If you've been watching The Institute on MGM+ and felt a familiar chill, there's a good reason. Both that show and the underrated thriller Mr. Mercedes share a secret weapon: director and executive producer Jack Bender. With Season 2 of The Institute now underway, it's the perfect time to revisit Bender's earlier King adaptation—a three-part crime saga that's just as haunting.
Bender, whose résumé includes Lost and Game of Thrones, isn't a one-trick pony. But Mr. Mercedes might be his finest work. The series follows retired detective Bill Hodges (Brendan Gleeson), tormented by the unsolved Mercedes Killer case. The opening scene—a job fair queue shattered by a speeding car driven by a clown-masked man—is disturbingly realistic. Bender based it on a real 2008 terrorist attack, as he told Collider, and handled it with care, refusing to sanitize the horror. The crunch of bones and scattered bodies set a tone that's pure King.
What makes Mr. Mercedes so effective is its world-building. Bender fills every frame with dread, from the grand violence to small moments. In Episode 2, Hodges, paranoid and PTSD-ridden, nearly shoots a teenager sneaking home from a party. The boy's broken arm and Hodges' trembling trigger finger create unbearable tension. This is a world where blood and gore are standard, yet never gratuitous.
The heart of the series is the clash between Hodges and the killer, Brady Hartsfield (Harry Treadaway). Both are outsiders, but Hodges' gruff charm connects him to others, while Brady's tech-savvy petulance isolates him. Their generational conflict—old-school detective versus digital manipulator—mirrors themes of technology's rise and retail's decline, as Brady's manager Anthony (Robert Stanton) constantly reminds us. Bender uses this dynamic to explore how power shifts to the wrong people.
In The Institute, Bender applies similar techniques, swapping detective noir for sci-fi fantasy. The eeriness remains, but the dialogue is sharper, avoiding the occasional missteps of Mr. Mercedes (like Hodges' neighbor's odd nude obsession). Still, both shows prove Bender understands King's intentions. For fans of horror novels that outshine The Shining, Mr. Mercedes is a must-watch.
If you're craving more King adaptations, check out overlooked R-rated horror films that nail the genre. And for a deeper dive into Bender's craft, his work on showrunning secrets at SDCC 2026 offers insight into his process.
