Warner Bros. | Release Date: November 8, 2019
7.2
USER SCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 515 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
381
Mixed:
78
Negative:
56
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1
steveymeMar 10, 2020
There are no words to describe how bad this film is. The plot is a god awful derivative mashup of The Stand and It, with horrible effects, dodgy acting (Rebecca Ferguson is utterly unconvincing and Ewan McGregor sleepwalks through with lineThere are no words to describe how bad this film is. The plot is a god awful derivative mashup of The Stand and It, with horrible effects, dodgy acting (Rebecca Ferguson is utterly unconvincing and Ewan McGregor sleepwalks through with line after line of exposition). Hell, they even threw in a bad Jack Nicholson impersonator. Then, like sprinkling some gold leaf on a dog turd, they had the cheek to intercut bits of the The Shining! Everyone involved should be ashamed. Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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2
jedbed415Dec 1, 2020
Doctor Sleep piggybacks off of the nostalgia of "The Shining". This movie doesn't need to exist. It doesn't add anything interesting to the story and it's not scary in the least. The acting is underwhelming, as is the script. It's also wayDoctor Sleep piggybacks off of the nostalgia of "The Shining". This movie doesn't need to exist. It doesn't add anything interesting to the story and it's not scary in the least. The acting is underwhelming, as is the script. It's also way too long. All in all this was not a pleasant viewing experience and I would not recommend to anyone. Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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3
Elmariachi842Jul 24, 2020
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is supposed to be a horror movie but the villains were not scary because the protagonist is more powerful than them from the beginning. They are all dispatched with ease. Boring characters and bland acting, especially compared to the The Shining. No suspense and mostly predictable with a few cool spots here and there. A very disappointing sequel to one of the best horrors ever. Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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0
NeowufOct 17, 2021
Terrible movie. Did they got a rejected script for X-Man about a Mary sue girl and old man Dan Xavier beats evil. Very disappointing, predictable and rides on original The shinning movie nostalgia. Not horror at all.
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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3
Davisb123Aug 12, 2020
I don’t know how to describe how I feel about Doctor Sleep but ill start with the fact that this looked like a showtime movie. Everything from the color correction, the acting, the editing, the laughable CGI, to the set design looked like aI don’t know how to describe how I feel about Doctor Sleep but ill start with the fact that this looked like a showtime movie. Everything from the color correction, the acting, the editing, the laughable CGI, to the set design looked like a cheap television show. The characters were hilariously underwritten and poorly developed. Lets take a look at the main characters of Doctor Sleep. First we have hipster witch **** who was the most cliché and uninspired villain Hollywood has seen in a long while. Her costume design alone was enough to send shivers down my spine. Next we have teenage supergirl who was completely lifeless, poorly acted, and was a constant reminder that this movie was very likely intended for a much younger audience. Then we have a generic alcoholic version of Renton from Trainspotting who really did a great job playing an addict. (Just kidding go watch **** Trainspotting) What really busted my nut was the recurring homages to Kubrick which served as constant reminders of how good The Shining is and how bad this movie is. I laughed out loud when I saw the continued attempts to recreate iconic shots from The Shining as if it would trick the audience into believing the two films were even close to being on the same level. I know it’s most likely not fair to compare this film to one of the greatest horror movies of all time but it’s incredibly difficult not to when you see the repeated attempts to recreate what Kubrick envisioned. How can the audience be expected not to compare these two films when the only moments of genuine cinematic style in Doctor Sleep are blatant recreations of scenes from The Shining. Not one moment of this movie was interesting, thrilling, unique, or necessary. Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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3
CaptainRonJun 5, 2020
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Watching this directly after The Shining felt like evidence of a severe collapse and degradation of art and civilization. The acting is good, mostly, by the leads; however it is extremely long, convoluted, absurd, more young adult novel than horror, occasionally laugh out loud funny in its awkwardness but not enough to be entertaining. There are an enormous number of forgettable characters and scenes. The discussions of steam and the villains are poorly executed and goofy, not frightening at all, though they may have been decent world building in the novel, which I did not read. It’s bizarre that the filmmakers did not attempt to make it more ambiguous and cut this goofy exposition, considering this is a sequel to the Shining.

