There are plenty of twists, turns and surprises in this elegant and sometimes witty horror flick. . .
Dreamcatcher (2003)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:163
Fresh:48
Rotten:115
Average Rating:4.7/10
Consensus: An incoherent and overly long creature feature.
Runtime: 2 hrs 16 mins
Genre: Horror/Suspense
Synopsis: Based on the novel by Stephen King, Lawrence Kasdan's DREAMCATCHER follows four friends who receive psychic powers as children when they aid and befriend a mentally retarded boy named Duddits. As... Based on the novel by Stephen King, Lawrence Kasdan's DREAMCATCHER follows four friends who receive psychic powers as children when they aid and befriend a mentally retarded boy named Duddits. As adults, Jonesy (Damian Lewis), Henry (Thomas Jane), Beaver (Jason Lee), and Pete (Timothy Olyphant), reunite every winter at a cabin deep in the Maine woods to hunt, drink, and celebrate the bond they share with Duddits (Donnie Wahlberg) and each other. However, this year their wilderness reunion is marred by disturbing incidents which begin with the discovery of a lost, sick hunter and a frozen figure in the middle of a remote road. As events escalate and horrific creatures emerge from unsightly spaces, heavily armed government operatives, led by the imposing Colonel Curtis (Morgan Freeman), arrive in the area, and soon the situation becomes an all-out battle for the fate of humanity. A crazy-quilt combination of horror, thriller, sci-fi, drama, and action genres, DREAMCATCHER features aspects of other King screen adaptations such as STAND BY ME, IT, and THE TOMMYKNOCKERS, along with films such as THE THING and SIGNS. Seemingly disparate elements that filter into this giddily strange story include creeping red mold, fatal bowel movements, deadly worms with needlelike teeth, an imaginary space called the "memory warehouse," a deranged military officer, and an ailing man obsessed with Scooby-Doo. Director/screenwriter Kasdan, along with veteran screenwriter William Goldman, revel in the absurdity of the tale, crafting an often chilling and sometimes funny film that delights in its own thoroughly entertaining outrageousness. [More]
Starring: Damian Lewis, Thomas Jane, Jason Lee, Timothy Olyphant
Starring: Damian Lewis, Thomas Jane, Jason Lee, Timothy Olyphant, Morgan Freeman, Tom Sizemore, Donnie Wahlberg
Director: Lawrence Kasdan
Director: Lawrence Kasdan
Screenwriter: William Goldman, Lawrence Kasdan
Producer: Charles Okun, Lawrence Kasdan
Composer: James Newton Howard
Studio: Warner Bros.
Reviews for Dreamcatcher
Stupid, sophomoric and moronically silly, it leaves you with the feeling that you might welcome shock treatment just to get your brain back.
Bumpy, lumpy Stephen King adaptation is anything but by-the-book -- and packed with scares by a team of talents.
... not since Death to Smoochy have so many talented people made such a mess of things.
'This is such B-movie material, I'm surprised Roger Corman didn't direct.'
It starts out as an intriguing story of telepathic friends and ends up a monster mash of Ed Wood awfulness.
Gets the tone of the book precisely right, from the brooding opening, to the creature-feature midsection, to the save-the-world ending.
Marked by a couple of masterful performances in skillfully written singular roles.
This review officially renounces the "solution" to the psychological ending written in the novel. The rest is great & Kingian.
It's a mess, but it manages to entertain for longer than many movies do
Next time Stephen King wants to write about something really scary, he can take the adaptation of Dreamcatcher as his inspiration.
Like Signs, the picture suddenly shifts gears to turn into a choppy, noisy FX blowout.
There are enough ideas in Dreamcatcher for three or four ordinary movies. But then this is no ordinary movie. It's a grand, loopy pageant of ideas, schlock horror and subtle horror, and gross-out effects.
Latest News for Dreamcatcher
April 18, 2007:
"Clash" Remake Lands a Titan of a Screenwriter
Even if you know next to nothing about screenwriters, I bet you're a fan of Lawrence Kasdan ... even if you don't know it. The guy's biggest successes include "The Empire... More...
More DVDs
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 15% 15% | The Ugly Truth |
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 36% 36% | G.I. Joe: The Rise of … |
| 52% 52% | The Taking of Pelham 1… |
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 45% 45% | Shorts |
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored Links
Around The Network
- Dreamcatcher at Rotten Tomatoes
- Dreamcatcher at IGN
- Dreamcatcher at AskMen
Fresh Links
Featured

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.



Top Critic

