The first two episodes of MGM+ series The Institute will premiere next week, with new episodes releasing each week thereafter. The eight-episode series is based on the Stephen King novel of the same title, and it plays off of the King tropes we know and love. King even served as one of the Executive Producers for The Institute.
Based on the first episode, I think MGM may have another hit on their hands. Their prior horror series From was popular with critics and viewers alike, and is reportedly filming its upcoming fourth season now.
In The Institute, 14-year-old Luke (Joe Freeman) is a high school student of extraordinary intelligence. He has been accepted to MIT, and his parents are supportive, prepared to do whatever it takes to give their son the education he needs. But one night, we see a group of armed men stealthily breaking into his house and kidnapping him from his own bed.
When Luke wakes up, he appears to be in his bedroom, but he soon finds out differently. Instead, he is at a place known as The Institute, where other kids have been held under similar circumstances.
He is told by one of the other kids, Kalisha (Simone Miller), that all of the residents at The Institute are either TK or TP…meaning telekinetic or telepathic, and as we see in an earlier scene with his parents, Luke is somewhat telekinetic. He is fitted with a tracking device that a jovial man named Tony (Jason Diaz) attaches painfully to his ear (after smacking him really hard for not cooperating).
We meet some of the other kids, who seem to be trying to help Luke adjust, but we are not sure whether or not they can be trusted. And we certainly don't trust those in charge, particularly when Luke asks if his parents are still alive. Though the answer given is "of course", it's pretty hard to believe.
The people in charge of The Institute are pretty tough. Ms. Sigby (Mary-Louise Parker) is the head honcho of the place, and though she talks to Luke in a civil manner while explaining how everything works, her energy is weird. Later, we see her at home, where she does something that indicates she has a bit of a sadistic streak.
There is also a storyline involving a former cop named Ben Barnes, who takes on a gig as a “night knocker”, checking stores and buildings after dark to make sure everything is secure. He tells a story from his past that lets us know he is a troubled soul.
The Institute is very well cast, and Joe Freeman is great as Luke. Freeman only has one other series credit to his name, which is surprising, but the character definitely has my interest. And Mary-Louise Parker is pretty chilling as Sigby.
The first episode left me thinking of King’s book Fire Starter, which introduced us to The Shop, a covert organization much like the one in the series. In Fire Starter, The Shop kidnapped little Charlie, who possessed the power of pyrokinesis (the ability to start fires with the mind), wanting to use her powers for their own benefits. It feels like the organization running The Institute is wanting to do the same thing with the children they claim to have “recruited” (more like “kidnapped”). As a King fan, I am pretty impressed and intrigued with this series after watching the first episode.
The first and second episodes of The Institute will premiere on MGM+ on July 13.
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