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A Return to Salem's Lot 1987

A rational anthropologist and an awkward teenager become embroiled in a darkly comedic thriller when they uncover bloodthirsty secrets in a small-town Maine. The town is plagued by an ancient curse, blurring the line between reality and horror. As they investigate, they confront a terrifying question: can humanity truly coexist with the undead, or are they destined for a grim fate?

A rational anthropologist and an awkward teenager become embroiled in a darkly comedic thriller when they uncover bloodthirsty secrets in a small-town Maine. The town is plagued by an ancient curse, blurring the line between reality and horror. As they investigate, they confront a terrifying question: can humanity truly coexist with the undead, or are they destined for a grim fate?

Does A Return to Salem's Lot have end credit scenes?

No!

A Return to Salem's Lot does not have end credit scenes. You can leave when the credits roll.

Meet the Full Cast and Actors of A Return to Salem's Lot

Explore the complete cast of A Return to Salem's Lot, including both lead and supporting actors. Learn who plays each character, discover their past roles and achievements, and find out what makes this ensemble cast stand out in the world of film and television.


Ratings and Reviews for A Return to Salem's Lot

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TMDB

60

%

User Score

Take the Ultimate A Return to Salem's Lot Movie Quiz

Challenge your knowledge of A Return to Salem's Lot with this fun and interactive movie quiz. Test yourself on key plot points, iconic characters, hidden details, and memorable moments to see how well you really know the film.


Return to Salem's Lot Quiz: Test your knowledge on the chilling events and characters of 'A Return to Salem's Lot' from 1987.

What prompted Joe Weber to return to Salem's Lot?

Full Plot Summary and Ending Explained for A Return to Salem's Lot

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Read the complete plot summary of A Return to Salem's Lot, including all major events, twists, and the full ending explained in detail. Explore key characters, themes, hidden meanings, and everything you need to understand the story from beginning to end.


Joe Weber, an anthropologist, is summoned back to the United States by his ex-wife, Sally, only to find himself confronting a personal crisis. His estranged son, Jeremy, is exhibiting troubling behavior that risks his commitment to a psychiatric institution unless Joe steps in to help. Reluctantly, Joe takes on the responsibility of caring for Jeremy and returns to his hometown of Salem’s Lot, Maine, where he unexpectedly inherits an abandoned farmhouse from his late Aunt Clara.

As Joe settles into this new chapter, he remains unaware that Salem’s Lot conceals a dark secret—a thriving vampire colony. The truth unfolds shockingly when a group of teenagers becomes victims of a brutal attack by the local authorities. In the chaos, one survivor, Sherry, escapes and finds refuge in Joe’s farmhouse, bringing with her the terror of what she has witnessed. In an act of compassion, Joe welcomes Sherry into his home, and together they navigate the perils of Salem’s Lot, becoming ensnared in a web of secrets and lies.

Things take a darker turn when Joe introduces Sherry to Judge Axel, the town’s mayor, who shockingly reveals that he is a vampire. Axel believes that Joe’s anthropological knowledge could help the vampire community gain acceptance and perhaps even produce a sacred text for their kind. As Joe is drawn deeper into this sinister world, a chilling familiarity strikes him; Aunt Clara, whom he thought was long dead, reemerges, unveiling her terrifying undead existence in a manner that unsettles the very core of Joe’s reality.

In this twilight zone, Joe learns that the vampires have devised an unorthodox solution to satisfy their thirst for blood—they procure a consistent supply of bovine blood from the local dairy. The irony of this arrangement isn’t lost on Joe, as he contemplates the peculiar lifestyle of the vampire society in Salem’s Lot, where the distinction between life and death is alarmingly blurred. His Aunt Clara’s “drinking problem” takes on new and disturbing meanings in this sanguine landscape.

As Joe wrestles with the gruesome truths he has uncovered, he finds himself at a crossroads: should he escape the cursed town or confront its lurking darkness? Complicating matters, he reconnects with Cathy, a vampire entwined with his past who reveals she is pregnant with his child. Meanwhile, Jeremy’s rapid descent into vampirism intensifies Joe’s urgency to save him, adding pressure to an already desperate situation.

The school principal’s frank discussion about the vampires’ origins—reaching back to the arrival of pilgrims in America—only heightens Joe’s paranoia as he attempts to grasp the magnitude of this monstrous legacy. Night falls, and Joe becomes increasingly enmeshed in the lives of Cathy and Aunt Clara, who each unveil their own hidden truths and loyalties.

Amidst this chaos, the entrance of Van Meer, a charismatic yet troubled Nazi hunter, offers Joe a glimmer of hope. Joe sees the potential to ally with this eccentric character to combat the vampires’ hold on Salem’s Lot. Together, they undertake a series of audacious raids against the vampires’ lairs, with Joe at the forefront of a desperate mission to rescue Jeremy from the impending shadows of darkness.

The stakes rise dramatically when Axel, the patriarch of the vampire clan, transforms into his grotesque true form during a climactic barn-side confrontation that claims the lives of all present. As dawn breaks, Joe, Van Meer, and Jeremy make a daring escape aboard a stolen school bus, leaving behind not just a town in ruins but also remnants of a community consumed by its monstrous cravings. The vampires’ futile attempts to flee their burning homes serve as a haunting reminder that some demons are never wholly vanquished.

Uncover the Details: Timeline, Characters, Themes, and Beyond!

Watch Trailers, Clips & Behind-the-Scenes for A Return to Salem's Lot

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Official Trailer

Cars Featured in A Return to Salem's Lot

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Explore all cars featured in A Return to Salem's Lot, including their makes, models, scenes they appear in, and their significance to the plot. A must-read for car enthusiasts and movie buffs alike.


Checker

Supercab

Chevrolet

1979

Caprice Estate

Ford

1978

F-Series

Ford

1983

LTD Crown Victoria

GMC

1949

PD 2903

Mercedes-Benz

S-Klasse W116

Plymouth

1951

Cranbrook

Movie Themes and Keywords

Discover the central themes, ideas, and keywords that define the movie’s story, tone, and message. Analyze the film’s deeper meanings, genre influences, and recurring concepts.


sex scenechild vampirechildman undresses a womanvampirevampire hunterteenage boyteen angstpregnancyoutdoor sexchild swearingamoralityairportfemale frontal nuditysmall townhomecomingbased on the works of stephen kingsurrealismplace name in titlepunctuation in titleapostrophe in titleexploitationchild drives a carchild smokes a cigarettesunglassesvacation gone wrongtown with a dark secretpolice officer killeddark comedytownmansecretanthropologistfaked suicideritual murderpunched in the facepresumed deadreflection in a mirrorwritingwoodswealthvictimschool playschoolshootoutscuffletape recorderseductionshot in the headstream

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