Doctor Sleep

Critics Consensus

Doctor Sleep forsakes the elemental terror of its predecessor for a more contemplative sequel that balances poignant themes against spine-tingling chills.

77%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 272

90%

Audience Score

Verified Ratings: 4,695
User image
  • User image

    Super Reviewer

    Rate this movie

    Oof, that was Rotten.

    Meh, it passed the time.

    It’s good – I’d recommend it.

    Awesome!

    So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

    Step 1 of 2

    What did you think of the movie? (optional)

  • You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

  • User image

    Super Reviewer

    Step 2 of 2

    How did you get your ticket?

    • Fandango

    • AMC (Coming Soon)

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Cinemark (Coming Soon)

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Regal (Coming Soon)

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Bought somewhere else

    By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie.

    You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

  • User image

    Super Reviewer

    Rate this movie

    Oof, that was Rotten.

    Meh, it passed the time.

    It’s good – I’d recommend it.

    Awesome!

    So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

    What did you think of the movie? (optional)

    Verify I bought my ticket from

    How did you get your ticket?

    • Fandango

    • AMC (Coming Soon)

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Cinemark (Coming Soon)

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Regal (Coming Soon)

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Bought somewhere else

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie.

  • How did you get your ticket?

    • Fandango

    • AMC (Coming Soon)

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Cinemark (Coming Soon)

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Regal (Coming Soon)

      We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

    • Bought somewhere else

    By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie.

Tickets & Showtimes

The movie doesn't seem to be playing near you.

Go back
Enter your location to see showtimes near you.
View All Theaters & Showtimes

Doctor Sleep Videos

View All Videos (5)

Where to watch

Doctor Sleep Photos

View All Photos (11)

Movie Info

"Doctor Sleep" is the continuation of Danny Torrance's story 40 years after the terrifying events of Stephen King's The Shining. Still irrevocably scarred by the trauma he endured as a child at the Overlook, Dan Torrance has fought to find some semblance of peace. But that peace is shattered when he encounters Abra, a courageous teenager with her own powerful extrasensory gift, known as the "shine." Instinctively recognizing that Dan shares her power, Abra has sought him out, desperate for his help against the merciless Rose the Hat and her followers, The True Knot, who feed off the shine of innocents in their quest for immortality. Forming an unlikely alliance, Dan and Abra engage in a brutal life-or-death battle with Rose. Abra's innocence and fearless embrace of her shine compel Dan to call upon his own powers as never before-at once facing his fears and reawakening the ghosts of the past.
  • Rating:
    R (for disturbing and violent content, some bloody images, language, nudity and drug use)
  • Genre:
    Horror
  • Directed By:
    Mike Flanagan
  • Written By:
    Mike Flanagan
  • In Theaters:
     wide
  • Runtime:
  • Studio:
    Warner Bros. Pictures

Cast

Ewan McGregor
as Danny Torrance
Rebecca Ferguson
as Rose the Hat
Kyliegh Curran
as Abra
Carl Lumbly
as Dick Hallorann
Zahn McClarnon
as Crow Daddy
Emily Alyn Lind
as Snakebite Andi
Bruce Greenwood
as Dr. John
Jocelin Donahue
as Lucy
Alex Essoe
as Wendy Torrance
Cliff Curtis
Jacob Tremblay
Carel Struycken
as Grandpa. Flick
Chelsea Talmadge
as Deenie
Violet McGraw
Catherine Parker
as Silent Sarey
Nicholas Pryor
as Eddie
View All

News & Interviews for Doctor Sleep

The 53 Most Anticipated Movies of 2020
Weekend Box Office Results: Midway Crushes Doctor Sleep With Surprise $17.5 Million Victory
Critics Mostly Take a Shine to Doctor Sleep
View All

Critic Reviews for Doctor Sleep

All Critics (272) | Top Critics (42) | Fresh (209) | Rotten (63)

View All Critic Reviews (272)

Audience Reviews for Doctor Sleep

All Audience (1938) | Verified Audience (904)
  • Nov 09, 2019
    Mike Flanagan has taken the mantle from Frank Darabont and become the best film adapter of Stephen King's stories. Doctor Sleep is a sequel to The Shining but it's a sequel to Kubrick's movie version, which King notoriously hated for its alterations. We follow an adult Danny Torrance (Ewan McGregor) as he struggles with addiction in the wake of his family's tragedy linked to the Overlook Hotel. He starts a new life for himself as a hospice worker, aiding the elderly into a peaceful demise (where he earns the titular nickname), and he takes it upon himself to mentor a young girl, Abra (Kyliegh Curran), who has the same "shining" powers that he has. Trouble is others are looking for these same gifted few, namely Rose the Hat (Rebecca Ferguson) and her gang of traveling undead mutant vampire people feeding off the "steam" or life force of the super-powered they kill. They're after Abra and her abilities so Danny must rescue her and eventually head back to the source of all his nightmares. This is a relatively solid sequel that has enough intrigue and suspense to cover over the dull parts. It takes too long to get going and then finishes things up too quickly, especially with a climax at the reawakened Overlook that is beginning to hit a groove with nasty ghostly suspense. It felt like I was watching Stephen King's X-Men with his assortment of super powered people banding together and tracking each other down. The gypsy-like caravan of villains are pretty disposable and lacking strong personality or menace. Ferguson (Mission: Impossible - Fallout) is fun to watch even if she doesn't feel that threatening. The rules and limitations feel vaguely defined and refined. The nods to the original Shining are selective and bring their own degree of power, as does seeing different actors portray these famous characters in flashback. Flanagan has reverence for both King's source material and the beloved 1980 film, and bridging the two is a source of enjoyment. The characterization overall is pretty slack and there aren't much in the way of genuine scares. It's creepy, it's occasionally atmospheric, and it's also really long and drawn out, clocking in at 151 minutes, which is even longer than Kubrick's movie. It's an epilogue that gets by on the emotional investment and resolution it provides for Danny while setting up a larger universe of super "shining" psychics. If you don't care about one, there's at least some degree of the other to prove entertaining albeit also being underdeveloped. Doctor Sleep (a wasted title) is a workable balance between two masters of horror. Nate's Grade: B
    Nate Z Super Reviewer
  • Nov 01, 2019
    A strange, if still very enjoyable movie. As a director Mike Flanagan operates very well with Stephen King's brand of horror so "Doctor Sleep" plays a little like King (who famously hates Kubrick's adaptation of "The Shining") trying to reclaim the 1980 film. This is neither good nor bad but it does make for an interesting viewing experience. Rebecca Ferguson's performance as Rose the Hat is top notch, one of the (sadly) few great female horror villains.
    Alec B Super Reviewer
See all Audience reviews

Doctor Sleep Quotes

There are no approved quotes yet for this movie.

News & Features