The Dark Tower

Play trailer

1:31

The Dark Tower

PG-13

Released Aug 4, 2017

1h 35m

Fantasy

Action

Adventure

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

16%

Tomatometer

278 Reviews

44%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

Roland Deschain (Idris Elba), the last Gunslinger, is locked in an eternal battle with Walter O'Dim (Matthew McConaughey), also known as the Man in Black. The Gunslinger must prevent the Man in Black from toppling the Dark Tower, the key that holds the universe together. With the fate of worlds at stake, two men collide in the ultimate battle between good and evil.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Go then, there are other Stephen King adaptations than these.

Read Critics Reviews

Tal Rosenberg

Chicago Reader

Danish filmmaker Nikolaj Arcel (A Royal Affair) directed, and I'm not sure why.

Mar 26, 2020

Full Review

Larushka Ivan-Zadeh

Metro Newspaper (UK)

Not so much a stinker of a movie as a bafflingly incomplete one, The Dark Tower has presumably been inflicted with so many cuts it's like watching a 95-minute trailer.

Rated: 2/5

Oct 11, 2017

Full Review

Nick Pinkerton

Sight & Sound

No one involved in The Dark Tower seems to have given a damn about what they turned out, so why should anybody else?

Sep 4, 2017

Full Review

David Griffiths

Subculture Entertainment

The Dark Tower isn't the mess that everybody is saying that it is. With its dark storyline that doesn’t hold back to spare the audience’s emotions and great special effects, this is just one of those supernatural thrillers that you can sit back and enjoy.

Rated: 3/5

Mar 10, 2025

Full Review

Don Shanahan

Every Movie Has a Lesson

The Dark Tower becomes the antonyms of all of the other terms: short, rote, vague, lethargic, and limited.

Rated: 1/5

Apr 7, 2024

Full Review

Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

Elba is good with what little he’s given, and you could say he is a reminder of the potential this film had.

Rated: 2/5

Aug 20, 2022

Full Review

Read all reviews

Lance C.

Terrible movie. Boring and rushed.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

08/21/25

Full Review

Dani G

What a piece of.... Maybe the worst is McConaughey's character

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

08/08/25

Full Review

Hughe J

The Dark Tower movie was released in theatres in 2017 and stars Idris Elba, Matthew McConaughey and Tom Taylor. The movie is loosely based on Stephen King's Dark Tower series of books with Elba playing Roland the gunslinger, McConaughey playing the Man in Black, and Taylor playing Jake. Basic summary is that Jake dreams of the Dark Tower, the Man in Black wants to capture Jake, and Roland wants to save Jake and defeat the Man in Black. The main problem with the movie is that it tries to cram way too much into less than a two hour run time and everything feels rushed. There's no character development, no arcs, the SFX is bad, the action scenes are worse, and the actors have nothing to work with. This would have made a far better tv series to allow the world of the Dark Tower to be properly fleshed out. As a fan of King's work I did enjoy some of the Easter Eggs scattered throughout the movie, but other than that this was pretty bad.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

07/29/25

Full Review

Alex P

A movie made to entertain without complicating the plot from the books.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

06/08/25

Full Review

Nathan W

Hot Garbage. While I am a big fan of the source material, I never judge a movie on how it relates to it. Movies hardly ever measure up. This is a disjointed, jumbled, mess that is hard to watch and understand.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

06/06/25

Full Review

Paul S

I'm surprised they were able to fit as much into the movie as they did when the movie is only a little over 90 minutes long. It doesn't have the most sound plot, and the story felt a little incomplete. Overall, it had great visuals and was really enjoyable to watch. Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey absolutely shine in this movie. I definitely recommend it for sci-fi and fantasy fans!

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

05/20/25

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Nikolaj Arcel

Director

Idris Elba

Roland

Matthew McConaughey

Walter

Tom Taylor

Jake

Claudia Kim

Arra

Fran Kranz

Pimli

The Dark Tower: Official Clip - Shoot With My Mind

2:28

The Dark Tower: Official Clip - The Dixie Pig Shootout

2:49

The Dark Tower: Official Clip - The Gunslinger's Creed

1:52

The Dark Tower: Official Clip - Dutch Hill Mansion Demon

2:51

The Dark Tower: Official Clip - Roland vs. The Man in Black

3:03

The Dark Tower: Official Clip - Gunslinger in a Gun Store

2:41

The Dark Tower: Official Clip - The Face of My Father

2:34

The Dark Tower: Official Clip - Fire & Darkness

2:05

The Dark Tower: Official Clip - Something Got Out

2:10

The Dark Tower: Official Clip - The Taheen Attack

2:43

View more videos

Gods of Egypt

15%

37%

Gods of Egypt

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Gods of Egypt

Doctor Strange

89%

86%

Doctor Strange

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Doctor Strange

The Great Wall

35%

42%

The Great Wall

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Great Wall

Bloodshot

32%

78%

Bloodshot

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Bloodshot

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

30%

60%

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Upcoming TV Fantasy Series That Could Be the Next Game of Thrones

How Family-Friendly Are Thor: Ragnarok and Lady Bird?

New On DVD This Week: The Dark Tower, Orphan Black Complete Series, and More

Elba and McConaughey Remember The First Time Stephen King Scared Them: Exclusive Interview

1:30

The Dark Tower: International Trailer 2

1:31

The Dark Tower: International Trailer 1

2:05

The Dark Tower: Trailer 1

2:45

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

Roland Deschain (Idris Elba), the last Gunslinger, is locked in an eternal battle with Walter O'Dim (Matthew McConaughey), also known as the Man in Black. The Gunslinger must prevent the Man in Black from toppling the Dark Tower, the key that holds the universe together. With the fate of worlds at stake, two men collide in the ultimate battle between good and evil.

Director: Nikolaj Arcel
Producer: Akiva Goldsman, Erica Huggins, Brian Grazer, Stephen King, Ron Howard
Screenwriter: Akiva Goldsman, Jeff Pinkner, Anders Thomas Jensen, Nikolaj Arcel
Distributor: Sony Pictures Entertainment
Production Co: Weed Road Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Imagine Entertainment
Rating: PG-13 (Sequences of Gun Violence|Action|Thematic Material)
Genre: Fantasy, Action, Adventure
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 4, 2017, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 17, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $50.7M
Runtime: 1h 35m
Sound Mix: Dolby Atmos
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

Most Popular at Home Now