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Doctor Sleep
Intrepid Pictures Intrepid Pictures
Vertigo Entertainment Vertigo Entertainment
Warner Bros. Pictures Warner Bros. Pictures
The Shining Collection The Shining Collection

Doctor Sleep

Return to the Overlook.

2019 152 min ★ 7.2 (5,045) Released
Fantasy Horror

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".

Original title
Doctor Sleep
Language
EN
Country
US
Budget
$45,000,000
Revenue
$72,385,286
Reviews & Ratings 6
GenerationofSwine

GenerationofSwine

Jan 11, 2023 · via TMDB

★ 1.0

The problem here is that they made a sequel to the 1980 movie... and not a sequel to King's book. And, let's be honest, as good as Stanley's film was, it really had little to do with Kings novel. Almost The Shining in name only. So many changes were made, right down to the theme, that it barely resembled the book. So, when they made the sequel to the movie, and not the novel, a lot of the elements that made the Doctor Sleep compelling, a lot of the plot points, and a lot of the twists and turns that made the novel worth reading had to be changed in order to keep continuity with Kubrick's changes. The result is really kind of a mess. So much of what Doctor Sleep was referenced back to The Shining, the novel, that trying to adapt the script to the Kubrick film was, honestly, a mistake. In the end, it grasps at straws and never finds a footing, making Doctor Sleep even further removed from the story it was based on than Kubrick's film was... with far less talent directing it.

Kamurai

Kamurai

Aug 7, 2020 · via TMDB

★ 9.0

Fantastic watch, will watch again, and do recommend. I honestly wasn't excited about this one, so my expectations were low. I didn't realize it was Stephen King, let alone a sequel to "The Shining" until I watched it. I'm also not a big fan of "The Shining", but I haven't watched it since I learned to watch a movie critically. After hearing about "shining" from everyone, I immediately got excited when I realize that was what this movie was all about. I've been waiting for this movie since "Push". This movie is honestly what "Star Wars: Episode I" should have been. This is how you give an explanation of how super powers work on a large scale: you tell a story that examples it, "do not say", it is how movies are supposed to work. This was wonderfully casted: Ewan McGregor, Kyliegh Curran, and Rebecca Ferguson are amazing. There deliveries have weight to them, and it really makes the movie. The production value is fantastic, they definitely didn't spare a cent to make this look as good or nostalgic as it needed to be. There are aspects of the story I think we could have done without, mostly just for time purposes, and there are portions of the story that are just gratuitously graphic, and some of those two things overlap, but I'm not going to say that any of the movie would actually be better for it. The story, whether it be the movie or from the book, is exceedingly well paced, and powerful, every step of the way. It has this wonderful theme of predators and prey, basically "There's always a bigger fish", but in a twisted, looping way. If you can stand horror at all and like psychic powers, then definitely give this a watch.

JPV852

JPV852

Feb 18, 2020 · via TMDB

★ 6.0

Partially satisfying "sequel" (of sorts) to the Shining with good performances from Ewan McGregor and Kyliegh Curran (while Rebecca Ferguson kind of hams it up, but still was fun as a villainous). However, the movie is far too long with probably 15-20 minutes that could've gotten the axe (so to speak), and the plot was The Shining meets X-Men with some Monsters Inc thrown in for good measure. Didn't hate it at all, but not sure I have much desire to revisit, though I have to wonder what else they threw in there with the 3-hour long Director's Cut. **3.0/5**