Overall it has TV production values and it’s just a goofy bore, which challenges you to turn it off throughout. People fond if the original who did not read the novel will view it as a cheap made for tv sequel and should avoid.
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1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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0
DubbiewackerMar 18, 2021
Strange how this movie could claim to be based on the first absolute classic! Complete Trash tenfold. Stanley Kubrick would be turning in his grave -literally.
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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0
Davide88Aug 6, 2021
Very boring and disappointing sequel of an iconic movie. Just a waste of time.
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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3
Brent_MarchantNov 9, 2019
This jumbled, overlong, often-boring, frequently silly sequel to the Stanley Kubrick horror classic "The Shining" misfires so much and so often that it's an utter embarrassment to all involved. With a painfully protracted runtime of 2:32 andThis jumbled, overlong, often-boring, frequently silly sequel to the Stanley Kubrick horror classic "The Shining" misfires so much and so often that it's an utter embarrassment to all involved. With a painfully protracted runtime of 2:32 and a storytelling approach that inexplicably vacillates between campy romp and trite horror fare, filmmaker Mike Flanagan's directorial skills simply aren't up to paying homage to the artistry of the predecessor picture's creator, especially in one particularly grotesque sequence that's flat out in stupendously bad taste. What's more, the writing and acting are frequently laughable, so horrendously awful that I often found myself chuckling over material that I probably wasn't supposed to be laughing at. You know you've got a stinker on your hands when you see, as I did at my screening, viewers getting up and leaving not even halfway into the movie. Save your money! Expand
5 of 11 users found this helpful56
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3
theredskyNov 13, 2019
The Stanley Kubrick version of The Shining is awesome. They had so much potential to make a sequel to The Shining and they executed it like this. It was a huge disappointment for me. This movie does have a talented cast but they are put intoThe Stanley Kubrick version of The Shining is awesome. They had so much potential to make a sequel to The Shining and they executed it like this. It was a huge disappointment for me. This movie does have a talented cast but they are put into such a disappointing movie. I thought that Ewan McGregor and Rebecca Ferguson did a great job and bring some enjoyment to this film but their characters are incredibly weak. I don’t how it was possible to make an already existing and developed character weak but they did that to Danny Torrance in this movie. His only character trait is that he wants to help people but that’s it. Rebecca Ferguson’s character is pretty weak too. Her only motivation is that she wants to live for a while which is fine but she has no character to back it up. Although, there are sequences with her character that are visually interesting and peaked my interest a little bit. I thought the story was fine I guess. I have never read the Doctor Sleep novel so I can’t say whether it was faithful or not. The 3rd act was dreadful though. All it was was hey do you remember how great The Shining was over and over again. It recreated a bunch of scenes from the original and somehow managed to make them worse. It’s solely relying on if you remember The Shining or not instead of being interesting. There are only two aspects of the 3rd act I appreciated. I thought that the score rendition of The Shining theme was good albeit not as iconic as the original theme and there is a Jack Nicholson look alike that does a pretty good job at looking and sounding like Jack Nicholson. I can’t say that for all of the look alikes though. Instead of finding people who looked like Shelley Duvall and Danny Lloyd, they just completely recast them and it’s terrible. Doctor Sleep is 2 and a half hours long and it does not deserve that runtime. They should have just cut it down to just about 2 hours. The added time just makes parts of the film flat out boring. There are some other technical aspects that I thought were bad. There is this stupid heartbeat sound effect they use at least 30-40 times throughout the film and it is incredibly annoying and some of the visuals later in the film looked pretty bad. Overall, Doctor Sleep may have some good performances but it's over reliance on being related to The Shining, being much longer than it should, and weak characters make this one of the biggest disappointments of the year for me. Expand
4 of 9 users found this helpful45
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3
WaricNov 9, 2019
A lot of build up only to fall flat in most places. While the score was great, it felt like it was used to build up some major suspense only to not deliver on it.
