The Institute (2025)

You should watch “The Institute” if you want a show that’s going to offer you a tense atmosphere, but also a huge range of emotions, from being disturbing to being humorous, and more. There’s such an odd, likable quality to the characters in the show, even the villains, which is something Stephen King has always been able to do, no matter how awful they are. It’s also just a really fun show with great themes and great writing, where you can snuggle up on the couch and get scared.

Stephen King is a master of slow-burn tension. He’s great at presenting you with situations that are utterly horrifying, and you’re left wondering how you’ll get out of this horrific situation and overcome this injustice. “The Institute” has all that, but can also be watched more thoughtfully, and you can see how it relates to the world we live in and the metaphors it presents. I loved guessing what Stephen King was trying to tell us, like what does telepathy in the show represent, what do those in power truly want, and what are the justifications for their horrible actions? King is just such a master at presenting a surface-level story, while also presenting a deeper story at the same time.

I’d worked on a Stephen King adaptation before, and his ability to grip an audience is pretty hard to beat. I loved that I never knew where my character was going, and the complete lack of sincerity in the way she dealt with the kids. That idea of complete inhumanity was really interesting to me, and horrifying, and a little bit funny…but mostly horrifying! I felt there was so much possibility. I created the character to have no impulse of self-care and no civility, where she treats herself almost like an object. She lives in this netherworld of morality and humanity.