Matthew Brady

Matthew Brady

Jan 27, 2020 · via TMDB

★ 7.0

“Hi there” Hello there... Mike Flanagan has some of the biggest balls in the horror industry. I mean just look at his filmography so far. He took one of the worst horror movies in recent memory ‘Ouija’ and said: “yeah, I wanna make a sequel to that”, with ‘Ouija: Origin of Evil’ and somehow made it less terrible. How about ‘Haunting of Hill House’ where he’s going to direct every episode of a television series that has to weave two narratives together at once over ten episodes...and again he somehow made it work. And now this guy is gonna make a sequel to one of the most revered horror movies of all time with ‘Doctor Sleep’...the son of b**ch did it again! I think Flanagan deserves more credit as a director rather than people bitching that his movies “ain't scary enough an-” blah blah blah shut the hell up. ‘Doctor Sleep’ was a complete surprise for all the right reasons. At first I wasn’t sure if the movie would hook me, because it takes awhile for it to get going, but slowly I got invested in the story and the characters. There have been four Stephen King movie adaptions this year: ‘Pet Sematary’, ‘IT Chapter Two’, ‘In The Tall Grass’, and now this movie. This is by far the best out of them all. The runtime is 152 minutes long and I can safely say that the movie is 85% it’s own thing, because it doesn't just rely on nostalgia to tell their story and it’s only the last act where things start to play on nostalgia when the characters return to the Overlook Hotel. The nostalgia being the 80’s horror classic of course. It’s either that or 97 TV mini-series. Who’s got fond memories for that piece of sh*t? So with this being both a sequel to Kubrick's movie and King’s original novel; a clash of visions coming together with Flanagan trying to put this together, while also applying his own vision into the mix. Now that’s hard. The part that got me invested in the story was the scene between Danny and a elderly patient who’s on their death bed. Danny comforts them as their peacefully past away, without dying alone. It’s a beautiful and heartfelt scene that you would never expect to see in a supernatural horror movie. Ewan Mcgregor was fantastic as an alcoholic grown-up Danny Torrance. Nicholson's presence was felt through out the movie as adult Danny fears he might follow in his fathers footsteps. There’s a scene where Danny gives a talk at a rehab group and as doing so he reflects deeply on everything that happened to him in the past, while the camera is locked on Ewan’s face. Not only from his childhood, but everything afterwards and drowning out the trauma through drinking - something that us as the audience don’t see. I thought he was excellent. He absolutely “shines” as the character...and am not sorry for that pun. I loved how fleshed out the villains were, which surprised me the most about the movie. They are like vampires, but instead of feasting on blood, it’s “the shining” they crave for a expanded life. Casual and charming, and yet wickedly evil. There’s a particularly scene that was so difficult to watch and really got under my skin. However you do get to see them interreacting with each other in normal conversations as they casually go on with the day and work as a group. Rose the Hat sticks out from the rest as a sinister and endearing villian played marvelously by Rebecca Ferguson. Mike Flanagan dose a great job on balancing both Kubrick’s and King’s version respectfully, but also manages to put his visual spin in. The one thing that hasn’t been mention yet is how great he is with child actors as he always gets the best performance out of them, especially Jacob Tremblay and Kyliegh Curran who was so convincing in the roles it was scary. The movie looks stunning with the use of colors adding to the overall tone and helps creates the horror atmosphere. Same thing with the score that while it takes samples from Kubrick’s movie, but not to say it doesn’t have it’s own. For issues: There was a couple of callbacks that was a little on the noise, usually through references. As I said early the movie takes a while to find it’s footing and you couldn’t help but draw comparisons. There were a few questionable and almost silly lines that King himself would inject into his work for humor, but here, with tone in mind, just took the fear out of it. Overall rating: “Eat well and live long.”