6 of 14 users found this helpful68
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0
jkatchesNov 8, 2019
If you take the word "Doctor" out of the title and just left "Sleep" it would be far more fitting for how this movie will effect its audiences. This movie is a Disasterpiece. I saw an early screening on Monday and could've/should've walkedIf you take the word "Doctor" out of the title and just left "Sleep" it would be far more fitting for how this movie will effect its audiences. This movie is a Disasterpiece. I saw an early screening on Monday and could've/should've walked out in the first 5 min. There’s a lot I could say about Doctor Sleep without giving away the plot. But the movie is not even worth the effort of a review. It’s that bad. Mike Flanagan attempts to perform a juggling act by writing the screenplay, directing, DP'ing, and editing the entire film...and boy did it show, as he drops the ball mostly in the areas of plot and performances

Plot/Suspense: I’m not a crazy Shining fan, I am a Kubrick fan, I thought Kubrick was one of the most creative directors. And his touch on the Shining is what made it truly one of the creepiest things I’ve ever seen. He built his movie through slow dread. Doctor sleep on the other hand only makes the audience dread how long the movie will be. The story is all over the place. Literally, different times and places, making it a pain for the audience to follow. Character: Kubrick's characters and themes are complex, whereas Doctor Sleeps are superficial and fall flat. They lack depth and substance. The antagonists are uninteresting, underdeveloped, with 0 arc, and worst of all not scary in the least. Setting: A scary movies greatest asset is setting. Kubricks setting is confined, secluded, in a haunted hotel, with antagonist and protagonist snowed in together, making for an extremely terrifying experience. In Doctor Sleep setting is tossed out the window. It's an open world, with 0 confinement. And when the movie reaches confined spaces it's too worried about matching the Shining to try and create something that would've surprised the audience. This movie shows that not every Stephen King novel should be adapted. It reminds me A LOT of Dreamcatcher. You could say Doctor Sleep is Dreamcatcher 2.0.
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7 of 17 users found this helpful710
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0
autosag1979Nov 8, 2019
Stephen King needs a rest! Well-intentioned but unsatisfactory (...) [It tries] to live its own life before succumbing to the tempting pull of recognizable terrors. This movie is crap!
8 of 21 users found this helpful813
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2
BrogioNov 10, 2019
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This movie is a complete mess, from start to finish, continuity errors, missing human reactions, heartbeats when literally nothing is happening, stiff acting, dialogues way too long that don't add anything to the plot, a villain cast completely flat (only 3 and a half out of 10 have any screen time)...aaand what else? Oh yeah right! It butchers kubrick, trying to recreate memorable scenesand falling flat on its face, the Overlook Hotel never felt so tiny. But it's biggest flaw is that it ends up being boring, it strecthes itself way too long and way too thin. Expand
3 of 9 users found this helpful36
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3
FerorakeDec 3, 2019
Solo una cosa: OH CHE PALLE. Sono andato a vedere questo film per caso, e se avessi saputo che sarebbe stato tedioso in questa maniera, avrei sicuramente optato per la classica commedia di Natale. Badate bene che parlo da NON filmofilo, ma diSolo una cosa: OH CHE PALLE. Sono andato a vedere questo film per caso, e se avessi saputo che sarebbe stato tedioso in questa maniera, avrei sicuramente optato per la classica commedia di Natale. Badate bene che parlo da NON filmofilo, ma di appassionato di culturafantasy, dunque non disprezzo a priori opere simili. Disprezzo però quando un film è insulso, sconclusionato, e l'unico modo di dargli spessore sia quello di "usare chiavi di lettura" che trasformano completamente il film in qualcosa che NON ESISTE. Se avessi voluto leggere un trattato di etica, avrei letto un saggio, non mi sarei visto un film la cui trama è "dei tizi brutti e cattivi per