Netflix's 3-Part Fantasy Horror Is a Stellar Binge for Stephen King Fans

16 hours ago 5

Kevin Alves shouting as a monster in Locke and Key

Published Feb 27, 2026, 6:11 AM EST

Jasneet Singh is a writer who finally has a platform to indulge in long rants about small moments on TV and film in overwhelming detail. With a literature background, she is drawn to the narrative aspect of cinema and will happily rave about her favorite characters. She is also waiting for the Ranger's Apprentice novels to be adapted... but the cycle of hope and disappointment every two years is getting too painful to bear.

Some of Stephen King's strongest works feature child protagonists. Whether that be the seven teenagers taking down the sewer-lurking clown in IT or a young girl fending off pig's blood in Carrie, there is something uniquely unsettling and wickedly magical about a younger mind battling against forces of pure evil. Netflix's overlooked horror fantasy, Locke and Key, may not be a King adaptation, but it has that delightful mix of childlike wonder and palpable terror that arises with a younger protagonist, one that fans of the King of Horror need to have on their watch list.

Based on the acclaimed comic series of the same name by none other than King's son, Joe Hill, Locke and Key follows the Locke family as they move to their ancestral home after the death of their patriarch. There are three siblings: Tyler (Connor Jessup), Kinsey (Emilia Jones), and Bode (Jackson Robert Scott), and the latter begins to find magical keys around the house that have abilities like turning him into a ghost or opening a door to anywhere in the world. Naturally, these keys attract the attention of more malevolent entities, including Dodge (Laysla De Oliveira), a woman who initially resides in the mansion's well until she manipulates Bode into releasing her. As the series progresses, the siblings collect these magical keys while avoiding danger and learning the truth behind their father's death.

Netflix's 'Locke and Key' Mixes Childlike Wonder With Psychological Terror

Fans of the comics will still delight in this Netflix adaptation, as Hill worked closely with the crew and ensured changes expanded on the source material's adventures while retaining its essence. The first season draws on the first three volumes of the comics and introduces new characters and keys, while shifting away from the gorier horror elements. Instead, the horror is in the vein of Stranger Things, where dread and suspense take hold of the atmosphere, and there's a horror in the macabre reality of navigating grief and loss. Keyhouse itself has a malicious grandeur, a setting that is ripe for secrets and magic, with its countless, majestic doors with gaping keyholes, coaxing the siblings to try out another key.

What makes Locke and Key easy to binge is how it mixes this psychological horror with dark, childlike fantasy, as the adventure is mainly presented through the lens of Bode. As the youngest Locke, Bode follows his insatiable curiosity, kicking off the family's magical and treacherous journey by naively listening to the woman in the well. Barring the premiere, each episode caps at under a 50-minute runtime, eliciting the fast-paced and impulsive nature of a child's imagination. It taps into our own nostalgic, wishful thinking of seeking adventures in our childhood because, after all, who wouldn't want to collect magical objects that could potentially give you wings around a mysterious manor? Combining the whimsy of fantasy with the dark tendrils of psychological tension makes Locke and Key's three seasons an utterly immersive watch.

'Locke & Key' Is a Fantasy Series Steeped in Grief and Loss

Grief is well-worn territory of many King stories, and fans of the author will find Locke and Key's iteration of the concept equally fascinating, as each character navigates life in the wake of the patriarch's murder. Jessup's Tyler is as pessimistic, skeptical, and protective of his family as he is in the comics, while dealing with the weight of his guilt, unjustifiably blaming himself for his father's death. Meanwhile, Jones' Kinsey is squirrelly and nervous — much to her shame — as she bitterly accuses herself of cowardice due to hiding while her father was murdered. Their mother, Nina (Darby Stanchfield), may have skirted the periphery of the story in the comics, but in the series, her recovering alcoholism and her secret past, tied to her husband's death, create a major mystery plot within the show.

Hawkins' heroes in Stranger Things 5 looking down through a hole they cut in a floor.

Among these representations of grief is Bode, who is too young to inhabit the grief quite as viscerally as the others and embodies a spark that guides the recovery process. You may recognize Scott from his role as young Georgie in the 2017 adaptation of IT, and he transfers the same endearing innocence to Bode, but in a meatier, more whimsical role. His childlike eagerness and frivolity are contrasted by Oliveira's masterfully sinister performance as Dodge, both becoming the light and dark counterparts that drive the story. These characters are just as multi-faceted as the many forms of grief, creating a dynamic world that is easy to get lost in.

While you're waiting for the next King adaptation, Locke and Key needs to be your next weekend binge. Born from the mind of King's son, it weaves a mystery with rich characters and a stunning dark fantasy system. It's the adventure we wished we had in our childhood (perhaps, minus the threat of death), while delving deep into the impact of grief on the family unit.