Home
search
more | tips
IMDb > Doctor Sleep (2002)
Doctor Sleep
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summaryplot synopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

Doctor Sleep (2002) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 4 | slideshow) Videos
Doctor Sleep (2002) -- A hypnotherapist is caught up in the pursuit of a serial killer.

Overview

User Rating:
6.2/10   1,675 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 34% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Nick Willing
Writers:
Madison Smartt Bell (novel)
Nick Willing (written by) ...
more
Contact:
View company contact information for Close Your Eyes on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
16 August 2002 (Israel) more
Genre:
Crime | Horror | Thriller more
Tagline:
The deeper the sleep. The darker the fear. more
Plot:
A hypnotherapist is caught up in the pursuit of a serial killer. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
5 wins & 2 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(2 articles)
Dierks Bentley: Feel That Fire
 (From PasteMagazine. 4 February 2009, 6:01 AM, PST)

Clarkson: 'Song Leak Sucked'
 (From WENN. 7 April 2008, 5:11 AM, PDT)

User Comments:
compelling psychological thriller more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Shirley Henderson ... Janet Losey

Goran Visnjic ... Michael Strother

Miranda Otto ... Clara Strother
Sophie Stuckey ... Heather
Josh Richards ... Keith
John Rogan ... Francis Paladine

Claire Rushbrook ... Grace
Lauren Gabrielle Volpert ... Martha Strother
Sarah Woodward ... Police Inspector Hilary Ash
Corin Redgrave ... Chief Inspector Clements

Paddy Considine ... Elliot Spruggs
Madison Smartt Bell ... Hypnosis Patient
Stevie Nye ... Young Boy 1
Joshua McGowan ... Young Boy 2
Andrew French ... Police Detective
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
Close Your Eyes (USA)
Hypnotic (International: English title)
more
MPAA:
Rated R for violence and language.
Runtime:
USA:108 min
Country:
UK
Language:
English | French
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby Digital
Certification:
Iceland:16 | Netherlands:16 | Australia:MA | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | USA:R | Italy:T
Company:
BBC Films more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Goran Visnjic lived in a rented flat above a pub off Trafalgar Square for three months while filming this movie. more
Quotes:
Janet Losey: I don't have 500 quid.
Dr. Michael Strother: I didn't have to read your mind to know that.
more
Soundtrack:
Vampires Remix more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
4 out of 4 people found the following comment useful:-
compelling psychological thriller, 8 August 2005
7/10
Author: Roland E. Zwick (magneteach@aol.com) from United States

Written and directed by Nick Willing, "Close Your Eyes" (aka "Doctor Sleep") is a taut, highly effective British thriller that supplements its crime drama scenario with generous helpings of the supernatural and paranormal.

Michael Strother is a hypnotherapist who has returned to England with his pregnant wife and young daughter after seven years living in the States. Strother is asked by one of his patients, a policewoman named Janet Losey, to bring his professional expertise to bear on one of her most baffling cases, that of a little girl who's managed to escape the clutches of a serial killer but who has been rendered mute by the experience. Strother's involvement leads to complications not only with the highly skeptical police force who are less than thrilled at the prospect of having a hynotherapist working on the case, but with his wife as well who fears that any untoward publicity might reflect badly on her husband's career. Of even more concern is the fact that Strother's involvement might also be making him and his own family a target of the killer.

It would hardly be cricket to reveal much more of the plot here, so I'll just say that "Close Your Eyes" boasts a better-than-average storyline, intriguing characters, an effective back story involving Strother's past in America, and enough genuine suspense to help us ride up and over some of the inconsistencies and absurdities inherent in the material. And if the resolution comes out as a bit flatfooted - well, that doesn't wind up being too much of a handicap since weak endings seem to be just about par for the course when it comes to these types of films anyway.

The prime selling point of "Close Your Eyes" is that it makes us care about the characters, particularly Strother, who elicits our interest and sympathy from the start. Goran Visnjic and Shirley Henderson make an engaging crime-fighting team with just the right amount of unrequited sexual chemistry bubbling under the surface to add to the tension.

As a director, Willing frequently interrupts the narrative with free-floating flashes of dreams, memories and hypnotic suggestions, reflective of what is occurring in the minds of the characters. The effect is sometimes confusing but almost always effective in ratcheting up the level of mystery and feeling of dislocation necessary for the story. The film is a bit gruesome and gory at times, but the prime focus almost always remains on the character's interactions and the unraveling of the plot. This is a solid, well-crafted thriller.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Doctor Sleep (2002)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
anything else like it??? dm450
sequel lauramichels337
Michael gets electricuted- its hilarious! hrs90
Cheese in background edge23
What's The Significance? dustbunee
Book VS Movie machine_gun_molly
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
Candy Mysterious Skin Manhunter The Pledge The Skeleton Key
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Crime section IMDb UK section
Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.