The Dark Tower
A traumatized New York boy crosses into a ruined parallel world and joins a gunslinger against a sorcerer bent on destroying the universe.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- propulsive
- mythic
- tense
- action movie night
- summer blockbuster viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly found the adaptation incoherent, rushed, thinly characterized, and overly simplistic compared with Stephen King's source material.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Jake discovers a high-tech portal in an abandoned New York house leading to Mid-World.
Mid-World is presented as a ruined desert world where Roland pursues Walter.
The Dark Tower stands between Walter's destructive ambitions and ruin for the universe.
Roland is a gunslinger hero operating within a multiverse of portals, psychic powers, and apocalyptic mythology.
Films like The Dark Tower, and why
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Shares portal fantasy, parallel-world mythology, young protagonist, and action-adventure spectacle.
The Spiderwick Chronicles
Shares a child entering a dangerous alternate realm, fantasy adventure, and conflict with a supernatural villain.
Mad Max: Fury Road
Shares post-apocalyptic fantasy, gunslinger heroics, multiverse stakes, and a bleak desert setting.
It
Shares Stephen King adaptation, supernatural menace, and a young character confronting forces dismissed by adults.
Movie Details
- Director
- Nikolaj Arcel
- Release Date
- 2017-08-03
- Runtime
- 95 min
- Rating
- 5.8 / 10 (5689)
Cast
- Idris Elba
- Matthew McConaughey
- Tom Taylor
- Claudia Kim
- Fran Kranz
- Abbey Lee
- Jackie Earle Haley
- Katheryn Winnick
- Dennis Haysbert
- Michael Barbieri
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand, Plex
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Dark Tower about?
- A traumatized New York boy crosses into a ruined parallel world and joins a gunslinger against a sorcerer bent on destroying the universe.
- What is The Dark Tower like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Dark Tower as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Dark Tower violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Dark Tower as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Dark Tower?
- Critics broadly found the adaptation incoherent, rushed, thinly characterized, and overly simplistic compared with Stephen King's source material.
- Which films are like The Dark Tower?
- Films with a similar feel include The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Spiderwick Chronicles, Mad Max: Fury Road, and It.
- How long is The Dark Tower?
- The Dark Tower runs 95 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Dark Tower?
- In United States, The Dark Tower streams on fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel.
