It takes a hefty set of stones to craft a direct sequel to one of the greatest horror movies ever made that was helmed by the legendary Stanley Kubrick, but you’d have to travel pretty far in order to find anybody who’d claim that Mike Flanagan isn’t one of the genre’s pre-eminent modern talents.
Unfortunately, Doctor Sleep ended up bombing at the box office after recouping just $72 million from theaters, instantly ending the planned sequel that had entered the early stages of development before The Shining successor had even hit the big screen in November 2019.
Because this is a Flanagan joint we’re talking about, though, Doctor Sleep found widespread acclaim from critics and fans alike, netting a 78% score and 89% user rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Not only that, but once both the theatrical edition and extended version hit streaming in the summer of 2020, the psychological chiller found a whole new lease of life.
Doctor Sleep instantly became a cult favorite, and plenty of supporters can’t speak highly enough of the film’s merits. In further good news, the Stephen King adaptation has rebounded in a major way on streaming as per FlixPatrol, where it’s rocketed straight into the Netflix Top 20 most-watched list.