vivere devono assorbire l'energia di alcuni bambini speciali, a caso nasce un bambino ancora più speciale che riesce a spaccare senza motivo i tizi brutti e cattivi, e viene aiutato in questo da un altro bambino speciale che però è diventato adulto ed è uno sfigato alcolizzato". Ora, posso anche soprassedere sulla banalità della trama di per sé, perché la maggior parte delle storie fantasy hanno la peculiarità di essere razionalizzabili, ma non posso soprassedere sulla completa mancanza di approfondimenti o spiegazioni sul funzionamentoorigine di questi poteri. Non puoi raccontare una storia dove la magia è elemento PRINCIPALE, senza spiegarne il minimo funzionamento. Tra l'altro manca completamente qualsiasi riferimento o dettaglio sull'origine del cattivo, il ché una cosa insensata che cozza con le basi nella stesura di un qualsiasi racconto fantasy. Io però so benissimo perché non è stato fatto tutto ciò, perché è tutto così vago: serve a spingere lo spettatore di credere di essere davanti ad una storia "complessa", che richiede studio ed approfondimento. Consente inoltre al regista di fregarsene completamente della coerenza logica, e di far fare ai protagonisti un po' quel che vogliono, tanto non ha spiegato come funziona nulla, tutto è possibile. E' un metodo insulso non di fare cinema, ma proprio di impostare una sceneggiaturastoria. La realtà è che il film è un ricorrere di scenette sconclusionate tra loro, piene di jumpscare totalmente inutili, ed ancor peggio fraseggi filosofici di caratura infima tanto per far credere allo spettatore "oh ma stanno parlando di etica, non può essere un film banale". Veramente è un film di una povertà concettuale imbarazzante, tant'è che io non ci credevo che la storia fosse realmente "ci sono i cattivi > arriva bambino speciale > uccide a caso tutti > fine". Non ci credevo, perché oggettivamente non poteva essere così, ed invece quest'ombra colossale di banale oscenità mi ha ricoperto dopo 1h di visione, dove in fondo era palese che alla fine il succo fosse quello. La fotografia è apprezzabile, ma anche qui non siamo ai livelli di un Joker, dunque non prenderete dei frame e li incornicerete in stanza. Veramente non ho idea di cos'altro scrivere. La protagonista femminile "cattivona" è una gran bella donna, ma non so quanto questo possa valorizzare il tutto. C'è un multiculturalismo non indifferente, in questo film troverete qualsiasi sotto-classificazione antropologica esistente, tanto da risultare stucchevole. Da ridere c'è il fatto che dopo la visione fossi shockato, ed ho discusso con la mia ragazza che invece credeva di aver visto un capolavoro. Lei insisteva sui temi filosofici celati, la chiave di lettura. Io insistevo sul fatto che una "chiave di lettura" debba dare spunti di riflessione a spettatori particolarmente sensibili, non dare un senso ad una storia, che di per sé senso non ne ha. Anche perché non siamo di fronte ad un film riflessivo, artistico, ma di fronte ad un film veramente stile trash anni 90, dove ad un certo punto dopo le 2h, anche il regista si è stufato, e risolve la vicenda con una bella sparatoria tra buoni e cattivi ( la scena forse più trash ed oscena dell'intero film ). Il problema è sempre il solito: le persone giudicano un prodotto ancora prima di averne fruito. Expand
2 of 6 users found this helpful24
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0
MeeleepitJan 24, 2020
I love myself some horror movies with gore. But cutting open a child's stomach and torturing him and showing it.

Thats where i draw the line.
2 of 6 users found this helpful24
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0
korhanOct 11, 2020
A huge MEH. It feels like producers were so afraid to fail so they've just randomly added something popular (shining) to sell some tickets. I know it's a book adaptation but same roast goes to Stephen King just to trying to milk something twoA huge MEH. It feels like producers were so afraid to fail so they've just randomly added something popular (shining) to sell some tickets. I know it's a book adaptation but same roast goes to Stephen King just to trying to milk something two decades ago. Expand
1 of 3 users found this helpful12
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3
Kalele005Jan 26, 2020
it's just a really bad movie,i didn't like it they just played on nostalgie with the hotel's scene.