The Movie Diorama

The Movie Diorama

Jan 16, 2020 · via TMDB

★ 6.0

Doctor Sleep may not diagnose you to the land of nod, but tediously drains your shining spirit. Director Mike Flanagan had an unfathomable task. To both adapt a Stephen King novel, which is no easy achievement considering his uniquely descriptive writing style, and provide a sequel to what many describe as “the greatest horror film of all-time”. Quenching the thirst of King’s avid readers and cinephiles alike. So even without divulging my own opinion on Doctor Sleep, applause must be given for just producing this feature. That, unfortunately for Flanagan, doesn’t result in myself excusing specific inexcusable filmmaking tendencies that taint, not just Doctor Sleep, but various decaying intellectual properties that have been unnecessarily drudged up again. An alcoholic scarred Dan Torrance, having endured the irrevocable dangers of the Overlook Hotel (‘The Shining’), has his peace shattered when he encounters a young extrasensory girl whom is being hunted down by shine-draining monsters. First and foremost, I have not read the novel, although this should not come as a surprise. I have however, watched ‘The Shining’ multiple times. Now, what promotes the aforementioned horror as the best of its kind, is legendary Stanley Kubrick using the essence of King’s novel and essentially making his own iteration of it. One that the renowned supernatural writer still, to this day, has mixed emotions for. So for Flanagan to introduce some faithful interpretations of Doctor Sleep, whilst maintaining the cinematic endeavour that Kubrick meticulously crafted, is as I said, unfathomable. And there’s a perfectly valid reason for that. The overtly supernatural strands of the novels do not complement the genesis of terror from Kubrick’s film. Which is why, with great regret, I have to report that Doctor Sleep does not work. It doesn’t. A beastly behemoth that, whilst does stand on its own two legs, relies on heavy-handed storytelling techniques and nostalgia to tackle both mediums that inspired it. In tonality, they are irrefutably different from each other. But before the disappointing third act is tackled, let’s address some positives first. Doctor Sleep is a shining example of depicting childhood trauma and how fragmented coping mechanisms are embedded throughout adulthood. Young Danny imaginatively designs mental traps so that he can hold the starving ghosts from the Overlook in captivity. Yet that wilful mentality does not prevent him from suffering with alcoholism, substance abuse and an insalubrious lifestyle that masquerades the trauma instead of curing it. Thematically, this is powerful, and grants the narrative a solid cohesion throughout. For the first two hours, you subconsciously warm to Danny due to the tormenting fears he has established throughout the two films. He’s a pillar of “the shining”. McGregor consistently captivated by depicting a fragile mentality through a physically demanding performance, maintaining the entranced demeanour of his younger character. The first hour, that heavily explained “the shining” and the intentions of the merciless antagonists The True Knot, experienced inconsistent tones due to the mass sprawl of locational change. One minute we’re in a sleepy town, the next a woodland area, and then all of a sudden eight years have been and gone. The zippy nature of the editing and bloated exposition resulted in atmospheric terror being abolished. The tension was non-existent, and the imitation of Kubrick’s directing style paled in comparison. Then, the second hour commenced, which is by far one of the strongest acts the year has yet to offer. Flanagan retained a surprisingly dark tone that, was so shocking, forced audience members to leave the auditorium. The mind-space of Abra, a precocious teenager who has “shine”, produced a transcendental imaginative battle against Rose the Hat, leader of The True Knot. Ferguson, who portrayed the primary antagonist, was sensational. Equalling the likes of Pennywise as one of the most enthralling King villains ever depicted. Sinister, unrelenting and bordering on near-lunacy. Controlling every scene from just her eyes alone, she enhanced the palpable tension. She made the second act. In fact, she made the film. The interjecting gore and darkness throughout the middling act abruptly astonished me, and settled for a direction that I thought would control the underwhelming first act. The third act then arrives, and the entire story crumbles much like the Overlook itself. Plagued by an overshadowing sickness that ‘The Shining’ had produced. Nostalgia. Remember that time where Jack viciously chopped the bedroom door down with an axe? Or that moment where blood came hurtling through the hallways in slow motion? What about Room 237? The introductory swooping camera movement that Kubrick embraced whilst the Torrance’s drove to the hotel? The typewriter? Slowly walking up the stairs in a confrontational manner? The snow-covered hedge maze? The twins? No? You don’t remember? Flanagan has got you covered. Nostalgia is a powerful tool, yet it must be handled with delicacy. The difference between imitating and homaging is very fine, and unfortunately Flanagan settled for the former. So much of ‘The Shining’ is replicated in the third act, scene for scene, that it was a near-identical copy without the textual substance that accompanied them originally. The re-casting of the original actors, despite Essoe bettering Duvall’s performance (although not difficult), felt unnecessary. Almost tarnishing ‘The Shining’ in itself. Danny walking through the dilapidated hallways for ten minutes whilst Flanagan incorporates identical sequences, had no purpose other than to forcefully remind you that this is the sequel. Literarily, it never progresses Danny’s character or the plot. Rose the Hat staring at the blood-spewing elevators? Pointless. Danny staring at an axe encased in glass? A suitable nod to its predecessor. Do you see the difference? Between imitation and homage? The third act was littered with falsified copies, preying on the nostalgia of fans. It’s uninspired. It’s mundane. And it made me a dull boy. Creatively, Doctor Sleep managed to infuse the very best of its adapted novel and preceding feature, but embellished the very worst techniques when conveying the plot. Psychologically stimulating without installing dread. Extrasensory without testing the senses. Dimly shining amongst King’s supernatural adaptations.

SWITCH.

SWITCH.

Nov 4, 2019 · via TMDB

★ 7.0

‘Doctor Sleep’ could go either way with ‘The Shining’ fans - some will see it as a perfect follow-up, others will deem it too different (which I think is a good thing). ‘Doctor Sleep’ works as both and also stands on its own; you could fill in the blanks pretty easily if you had never read or seen the original film. It’s a fun supernatural horror film aided by fantastic performances by Ferguson and Curran. - Chris dos Santos Read Chris' full article... https://www.maketheswitch.com.au/article/review-doctor-sleep-heres-the-shining-stephen-king-has-been-waiting-for

User reviews courtesy of TMDB.

Keywords 11
based on novel or book compassionate haunted house hotel inspirational melancholy psychic power reflective sequel supernatural tense
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Cast 47
Ewan McGregor

