The Cutprice Guignol

When it comes to small town settings in genre fictions, nobody does it quite like Stephen King.

From Derry to ‘Salems Lot to Castle Rock , King is the man to look to, as far as I’m concerned, if you’re looking for someone to capture the distinct pocket universe contained in a small town. My favourite work from the literary master of horror is primarily the stuff that’s set against these backdrops – if not a literal small town, then the contained communities of stuff like The Stand or The Long Walk. He’s got such an eye for character and detail within these settings, stepping across the town marker with him feels like coming home (if coming home meant being fed on by an ancient vampire, but you get what I’m saying).

But I think his best small town story might not be in any of his books – no, that title might just belong to the 1999 miniseries Storm of the Century, penned by King and quoted by the man himself as his favourite TV production based on his work. It’s up against some hefty competition, with the likes of The Outsider and Castle Rock to contend with (though not, at all, the recent TV adaptation of The Stand, which still haunts my nightmares), but, having watched it recently for the first time, I can see exactly why it’s such a standout.

Storm of the Century narrows down its setting in its opening episode, as the titular storm batters the small island community of Little Tall Island in 1989, cutting off the residents from the mainland and leaving them entirely dependent on each other to make it through in one piece. The story centres on Mike Anderson (Tim Daly), owner of the local store and part-time constable, after he’s called to the scene of a gruesome murder and arrests the apparent perpetrator, the mysterious newcomer Linoge (Colm Feore). However, Linoge is not of this world, and has demands to place on the people of Little Tall Island that will shake the small community to its core.

I’m a huge sucker for horror stories set against the backdrop of snow – there’s something so oppressive about it, that endless cold dragging on into the distance, and Storm of the Century does not mess around with its bad weather. In every episode, it feels as though the community grows smaller and tighter, forced into closer and closer proximity by the incoming weather. On the surface, it’s a positive; the island coming together to support each other, as they have done for so long. But Linoge’s presence brings to light old tensions and painful memories – oh, and his habit of psychically reading everyone to filth whenever he gets the chance. That, too.

Linoge is a brilliant villain – he fits well with King’s classic approach to monstrousness, a kind of embodiment of evil in an apparently unremarkable form in line with Randy Flagg or Walter o’Dim. Feore plays him with a smooth, polished edge, the slow build of his true intentions drip-fed to the rest of the characters as he has complete command over the narrative. But what I particularly love about him is the marriage of villain and setting; Linoge chooses this community because of its smallness, because it has, in order to make it this far, had to ignore and deny and contain horrors long before he arrived there. In the same way that the people of this island close ranks to take care of each other in the face of the storm, many of them have closed ranks to protect those committing heinous acts, because community doesn’t just mean engaging with the nice stuff. It’s no coincidence that Linoge’s demands hinge on children – it takes a village to raise a child and, in the same way, it takes a village to sacrifice one. Literally.

And that’s what really makes this series work as well as it does for me – because Linoge wins, due to his exploitation of the existing dynamics within this community. For all the good that this tight-knit island does, all the support it offers, they come together to protect their own in the most unthinkable of ways. It’s a gloriously twisted way to use this kind of setting, and it’s ultimately what elevates it to the best of King’s small town horror for me.

Have you seen Storm of the Century? Where does it stand amongst King-inspired TV adaptations as a whole for you? Let me know in the comments! If you enjoyed this article, consider checking out my deep-dives into more of King’s work, including my Carrie recaps and ongoing series on Christine.

If you’d like to support my blog, please consider supporting me by buying my books or dropping me a tip via my Support page.

(header image via Cinemablend)