Doctor Sleep

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

movie2019

38%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Stephen King sequel about adult trauma and psychic vampires—well-crafted horror that's absolutely not for kids.

7.3/10

78%

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Doctor Sleep

movie

R, 2019

38%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Stephen King sequel about adult trauma and psychic vampires—well-crafted horror that's absolutely not for kids.

7.3

78%

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7.3/10

78%

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Screenwise Verdict

Doctor Sleep is a rare beast: a legacy sequel that actually has something to say. Mike Flanagan threads the needle between honoring Kubrick's iconic film and King's original vision, creating a meditation on trauma, addiction, and redemption wrapped in genuinely scary horror.

But let's be crystal clear—this is adult horror with no compromises. The scene where the True Knot tortures and kills a young boy is brutal and extended, designed to make you feel sick. The entire film deals with heavy themes: alcoholism, PTSD, psychic predators who hunt children. It's well-made and emotionally resonant, but it earns every bit of its R rating.

For adults who appreciate thoughtful horror, this delivers. The performances are strong, the visuals are striking, and the emotional payoff feels earned. But this isn't Marvel-style 'safe' horror—it's dark, disturbing, and meant to unsettle you. Keep it far away from kids and save it for a night when you're ready for something heavy.

Age Fit

This is strictly 17+ content, and honestly better suited for 18+. The child murder scene alone disqualifies it for anyone younger, and the themes of addiction and trauma require mature processing. If you loved The Shining and can handle intense horror, this is a worthy successor.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

This is a horror film dealing with childhood trauma, alcoholism, and a cult that murders children to absorb their life force. The emotional tone is dark and heavy throughout, with Dan Torrance struggling with PTSD and substance abuse. While there's ultimately a redemptive arc about protecting innocence, the path there involves graphic violence, psychological torment, and deeply disturbing imagery that's antithetical to wholesome viewing.

Imaginative

As a sequel to The Shining that expands on Stephen King's supernatural universe, Doctor Sleep brings genuine creativity to its premise of psychic powers ('the shining') and introduces memorable concepts like astral projection, psychic vampirism, and the True Knot cult. Director Mike Flanagan crafts visually inventive sequences and builds on Kubrick's iconography while creating his own mythology. The world-building around psychic abilities and the mechanics of the True Knot's immortality shows real imagination.

Safe

This is an R-rated horror film with intense violence including the graphic murder of a child (shown in disturbing detail), alcoholism, drug use, gore, torture sequences, and psychological horror. The scene where the True Knot kills a young baseball player is particularly brutal and lingering. There's pervasive dread, jump scares, and deeply unsettling imagery throughout. This is absolutely not safe for children and would be traumatic for most viewers under 17.

Enriching

Doctor Sleep grapples with meaningful themes: overcoming addiction, confronting trauma, finding purpose through protecting others, and breaking cycles of abuse. Dan's journey from broken alcoholic to sober caretaker offers genuine character growth. The film explores how childhood trauma echoes through adulthood and the power of mentorship. However, these themes are wrapped in extreme horror that limits their accessibility and the enrichment is primarily for mature viewers who can process heavy material.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Mike Flanagan delivers thoughtful horror that respects both King's novel and Kubrick's film while finding its own voice
Ewan McGregor brings real depth to Dan Torrance's struggle with addiction and redemption
The mythology around 'the shining' and the True Knot cult is genuinely inventive and creepy
Explores heavy themes—generational trauma, sobriety, mentorship—with surprising emotional weight for a horror sequel

⚠

What to Watch For

Extremely graphic violence including an extended, brutal child murder scene that's genuinely hard to watch
Pervasive alcohol and drug use as Dan battles addiction throughout the first act
Intense psychological horror and disturbing imagery that lingers
At 152 minutes, it's a long sit even for horror fans
This is R-rated adult horror—zero wiggle room for younger viewers

Conversation Starters

"How does Dan use his traumatic past to help Abra deal with her own gifts and dangers?"
"What does the movie say about addiction as both escape and prison?"
"The True Knot feeds on children with powers—what makes them effective villains beyond just being evil?"
"How does facing the Overlook Hotel force Dan to confront his childhood trauma?"

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Doctor Sleep – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise