Staci Layne Wilson’s Lisey’s Story review tells you what to expect from Apple TV+’s newest limited series based on a bestselling Stephen King novel.

The luminous Julianne Moore plays the title character in Lisey’s Story — he is the recent widow of a celebrated and successful Maine-based novelist, Scott Landon (Clive Owen). Since this limited series is based on a Stephen King novel, you can guess where the inspiration for Scott came from!

The book was written following King’s own near-death experience, and because this is a subject so near and dear to the horrormeister’s heart, he took on the task of writing all eight episodes himself. For non-King followers, this is kind of a big deal; he seldom has creative involvement in the adaptations of his work.

While Lisey copes with her grief, an overly zealous scholar called Dashiel (Ron Cephas Jones) is breathing down her neck to give Scott’s personal papers and unpublished manuscripts to him for study and publication. Lisey is also dealing with her sister Amanda’s (Joan Allen) severe mental issues, and trying to follow the cryptic clues a posthumous treasure hunt her husband left for her in the event of his untimely demise.

To make matters worse, after Dashiel’s request is denied, the professor hires an unstable superfan named Jim (Dane DeHaan) to “persuade” Lisey to change her mind about keeping Scott’s works to herself.

So, that’s the plot-driven part of Lisey’s Story. There’s also a major character-driven aspect that is riddled with flashbacks, dream sequences, and metaphysical muckity-muck. My eyes were glazing over already, just 15 minutes into Episode 1. However, intrepid journalist that I am, I saw it through.

Sometimes shows that start off slow pick up and become truly binge-worthy. Not, I am sorry to report, Lisey’s Story. It’s self-indulgent, meandering, confusing, and basically a bloated bore. At least it’s true to the book—which I didn’t like, either.

I hate to give King’s work a negative review because believe it or not I am a longtime fan, but in this case, he needed a strong editor and a no-nonsense director (Pablo Larraín helms all the episodes). Lisey’s Story is in some ways an intriguing treatise on grief and how different people react to loss, but most viewers will be expecting some suspense and horror here.

There is little in the way of chills and tension, but the visuals, which mix real sets with CG, are striking. The acting is good too, if you can get past all the nonsense words the characters use.

Unless you are a King completist or there’s just nothing else to watch, shut the book on Lisey’s Story.

If Staci Layne Wilson’s review made you want to see Lisey’s Story, go to Apple TV+.

Staci Layne Wilson’s Lisey’s Story review tells you what to expect from Apple TV+’s newest limited series based on a bestselling Stephen King novel.