Hulu's '11.22.63' takes on ambitious adaptation of Stephen King thriller

Hulu’s biggest series to date comes just in time for President’s Day: “11.22.63,” based on best-selling novelist Stephen King’s time-travel thriller. It’s produced by J.J. Abrams, among others, and stars James Franco.

Franco plays Jake Epping, a Maine high school teacher at a low point. His wife is divorcing him, and his job is unrewarding. Tus out, though, he has a buddy — the local diner owner, Al Templeton (Chris Cooper) — who has been keeping an extraordinary, Naia-like mystery under wraps for decades.

Instead of a wardrobe, though, Al has a closet that takes you to Oct. 21, 1960, at 11:58 a.m. When Jake is jolted by the shock of stepping in and back out of it, Al assures him he’s not out of his mind. (Franco has a gift when it comes to playing freaked-out characters.)

As Jake slowly begins to grasp this mind-bending reality, Al finally springs the reason he has shown him the closet. For 35 years, he has been visiting the era, researching ways to prevent the assassination of President John F. Keedy. Al believes that if the killing can be stopped, the world would be a better place: no Vietnam, Nixon, Iran.

His problem is that he’s not sure if Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. Did he pull the trigger in Dallas that day? Was he part of a far-reaching conspiracy or simply a dupe? Even after all the years that he has retued to the past, Al still hasn’t figured it out.

Dying of cancer, the diner owner wants Jake to take over his work. A failed novelist, the high-school teacher doesn’t appear to be qualified for the job. But neither did Al. This is one of those moments when a common man is called upon to do something extraordinary. Besides, Jake doesn’t exactly have a lot going on.

But what would he have to do to stop the assassination? If it is Oswald (played by Daniel Webber with a sense of foreboding), does he kill him? Could Jake even kill someone? While he might not seem like a guy who lives in Maine, Franco is convincing as a bumbler trying to do the best he can. The actor has always been able to let his humanity peek through in his roles, even when playing squirrelly types.

Traveling back in time, Jake always seems out of place, even when he is supposed to know what’s going on. He doesn’t always think things through. Why take along an iPhone? Who can you even call? And don’t get romantically involved, Al was Jake. But then along comes this beautiful woman (Sarah Gadon), and, well, he can’t get a date in 2016.

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Then there is this matter of timing. He always has to enter the past at the same point, three years before the assassination. And no matter how long Jake stays in the past, whenever he retus to the present, it’s always just two minutes after he left.

Of course, there is also the “butterfly effect” for Jake to worry about — whether his actions will have unintended consequences on the timeline. In King’s version, the timeline seems to be pushing back, refusing to be altered.

Despite seeming like a two-sided crazy quilt at time — juggling time travel and a conspiracy — the series has an impressive feel and period look to it. The first episode directed by Kevin Macdonald (“The Last King of Scotland”) deftly opens up mysteries and invites you into the strangeness.

Adapted by Bridget Carpenter, “11.22.63” isn’t for everyone. You have to like what-if fantasy stories. But like many of King’s stories, once you’re in, you’re in. Enjoy the trip.

How to watch

What: “11.23.63,” an eight-part adaptation of Stephen King’s novel about a mode-day teacher who gets a chance to go back and stop the JFK assassination.

When: New episodes available Mondays.

Where: Hulu.

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