Stephen King is, once again, dominating the pop culture landscape, mostly for the better (as is the case with IT and Gerald’s Game), sometimes for the worse (The Dark Tower). Luckily the adaptation of his novella, 1922, fits into the former category. It is a film of intense patience and terror, a story of the pastoral dream tearing itself apart from the inside, anchored by Thomas Jane in one of the most compelling performances of his career.
Jane is Wilfred James, a plainspoken Nebraska farmer with a teenage son, Henry (Dylan Schmid), and his wife, Arlette (Molly Parker), who has just been gifted 100 acres of adjoining land by her late father. She wants to sell it, sell the farm, and move into the city. But the city “is for fools” according to Wilfred, who wants to add the 100 acres to his current lot. The disagreement breeds tension and hate, and before long Wilfred has convinced Henry to help him murder Arlette.
It is an outlandish premise on the surface, but the way Wilfred convinces young Henry makes the machinations of the murder more than convincing. The act is messy and brutal, and it sends the family into a downward spiral of moral and emotional decay. Even though he does his best to cover tracks, Wilfred is haunted by the murder, and Henry eventually veers off on his own tragic path with his girlfriend, Shannon (Kaitlyn Bernard). As Wilfred fights back the demons of guilt – and an untold number of invading rodents – director Zak Hilditch leans into the dread. Mike Patton’s score of mournful violins add a layer of despair as things slowly begin to unravel.
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Thomas Jane’s career has gone through fits and starts over the years, but with 1922 he seems to have found a role he can sink his clenched teeth into. He is pitch perfect as Wilfred, a simple man poisoned by greed and driven by hate early, only to find the regret overwhelming as the film dissolves into madness. It is a deliberately slow burn, but it works. The King horror tropes – ghosts, guilt, family drama – are all prevalent and the thematics are as clear as day. 1922 is a Stephen King adaptation fans should seek out.
1922 debuts tomorrow on Netflix.
