Overview
A haunting journey of redemption and survival unfolds as dark forces converge on a gifted child.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- melancholic
- foreboding
- tense
- halloween night
- late night horror marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found Mike Flanagan's difficult balancing act between Stephen King's novel and the legacy of The Shining effective, especially through strong performances and emotional depth, though some found the lengthy film uneven.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Dan Torrance's adult recovery story continues the supernatural and familial consequences established in his childhood.
Dan and Abra's shining links them across generations while making Abra a target for The True Knot.
Dan joins an AA community and confronts the despair, alcoholism, and violence associated with his father.
Dan's history with the Overlook Hotel turns remembered rooms and apparitions into an externalized psychological threat.
Films like Doctor Sleep, and why
The Shining
supernatural horror, haunted spaces, psychic phenomena, and a troubled protagonist confronting inherited trauma
The Sixth Sense
emotionally reflective supernatural horror centered on psychic children and a protective adult confronting predatory evil
The Haunting of Hill House
slow-building ghostly dread, family trauma, and intimate psychological horror with a serious dramatic register
Near Dark
supernatural horror involving immortality, predation, and morally complex beings traveling through contemporary America
Movie Details
- Director
- Mike Flanagan
- Release Date
- 2019-10-30
- Runtime
- 152 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (5072)
Cast
- Ewan McGregor
- Rebecca Ferguson
- Kyliegh Curran
- Cliff Curtis
- Zahn McClarnon
- Emily Alyn Lind
- Selena Anduze
- Robert Longstreet
- Carel Struycken
- Katie Parker
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, 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 Doctor Sleep about?
- A recovering alcoholic with psychic abilities must protect a gifted girl from an immortal tribe that feeds on children like them.
- What is Doctor Sleep like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Doctor Sleep as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Doctor Sleep violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Doctor Sleep as graphic.
- What did critics think of Doctor Sleep?
- Critics broadly found Mike Flanagan's difficult balancing act between Stephen King's novel and the legacy of The Shining effective, especially through strong performances and emotional depth, though some found the lengthy film uneven.
- Which films are like Doctor Sleep?
- Films with a similar feel include The Shining, The Sixth Sense, The Haunting of Hill House, and Near Dark.
- How long is Doctor Sleep?
- Doctor Sleep runs 152 minutes.
- Where can I watch Doctor Sleep?
- In United States, Doctor Sleep is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex.
