Stephen King has given a glowing review to his latest TV adaptation, The Institute, which is scheduled to premiere on MGM+ on July 13, 2025. The eight-episode series adapts Stephen King’s book of the same name, which was first published in 2019.
Before its release, The Institute has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 71% with seven reviews, which easily ranks it among the best Stephen King TV adaptations of recent years in terms of critical acclaim. What makes the show seem even more promising is that, in a social media post (via Twitter), Stephen King himself said The Institute is “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 of The Institute brings 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 (via NYT) that even though he liked the first few episodes of Under 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 for The Institute makes one hopeful about the show.
Similarly, the King of Horror’s review of The Outsider was also in tandem with its critical and audience reception when he called it “one of the best adaptations” of his work. Considering the author’s willingness to candidly critique and praise his adaptations, his positive review for The Institute makes one hopeful about the show.
After The Outsider, almost all TV adaptations of King’s work, including Lisey’s Story and The Stand, failed to leave their mark. After seeing Stephen King’s review, it is hard not to believe that The Institute will finally break the trend and deliver a worthy take on his work.
It must be noted, though, that Stephen King has had some hot takes surrounding some of his adaptations. For years, the author has maintained that he is not a big fan of Stanley 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 how The Institute will eventually turn out, Stephen King’s glowing review is a good initial sign for 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.
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The Institute Review: This Enthralling Stephen King Adaptation Is Way More Than An X-Men & Stranger Things Clone
MGM+’s adaptation of The Institute translates the tension and mystery of Stephen King’s novel nicely, albeit with a few mixed moderations.
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 sets The Institute apart from the recent line of underwhelming Stephen King TV adaptations. However, for now, his “really good” stamp of approval seems good enough to convince many to give the series a chance.
