It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

I love going to the library and finding movies I haven't seen. It saves me money, and I get to catch films, good or bad, that I would never otherwise have investigated."Close Your Eyes" (aka "Doctor Sleep," the title of the book that inspired it) is a pleasant find, a supernatural mystery that doesn't insult its audience's intelligence or rely upon showy effects to achieve its ends. It struck me as more akin to "Rosemary's Baby" than "Silence of the Lambs," and certainly has no relationship to "Scanners," despite the blurb on the DVD case. A BBC production, the film is unsurprisingly British in its low-key build toward resolution, and the very unhistrionic acting and direction. Actually, now that I think of it, "Wicker Man" comes to mind as the film it most resembles in terms of pace and atmosphere.The leads are well-played, especially the mousily sexy Shirley Henderson, who first came to my attention in another UK film, "Once Upon a Time in the Midlands." Goran Visnjic is appropriately haunted and resilient as a somewhat telepathic hypnotherapist who is drawn into the manhunt for a serial killer (who turns out to be a bit more than that). Support from the likes of Miranda Otto and Fiona Shaw is right on the money, and even the child at the center of the affair is very good. The cinematography is appropriately non-showy, the art direction/production design is simple and effective, and the few "scary" set pieces are effective and memorable. The ending was a bit obvious, but thankfully not belabored, and so wrapped things up neatly. I would rate this film higher, but it strikes me as having little repeat viewability, unless perhaps one is obsessed with Ms. Henderson. Her understated performance as a determined police detective is a joy to watch, almost deceptively so, especially when her character's wry sense of humor peeks out from beneath the veneer of professional toughness. This is a woman I'd happily bring home for tea and crumpets, not to mention a few other things.But I digress. Give this one a chance if you like murder mysteries slash supernatural thrillers with an emphasis on substance and not flash. You won't be disappointed.

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.

Compelling and provocatively literate crime thriller along the SILENCE OF THE LAMBS variety. Goran Visnjic plays a hypnotist who managed to get a connection with a 10 yr old girl who escaped from a ritualistic serial killer. His family winds up being endangered, of course, but the way the story plays out, including his platonic rapport with the British detective, hampered by her superiors, in solving the case is quite enjoyable. Murders turn out to have something to do with 16th Century occultism. Overall a quite satisfying mystery/thriller, nicely made, and effectively directed. Simon Boswell contributes an effectively eerie score that adds to the atmosphere.

Gorin Visnic pulled this movie off well. I was unsure of his acting outside of ER. The movie has a cool plot, and there a few leaps we must make with character actions and general believability, but how many supernatural movies don't require such. I'm not saying call the Academy, but as mentioned this is a 'sleeper' movie that will entertain you if you enjoy the supernatural thriller genre. I was glad I rented it, and I'm a bit picky in general. It isn't the fastest paced film as it develops slowly, but you'll probably like it if you like Gorin. The female lead is credible as well, as is Gorin's wife in the film. The Supernatural element of the movie was a new one to me, which is further reason I'm taking the time to write this, as I thank those who have done such for me, as it drives a fair amount of my 'tweener' rentals. Ciao!