Stephen Kinghas given a glowing review to his latest TV adaptation,The Institute, which is scheduled to premiere on MGM+ on Jun 13, 2025. The eight-episode series adaptsStephen King’s bookof the same name, which was first published in 2019.
Before its release,The Institutehas a Rotten Tomatoes score of 71% with seven reviews, which easily ranks it among the bestStephen King TV adaptationsof recent years in terms of critical acclaim. What makes the show seem even more promising is that, in a social media post (viaTwitter),Stephen King himself saidThe Instituteis “really good.”
In the past, Stephen King has never shied away from dropping honest reviews of adaptations of his works. The author never minces his words and is always seemingly honest about what he thinks. Owing to this, his positive review ofThe Institutebrings a lot of credibility to the series.
What Stephen King’s Positive Review Means For The Institute
It Makes The Show Seem More Promising
Stephen King’s reviews have proven to be reliable indicators of the quality of his adaptations because the author never seems to drop positive reviews just for the sake of promotion. For instance, he honestly said (viaNYT) that even though he liked the first few episodes ofUnder the Dome, the show eventually “went off the rails [and] descended into complete mediocrity.”
Considering the author’s willingness to candidly critique and praise his adaptations, his positive review forThe Institutemakes one hopeful about the show.
Similarly, the King of Horror’s review ofThe Outsiderwas also in tandem with its critical and audience reception when hecalled it “one of the best adaptations” of his work. Considering the author’s willingness to candidly critique and praise his adaptations, his positive review forThe Institutemakes one hopeful about the show.
AfterThe Outsider, almost all TV adaptations of King’s work, includingLisey’s StoryandThe Stand, failed to leave their mark. After seeing Stephen King’s review, it is hard not to believe thatThe Institutewill finally break the trend and deliver a worthy take on his work.
It must be noted, though, thatStephen King has had some hot takes surrounding some of his adaptations. For years, the author has maintained that he is not a big fan ofStanley Kubrick’s magnum opus,The Shining. While this, by no means, takes away his credibility as a reviewer, it highlights how his personal taste may not always align with that of the masses.
Our Take On Stephen King’s Review For The Institute
The Author’s Review Makes The Show More Exciting
While only time will tell howThe Institutewill eventually turn out,Stephen King’s glowing review is a good initial signfor viewers who have been looking forward to the adaptation. The fact that the show also has a decent early Rotten Tomatoes score of 71% makes it seem even more promising.
Stephen King did not delve too deep into the details of the aspects he particularly enjoyed in the series. This raises many questions surrounding what setsThe Instituteapart from the recent line of underwhelmingStephen KingTV adaptations. However, for now, his “really good” stamp of approval seems good enough to convince many to give the series a chance.
The Institute
A kidnapped prodigy with special abilities, Luke, ends up at The Institute, while Tim, a former cop, seeks a new life in a nearby town. Their fates are inevitably linked.