1 of 3 users found this helpful12
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0
corinthiansNov 8, 2019
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Wow! Never as a movie lived up to my expectations like this one. Mike Flanagan has done a really great job at making sure everyone worked at their full potential to make this movie an obnoxious cornucopia of crap. I left the theather shining with knowledge, the knowledge of how NOT to make a movie. It must have been mesmerizing watching the editing team decide for yet another cross fade transition or heartbeat or TA TA TAAAAA or fake Jack Nicholson. Use the force Dan... Expand
6 of 19 users found this helpful613
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3
ApolscNov 13, 2019
This movie has almost nothing to do with Kubrick's which shouldn't be a surprise considering King hated that masterpiece but that is the way they sold us the movie in the trailers. This the typical 90s King's adaptation with cheesy one linersThis movie has almost nothing to do with Kubrick's which shouldn't be a surprise considering King hated that masterpiece but that is the way they sold us the movie in the trailers. This the typical 90s King's adaptation with cheesy one liners bad acting performances, characters that don't fit in, people living scary situations like they where normal. Also Stephen King saying you will like this sh*t if you liked shawshank is a blasphemy. You will like this if you liked his cheesy 90s series kingdom hospital. Expand
2 of 7 users found this helpful25
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1
lwnewtonNov 14, 2019
I felt like this movie was made for young teens. They just spoon fed you the story and why things were happening. The script was embarrassing. The ghoulish steam hunters were goofy and a direct rip off of Dirk Gently hunters. There wasI felt like this movie was made for young teens. They just spoon fed you the story and why things were happening. The script was embarrassing. The ghoulish steam hunters were goofy and a direct rip off of Dirk Gently hunters. There was absolutely no thinking to be done, just dumb. One of the worst films I've seen in s long time. Expand
2 of 7 users found this helpful25
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3
ErificaNov 10, 2019
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This film fails to live up to the precedence set by The Shining. What scares you about The Shining? For me, it is the idea that one can become murderous and go insane in isolation. Jack Torrence had his demons and The Overlook brought out his darkness. The scenes with the ghosts were intense especially as each member of the family questions their sanity. Are they really seeing something or is it their own mind playing tricks? Then you have the intense and timely music which gives The Shining an ominous intensity. The idea is this could happen to you.

Doctor Sleep fast forward into the future, Danny is all grown up. He’s an alcoholic. He is violent. He leaves a mother in her own vomit with her toddler to die. What’s likeable about him? If you haven’t watched the Shining do you even like this guy? Can you see yourself in him? I can’t. Danny isn’t very likeable. As the story progresses, someone take a chance on him and we see him become a slightly better person. He joins AA and gets a job working in hospice where he helps people pass. That part is interesting. But then you have this whole bizarre group of psychic vampires (I guess?) who are hunting people who shine. We don’t really know who they are or where they come from. But they pose a threat to a psychic child who had befriended Danny. The whole storyline just does nothing for me. It plays out like fan fiction. Or maybe a bad episode of The Vampire Diaries. Maybe that’s your thing but it isn’t mine. I never felt sacred. I didn’t feel empathy for Danny or Abra. I just didn’t care or feel anything. The end was like a Hallmark movie. I know Stephen King didn’t like Kubrick’s version of The Shining but Kubrick made a masterpiece. This is just a flop.
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2 of 7 users found this helpful25
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2
FifiENov 12, 2019
Sophomoric acting. Only chooses to assault your senses for the sake of making a ho hum movie.
2 of 7 users found this helpful25
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1
RealityBites617Nov 13, 2019
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Lord. This movie was so painful to sit through. The story is extremely cheezy. It is basically TRYING to ride the coattails of The Shining. Doctor Sleep was a tour of the Lookout Lodge visited in The Shining. Doctor Sleep was lacklustre and lacked the shine of The Shining. Expand
2 of 7 users found this helpful25
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zacharyhasDec 26, 2019
Utter garbage and a disgrace to a horror masterpiece that was Stanley Kubrick's The Shining. Without a doubt the worst film I've seen this year. This was Halmark Channel tier Shining Parody Electric BoogielessBoo.
