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Published Jan 25, 2026, 9:27 PM EST
Dhruv is a Lead Writer in Screen Rant's New TV division. He has been consistently contributing to the website for over two years and has written thousands of articles covering streaming trends, movie/TV analysis, and pop culture breakdowns.
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After high school, he was on his way to become a Civil Engineer. However, he soon realized that writing was his true calling. As a result, he took a leap and never looked back.
A closer look at Stephen King's most underrated show from last year reveals that it perfectly follows up his forgotten Timothy Olyphant movie adaptation.
Since there are hundreds of Stephen King adaptations out there, it is nearly impossible to track down which one among them is underrated and deserves to be rewatched. However, there are a few that quietly stand out despite not being appreciated when they first premiered. One of these obscure Stephen King movie adaptations stars Timothy Olyphant as one of its leads.
The movie not only seems to have aged fairly well but also seems to align perfectly with one Stephen King's most recent TV hits.
The Institute Feels Like The Perfect Follow-up To Timothy Olyphant’s Underrated Dreamcatcher Movie
2025's The Institute and 2003's Dreamcatcher, which also stars Timothy Olyphant, seem like two very distinct Stephen King adaptations. While The Institute is about a group of kidnapped children who possess supernatural abilities, Dreamcatcher is an alien invasion story built around friendship and body horror. However, a closer look at both reveals how they are more similar than one would initially realize.
For instance, in both Stephen King stories, a secret government organization operates from behind the scenes and justifies extreme cruelty in the name of national security and the perceived greater good.
While the supernaturally gifted individuals in Dreamcatcher are treated as disposable assets in a war against alien threats, the ones in Stephen King's The Institute are subjects of brutal experiments, forced to endure suffering to prevent future catastrophes.
It is also hard not to notice how both stories seemingly connect to the larger Dark Tower universe. The titular facility in The Institute seems like a commercialized version of the Crimson King’s "Devar-Toi" from Dark Tower where the Breakers are held captive. Meanwhile, the main characters in Dreamcatcher seem to possess a version of the "shine," making them seem like advanced versions of the Breakers in Dark Tower or the TKs and TPs in The Institute.
The Institute's connection to Stephen King's IT franchise seems more subtle. Like IT, The Institute captures how the real monsters are negligent adults who either turn the other way or actively participate in systems that harm children. Dreamcatcher, on the other hand, draws an explicit reference to Pennywise by featuring graffiti that says:
"Pennywise Lives."
This reference to IT in Stephen King's Dreamcatcher has also led many to theorize that its alien threat is actually Pennywise. Regardless of what these subtle connections between Stephen King's stories mean, they highlight how his overarching horror universe is all about shared fears and anxieties that echo across all stories.
At the same time, they also serve as perfect reminders to check out or revisit forgotten Stephen King adaptations, like Timothy Olyphant's Dreamcatcher, which may have been dismissed initially but seem far better in hindsight.
English (US) ·