
Recall that «The Institute» — is only one of five Stephen King adaptations released in 2025. Previously, the movie was released «Monkey, then we are waiting for «The Life of Chuck» with Tom Hiddleston, series «Long walk» from the director of «The Hunger Games» Francis Lawrence and «The Running Man» with Glenn Paul in the new version by Ben Richards.
The first two episodes of «Institute» are currently available on MGM+. Meanwhile, «Stranger Things» is set to start its final season this year, but in three parts: the first will be released on November 26, the second on December 25, and the third on December 31.
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