MGM+'s "The Institute" is an 8-episode series suffering from poor execution, dull filmmaking, and slow pacing. It adapts Stephen King's 2019 novel but fails to expand on its themes, which have been explored better in his other works. The story revolves around a gifted teenager, Luke Ellis, who is kidnapped and placed in a facility for children with special powers, where they are subjected to experimentation. This adaptation misses the opportunity to depict significant themes about power and sacrifice effectively.
The project required a team that was artistically willing to unpack and expand on the ideas of King's novel, including how people in power are willing to sacrifice the next generation to achieve their goals, rather than merely adapting them as routinely as possible.
Newcome Joe Freeman is easily the best thing about 'The Institute,' deftly playing the supernaturally gifted Luke Ellis, a 14-year-old with a massive IQ and some abilities that Mensa can't quite explain away.
Split into two categories-TK (Telekinetic) and TP (Telepathic)-the students are experimented on for a mysterious greater purpose by a team led by the mysterious Ms. Sigsby and her assistants.
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