A new science fiction-horror follows a 14-year-old genius who wakes up in a prison-like facility hidden deep in rural Maine. Called The Institute, the facility aims to hold and study children with psychic abilities.
The Institute is based on Stephen King’s novel of the same name. The series is directed and executive produced by Emmy winner Jack Bender (Lost, Game of Thrones). The first episode premieres on Showmax today (14 July 2025), with new episodes released every Monday.
At the narrative’s centre is Luke Ellis, a gifted teenager who is snatched from his home without warning. He finds himself trapped in a place where fear and control rule. Ms Sigsby, the ruthless director, will stop at nothing to enforce obedience. But Luke is determined to resist. What follows is a tense standoff between unbreakable will and relentless authority.
Luke’s ordeal begins with the brutal murder of his parents and his own abduction. He wakes up in a replica of his bedroom – only this one has no window and no way out. Beyond his door are other children, each with strange abilities like telepathy and telekinesis. None of them came willingly, and all of them share the same question: why are they here?
Joe Freeman leads the cast as Luke, with Ben Barnes (Shadow & Bone, Chronicles of Narnia) playing a former police officer, and Emmy winner Mary-Louise Parker (Weeds) as the chilling Ms Sigsby.