J.K. Rowling and Stephen King are both considered masters of their respective fiction genres. While Stephen King is often touted as the King of Horror, J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter remains one of the most beloved and influential fantasy franchises ever created. One compelling but surprisingly underrated fantasy horror show on Netflix delivers a perfect blend of tropes adopted by both renowned authors.
More often than not, Stephen King’s books are defined by horrifying supernatural villains who do not merely lurk in the shadows to scare humans. Instead, they like to come out and play, actively manipulating, tormenting, and psychologically breaking their victims. J.K. Rowling’s line of work is defined less by terror and more by immersive magic systems and relatable coming-of-age themes.
Although Stephen King and J.K. Rowling’s stories often operate in two distinct genres, Netflix’s Locke & Key somehow brings together some of their most recognizable tropes. Based on a comic book written by Stephen King’s own son, Joe Hill, Locke & Key is a three-season series on Netflix that holds a Rotten Tomatoes score of 68%.
As average as its critical ratings may seem, the show does an incredible job of merging Stephen King’s chills with J.K. Rowling’s thrilling magic systems.
Locke & Key Combines Stephen King’s Chills With J.K. Rowling’s Magic Systems
Like Stephen King’s novels, Joe Hill’s Locke & Key also does not shy away from using extreme gore as a horror narrative device. Compared to the original graphic novel, though, Netflix’s Locke & Key significantly waters down the violence and focuses more on thematic horror. For instance, much like The Shining and Pet Sematary, it shows how its central family is already reeling with grief before facing a supernatural threat.
Even the central setting in the show, Matheson, functions a lot like Castle Rock or Derry. Many of its hidden terrors stem from previous generation’s secrets, including everything from failed magical practices to buried family sins. Even the main antagonist, Dodge, in the series exploits the characters’ worst vulnerabilities and weaknesses like most monsters from King’s horror universe.
In all of its chills and thrills, however, Netflix’s Locke & Key finds whimsical wonder, making it reminiscent of Rowling’s magical stories. It introduces a set of enhanced items that operate under a fixed set of magical rules. Each key in the show becomes a vessel for a series of plot progressions that set the stage for new mysteries and magic mythos.
The show also emphasizes the importance of childlike wonder by showing how adults automatically forget the magic of the keys as they age. Magic belongs strictly to the kids, forcing them to fight the darkness without adult assistance in Locke & Key‘s world. Locke & Key even features the Keyhouse Manor, which, like Hogwarts, is a massive labyrinth of hidden rooms and ancient relics.
Netflix’s Locke & Key Is An Underrated Fantasy Horror Adaptation
In the past, quite a few Netflix adaptations of dark comic books and novels have watered down their source material’s mature story elements. Sweet Tooth did the same and still managed to land in viewers and critics’ good books. The Electric State was another victim of this and struggled to leave its mark despite having a stellar cast.
Locke & Key, too, was criticized by many who were already familiar with its source material. Many critics complained that the show tries too hard to be accessible to a larger audience instead of being loyal to its source material’s darker tone and intricate mythology.
However, the Netflix fantasy horror series still deserves some love for maintaining a solid magic system with consistent rules throughout its three-season runtime. Story beats where it combines the central keys also often lead to genuinely clever, high-concept set pieces in its overarching narrative.
Even the show’s portrayal of grief and trauma through the central keys and magic systems holds enough heft to make it relatable to most viewers. Its Gothic aesthetic coupled with whimsical story beats also gives it a cozy-yet-creepy Christmas-like feel. The Netflix series is further elevated by its complete and well-rounded three-season arc that concludes on a fairly satisfying note.
While Netflix’s Locke & Key is not as good as some of the better adaptations of Stephen King and J.K. Rowling‘s on-screen adaptations, it is a perfectly bingeable series for those who admire the works of both authors.
