Doctor Sleep
Rent & Buy
Still scarred by the trauma he endured as a child at the Overlook Hotel, Dan Torrance faces the ghosts of the past when he meets Abra, a courageous teen who desperately needs his help -- and who possesses a powerful extrasensory ability called the "shine".
What critics thought
Mike Flanagan's sequel sits in genuinely divided territory: critics who responded to its character-driven, contemplative approach to trauma and addiction tended to enjoy it, while those expecting horror found it too restrained and too beholden to Kubrick's iconography to stand on its own. The central fault line is whether Flanagan's reverence for 'The Shining' reads as a strength or a trap — with several critics arguing the film's most ambitious moments are undercut by fan-service callbacks to Kubrick's masterwork.
“Flanagan was tasked with making a sequel to a film that stays loyal to a book that ignores the changes made in the first movie. That ain't easy... And while one can sometimes feel Flanagan struggling to satisfy both King and Kubrick fans when he really should be trusting his own vision, he's talented enough to pull off this difficult blend of legacies.”
Brian Tallerico·RogerEbert.com
“Credible in its characterisation, rich in mythological detail, and touchingly sincere in its treatment of alcoholism and trauma, the film is impressive in all sorts of ways. But its greatest achievement is that it makes The Shining seem like a prequel—a tantalising glimpse of a richer and more substantial narrative.”
Nicholas Barber·BBC
“Flanagan gives us such a sense of these people—their demons, their fears, their resilience—that it's a shame that the twists and turns aren't as compelling.”
Tim Grierson·Screen Daily
“You can't blame Flanagan for fetishizing the visual iconography of Kubrick's movie, for plunging back into his funhouse of horrors like the proverbial kid in a candy store. But the effect can't help but fundamentally alter the tone and intent of Doctor Sleep, briefly transforming a richly disturbing fantasy into an extravagant act of fan service. It taps into the minutiae of Kubrick's masterwork without fully teasing out its mystery.”
Justin Chang·Los Angeles Times
“Part homage to Kubrick's moody atmospherics, and part hyper-literal superhero story, Doctor Sleep is stylish, engrossing, at times frustratingly illogical and, ultimately less than profoundly unsettling... Doctor Sleep will by no means make you drowsy, but it won't keep anyone up at night either.”
Michael O'Sullivan·The Washington Post
Parents guide
- Violence
- severe
- Sex
- mild
- Profanity
- moderate
- Substances
- moderate
- Intensity
- severe
Genres
Horror, Fantasy
Cast & Crew
Mike FlanaganDirector
Ewan McGregorDanny Torrance
Rebecca FergusonRose the Hat
Kyliegh CurranAbra Stone
Cliff CurtisBilly Freeman
Zahn McClarnonCrow Daddy
Emily Alyn LindSnakebite Andi
Selena AnduzeApron Annie
Robert LongstreetBarry the Chunk
Carel StruyckenGrampa Flick
Katie ParkerSilent Sarey
Jamie FlanaganDiesel Doug
Met ClarkShort Eddie
Taylor StewartComposer
Andrew GrushComposer
Stephen KingWriter
Michael FimognariCinematographyDoctor Sleep
Still scarred by the trauma he endured as a child at the Overlook Hotel, Dan Torrance faces the ghosts of the past when he meets Abra, a courageous teen who desperately needs his help -- and who possesses a powerful extrasensory ability called the "shine".
What critics thought
Mike Flanagan's sequel sits in genuinely divided territory: critics who responded to its character-driven, contemplative approach to trauma and addiction tended to enjoy it, while those expecting horror found it too restrained and too beholden to Kubrick's iconography to stand on its own. The central fault line is whether Flanagan's reverence for 'The Shining' reads as a strength or a trap — with several critics arguing the film's most ambitious moments are undercut by fan-service callbacks to Kubrick's masterwork.
“Flanagan was tasked with making a sequel to a film that stays loyal to a book that ignores the changes made in the first movie. That ain't easy... And while one can sometimes feel Flanagan struggling to satisfy both King and Kubrick fans when he really should be trusting his own vision, he's talented enough to pull off this difficult blend of legacies.”
Brian Tallerico·RogerEbert.com
“Credible in its characterisation, rich in mythological detail, and touchingly sincere in its treatment of alcoholism and trauma, the film is impressive in all sorts of ways. But its greatest achievement is that it makes The Shining seem like a prequel—a tantalising glimpse of a richer and more substantial narrative.”
Nicholas Barber·BBC
“Flanagan gives us such a sense of these people—their demons, their fears, their resilience—that it's a shame that the twists and turns aren't as compelling.”
Tim Grierson·Screen Daily
“You can't blame Flanagan for fetishizing the visual iconography of Kubrick's movie, for plunging back into his funhouse of horrors like the proverbial kid in a candy store. But the effect can't help but fundamentally alter the tone and intent of Doctor Sleep, briefly transforming a richly disturbing fantasy into an extravagant act of fan service. It taps into the minutiae of Kubrick's masterwork without fully teasing out its mystery.”
Justin Chang·Los Angeles Times
“Part homage to Kubrick's moody atmospherics, and part hyper-literal superhero story, Doctor Sleep is stylish, engrossing, at times frustratingly illogical and, ultimately less than profoundly unsettling... Doctor Sleep will by no means make you drowsy, but it won't keep anyone up at night either.”
Michael O'Sullivan·The Washington Post
Parents guide
- Violence
- severe
- Sex
- mild
- Profanity
- moderate
- Substances
- moderate
- Intensity
- severe
Genres
Horror, Fantasy
Cast & Crew
Mike FlanaganDirectorEwan McGregorDanny TorranceRebecca FergusonRose the HatKyliegh CurranAbra StoneCliff CurtisBilly FreemanZahn McClarnonCrow DaddyEmily Alyn LindSnakebite AndiSelena AnduzeApron AnnieRobert LongstreetBarry the ChunkCarel StruyckenGrampa FlickKatie ParkerSilent SareyJamie FlanaganDiesel DougMet ClarkShort EddieTaylor StewartComposerAndrew GrushComposerStephen KingWriterMichael FimognariCinematographyRent & Buy