Zahn McClarnon

Doctor Sleep - 4/5

It’s hard to compare this movie to The Shining, because they have different directors and a different core story. If you haven’t seen The Shining (1980) you may still enjoy this movie, but you’ll be taking a lot of the explanations at face value. It branches out a bit more into the greater Stephen King mythos and ties it in very well to his other stories even beyond The Shining. This one was as scary for me as its predecessor, and although that will definitely vary from person to person there is a long, drawn-out scene of a child being tortured that makes this movie the more uncomfortable of the two. The acting, sound design, and special effects are all top notch, and if you like psychological horror you should give this movie a watch.

Content warning: child torture

Closest comparison: It’s like Logan (2017) by way of the darker parts of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, in the trappings of The Shining.

Setting: Teen Supernatural/Other World
Plot: Cat-and-Mouse Thriller
Tone: Psychological Horror