What's the Difference Between the Book and Movie?
This is an advanced, spoiler-free review for NOS4A2 from SXSW in Austin, TX. The series will premiere on AMC this summer.
When vampire fiction is adapted for the screen, it generally gets reduced to a narrative involving beautiful supernatural beings falling in love with each other or a gorgeous and naive mortal - as demonstrated by the likes of The Vampire Diaries, Twilight, True Blood, and A Discovery of Witches. Sure, many of the aforementioned takes on the blood-sucking genre do have value - especially True Blood - but none of them has redefined the genre in a compelling way. NOS4A2, AMC's new supernatural-horror series based on Joe Hill's bestselling novel of the same name, attempts the lofty goal of taking a centuries-old tale and turning it on its head... and they kind of get it right.
The brightest spot in NOS4A2 is Zachary Quinto as the series' immortal antagonist, Charlie Manx. Manx is a frightful old hermit who lures innocent children into his 1930s Rolls Royce Wraith in order to feed off of their souls. In a fascinating twist, there's no blood draining involved, just an eerily long road trip with Manx, who takes the children to a place he calls Christmasland.
Quinto is transformative in the role, and not just because of the horrifying prosthetics and makeup he wears. The Pittsburgh native really takes on a new persona - more so than any other role he's done thus far. It's something in the manner of his speech and the way he carries himself, as if the hundreds of years he's lived have put an enormous weight on his back and shoulders. Even after he drains a fresh young soul - giving him his youthful looks back - Quinto still carries himself in a regal manner, while still remaining creepy as hell. But he's mostly relegated to the background in the series premiere, leaving two potential heroes to share the spotlight.
Victoria "Vic" McQueen (portrayed by Ashleigh Cummings), is a teenage art student who wants to leave her small-town Massachusetts life behind for bigger and better things. Strangely, she can also use a rickety old bridge to transport herself to wherever she needs to go at a particular moment. The cool thing about Vic's powers is that they come with consequences. Every time she uses the "Shorter Way Bridge," Vic gets weaker. Her limited abilities add a nice bit of tension and doubt to whether or not she can compete with someone like Manx in future episodes.
Our next supernaturally-inclined youngster is a librarian named Maggie Leigh (JJ Smith). She has the bizarre gift of being able to reach into a bag full of Scrabble tiles that spell out clues for her to find missing items or persons. There's a nifty VFX shot of her arm disappearing into the bag when she reaches for the tiles - think Hermione's beaded bag from Harry Potter with the "Undetectable Extension Charm" applied. Unless you've read Hill's book (I haven't), it feels like these two will eventually find a way to cross paths, forming their very own superhero team. That likely outcome would help some of the show's uneven pacing, and the fact that none of the supporting characters are half as interesting as Manx.
The rest of the story heavily revolves around Vic's home life - primarily her alcoholic and abusive father, Chris (played by Punisher alum Ebon Moss-Bachrach). His presence in the story merely serves as a plot device for Vic to angrily drive away on her motorcycle after her dad and mom have a big fight. Vic's dramatic exits typically lead her to the mysterious bridge, leading her on new adventures - which is interesting, but everything outside of the supernatural elements feels like a wasted opportunity.
While NOS4A2's series premiere does offer a unique take on vampire lore, apart from the three central supernatural characters, everything else feels mundane and unimportant. The show often feels like we're waiting for something significant to happen, but sadly there are only a few noteworthy moments. Zachary Quinto's portrayal of the sinister Charlie Manx is exceptional, but will he be enough to take this series from OK to great?
NOS4A2 features a dynamic Zachary Quinto, but TV is a team sport, and he can't carry the series on his own.