The Turning
Universal Pictures | Release Date: January 24, 2020 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
35
METASCORE
Generally unfavorable reviews based on 24 Critic Reviews
Positive:
3
Mixed:
8
Negative:
13
Watch Now
Stream On
Buy on
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Expand

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
60
EmpireJames WhiteJan 24, 2020
Unpacking classic fiction that has already been adapted a few times, once to critical acclaim, is no easy task. Yet while it’s not completely up to the challenge, The Turning at least offers up enough moody chills and a lead in Mackenzie Davis it’s not hard to root for as the craziness builds. Read full review
50
Vanity FairK. Austin CollinsJan 24, 2020
Somehow, a James novella whose subtext has been debated for over a century has been rendered almost free of subtext—and it sort of works. Read full review
50
The A.V. ClubJesse HassengerJan 22, 2020
In a movie as utterly lost as The Turning, everything from the performances to the production design to the music cues amount to one big pile of dirty mirrors and doll parts. Read full review
50
VarietyCourtney HowardJan 22, 2020
Lacking spine-tingling dread, taut tension, and the deservingly provocative ending needed to make its modern sentiments land, this re-imagining is less than a classic. Read full review
40
The Observer (UK)Wendy IdeJan 25, 2020
This contemporary adaptation of The Turn of the Screw takes the ornate enigma of Henry James’s gothic novella and whittles it down into something rather more flat and conventional. Read full review
40
Screen RantSandy SchaeferJan 24, 2020
As a whole, The Turning is a triumph of style over substance that might've well made for a perfectly middle of the road horror film, had it not been edited down to the point of becoming incoherent by the end. Read full review
40
The GuardianPeter BradshawJan 24, 2020
This film makes explicit the implied sexuality in the original, which isn’t necessarily a wrong thing to do at all, but everything is very ham-fisted and crass. Read full review
40
TheWrapDan CallahanJan 23, 2020
The Turning is not a total loss. There are some stylish, nearly giallo-like sequences and sensitive performances from both Wolfhard and Prince, both of whom look like they could go further with their roles if the script didn’t eventually limit them to reactions in the second half. Read full review
More From This Movie

35 Critic Reviews

3.9 User Reviews

Details & Credits|Trailers

Current Movie Releases
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 77 Project Hail Mary
2 75 Send Help
3 73 Hoppers
4 71 The Sheep Detectives
5 68 Crime 101
SEE ALL
Essential Links
New on Amazon Prime Video
New on Netflix
Coming Soon to DVD/Blu-ray
SEE ALL