3 of 11 users found this helpful38
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3
AxeTNov 8, 2019
"The Shining" (10) is the rare classic film formed by the brilliance of three giants: Stephen King, Stanley Kubrick and Jack Nicholson. King's story was a simple original high concept, the best kind to adapt into a movie. Kubrick in his"The Shining" (10) is the rare classic film formed by the brilliance of three giants: Stephen King, Stanley Kubrick and Jack Nicholson. King's story was a simple original high concept, the best kind to adapt into a movie. Kubrick in his genius wisely constructed ambiguity allowing for interpretation of its events. And Nicholson gave one of the most memorable and since referenced performances in cinema history. This tricky sequel is King at his worst with his penchant for over-the-top supernatural, and it's not really a true sequel but a quasi remake by young dumb Hollywood in the trendy practice of greatest hits reunion tribute antics riffing on everything via reenactments of the original (locations, sets, costumes, props, sound effects, music, dialogue, shots, scenes) rather than a continuation of or new story. That's what these way later sequels do now. They serve as reboots remixing the same old content which taints the original far worse than any attempt at originality would. Expand
2 of 8 users found this helpful26
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1
Steven1981Mar 18, 2020
Not seen this movie but I know it's a three hour film that drags, I've seen at least an hour to know it rips off Stanley Kubrick's material from The Shining and makes it look laughable. I've seen enough to know that old lady in the bath isNot seen this movie but I know it's a three hour film that drags, I've seen at least an hour to know it rips off Stanley Kubrick's material from The Shining and makes it look laughable. I've seen enough to know that old lady in the bath is used in Doctor Sleep as a punch and Judy character puppet or some character from the Muppets. I know Rose the Hats eyes glow up and she has smoke coming from her mouth whilst sucking in Ewan McGregor's breath and the laughable scenes I've witnessed plus bad reviews plus the fact it drags and looks dull. Plus the fact she chats some girl up at the beginning of the movie which is creepy and the horrible things involving kids I've heard. An insult to The Shining and poor movie. Expand
1 of 9 users found this helpful18
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fackdactarslapApr 27, 2020
This movie is so bad I had to create a Metacritic account to ask, if you have any respect for Stanley Kubric’s legacy, not to watch it. I repeat YAY KUBRICK NAY DOCTOR SLEEP
Painful
1 of 12 users found this helpful111
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bacchus_playsMay 14, 2020
Absurd and over the top sequel to Kubrick's brilliant The Shining. King slams Kubrick's version and then goes and approves some dim witted sequel of nothing but force powers and psychic battles. This a horror movie or some kind of joke? AtAbsurd and over the top sequel to Kubrick's brilliant The Shining. King slams Kubrick's version and then goes and approves some dim witted sequel of nothing but force powers and psychic battles. This a horror movie or some kind of joke? At first I did like Rose the Hat but then she came off as super annoying with cuts to her reaction as the painfully cast Ewen as Danny picks them off one by one. This story is meant for teenagers. King decides to ride on the coat tails of Kubrick's classic. The whole thing sucks and pulls out the nostalgia of the original to make some money. Expand
0 of 3 users found this helpful03
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2
M7AMDMar 19, 2023
How is that movie is above 7 ratings!!

It dived away from its original movie The Shining and its unique Hotel experience and they turned it into a superhero movie with such dull characters and a stupid story. The movie was too long and so
How is that movie is above 7 ratings!!

It dived away from its original movie The Shining and its unique Hotel experience and they turned it into a superhero movie with such dull characters and a stupid story. The movie was too long and so damn boring, the only part where i enjoyed it was in the last chapter where it finally felt a bit like The Shining and the flashbacks were good as well.

Don't watch this movie thinking it will be anywhere similar to The Shining or to its story it's far from it.

I don't recommend it, it's 2/10 for me, and the only reason why I'm giving it 1 point is only for the last chapter.
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0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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