Ewan McGregor

Danny Torrance

Rebecca Ferguson

Rebecca Ferguson

Rose the Hat

Kyliegh Curran

Kyliegh Curran

Abra Stone

Cliff Curtis

Cliff Curtis

Billy Freeman

Zahn McClarnon

Zahn McClarnon

Crow Daddy

Emily Alyn Lind

Emily Alyn Lind

Snakebite Andi

Selena Anduze

Selena Anduze

Apron Annie

Robert Longstreet

Robert Longstreet

Barry the Chunk

Carel Struycken

Carel Struycken

Grampa Flick

Katie Parker

Katie Parker

Silent Sarey

Jamie Flanagan

Jamie Flanagan

Diesel Doug

Met Clark

Met Clark

Short Eddie

Zackary Momoh

Zackary Momoh

David Stone

Jocelin Donahue

Jocelin Donahue

Lucy Stone

Carl Lumbly

Carl Lumbly

Dick Halloran

Henry Thomas

Henry Thomas

The Bartender

Bruce Greenwood

Bruce Greenwood

Dr. John Dalton

Sallye Hooks

Sallye Hooks

Mrs. Massey

Alex Essoe

Alex Essoe

Wendy Torrance

Roger Dale Floyd

Roger Dale Floyd

Young Danny

Jacob Tremblay

Jacob Tremblay

Bradley Trevor

Chelsea Talmadge

Chelsea Talmadge

Deenie

Violet McGraw

Violet McGraw

Violet

Bethany Anne Lind

Bethany Anne Lind

Violet's Mother

Nicholas Pryor

Nicholas Pryor

Eddie

Deadra Moore

Deadra Moore

Mrs. Robertson

Jason Davis

Jason Davis

Businessman

Alyssa Gonzalez

Alyssa Gonzalez

Supermarket Clerk

Shane Brady

Shane Brady

Magician

Danny Lloyd

Danny Lloyd

Baseball Spectator

Michael Monks

Michael Monks

Delbert Grady

Hugh Maguire

Hugh Maguire

Horace Derwent

Sadie Heim

Sadie Heim

Grady Twin

Kk Heim

Kk Heim

Grady Twin

Mistie Gibby

Mistie Gibby

Bobbie

Callie McClincy

Callie McClincy

Library Kid

Logan Medina

Logan Medina

Library Kid

Johnnie Gordon

Johnnie Gordon

Library Kid #3

Molly C. Quinn

Molly C. Quinn

Mrs. Grady

Evan Dumouchel

Evan Dumouchel

Victor T. Boorman

MacLeod Andrews

MacLeod Andrews

Roger Macassi

Fedor Steer

Fedor Steer

Vito the Chopper

Charles Green

Charles Green

U.S. Senator

Marc Farley

Marc Farley

James Parris

Thomas Downing

Thomas Downing

Bar Patron (uncredited)

Kaitlyn McCormick

Kaitlyn McCormick

Twins (uncredited)

Josh Turner

Josh Turner

Dirty Biker (uncredited)

Crew 25
Justin O'Neal Miller

Justin O'Neal Miller

Art Direction

Aaron Becker

Aaron Becker

Main Title Designer

Gene Serdena

Gene Serdena

Set Decoration

Michael Fimognari

Michael Fimognari

Director of Photography

Walt Perez

Walt Perez

Grip

Lindsay McAllister

Lindsay McAllister

Hairstylist

Robert Kurtzman

Robert Kurtzman

Special Effects Key Makeup Artist

Bruce E. Merlin

Bruce E. Merlin

Special Effects Technician

Chuck Borden

Chuck Borden

Stunt Coordinator

Casey Ann Zeller

Casey Ann Zeller

Stunt Double

Kurt Bryant

Kurt Bryant

Stunts

Mike Flanagan

Mike Flanagan

Director

Eric Brevig

Eric Brevig

Second Unit Director

Mike Flanagan

Mike Flanagan

Editor

Akiva Goldsman

Akiva Goldsman

Executive Producer

Kevin McCormick

Kevin McCormick

Executive Producer

Roy Lee

Roy Lee

Executive Producer

Stephen King

Stephen King

Executive Producer

Philip Waley

Philip Waley

Line Producer

Trevor Macy

Trevor Macy

Producer

Andrew Grush

Andrew Grush

Original Music Composer

Taylor Stewart

Taylor Stewart

Original Music Composer

Karen Clarke

Karen Clarke

Visual Effects Producer

Stephen King

Stephen King

Novel

Mike Flanagan

Mike Flanagan

Screenplay

Gallery 305
Videos 29
Similar Movies 384
US Release Dates 4

Oct 21, 2019

Los Angeles, California

R Premiere

Nov 8, 2019

R Theatrical

Jan 21, 2020

R Digital

Feb 4, 2020

R Physical

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The Stranglers - Live '78, SF

The Stranglers - Live '78, SF

1978

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Saddle Leather Law

Saddle Leather Law

1944

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Battle your watched movies head-to-head

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🥇 Evil Dead II

Evil Dead II

1987 · 14 wins

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The Dark Knight

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1978 · 13 wins

#4 Final Destination

Final Destination

2000 · 12 wins

#5 Halloween II

Halloween II

1981 · 11 wins

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What movie experience do you prefer?

Movie theater — theater popcorn with Icee/soda & maybe nachos 67%
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