# The Sandman (2022) Review: A Faithful Dream Made Flesh > The Sandman is Netflix's adaptation of Neil Gaiman's comic about the King of Dreams, a gothic, reverent fantasy at its best when telling small, strange stories. Canonical: https://celluloidscore.com/reviews/the-sandman-review/ Published: 2026-07-25 Last updated: 2026-09-24 Author: Kaiser Khan — Founder & Editor Language: English Review basis: direct-viewing Spoilers: none Rating: 4/5 ## Verdict Yes, for viewers who like dark, literary fantasy and don't mind an episodic, sometimes slow structure. Comic fans will appreciate how faithful it is. ## Is The Sandman worth watching? **Yes. The Sandman is an ambitious, beautifully designed fantasy series that captures much of the strangeness and melancholy of Neil Gaiman's comic, even when its storytelling turns stiff.** The best reason to watch is its anthology spirit: some standalone episodes rank with the most affecting fantasy television of recent years. The reservation is unevenness, with longer arcs that drag and a lead character whose chilly solemnity can keep viewers at a distance. ## What is The Sandman about? In the early twentieth century, an occultist trying to capture Death succeeds instead in trapping Dream, also known as Morpheus (Tom Sturridge), the being who rules over the realm of sleep. Dream is held prisoner for more than a century, and when he finally escapes, he finds his kingdom, the Dreaming, in ruins and the tools of his power scattered across the waking world. With the help of his loyal librarian, Lucienne (Vivienne Acheampong), and a sardonic raven voiced by Patton Oswalt, he sets out to recover what was taken and restore order. [The Sandman](https://celluloidscore.com/shows/the-sandman/) was developed by Allan Heinberg, David S. Goyer and Neil Gaiman from Gaiman's DC comic series, and it is an American production in English for [Netflix](https://celluloidscore.com/shows/platform/netflix/). This review covers the complete show: two seasons and 23 episodes released between 2022 and 2025, including standalone bonus episodes. The series has ended. ## A world built with reverence The series is strikingly faithful to its source. It follows the comic's structure closely, keeping many of its storylines, images and lines of dialogue, and it takes the source's mix of myth, horror and literary playfulness seriously. The design of the Dreaming, with its crumbling palace, library of unwritten books and uncanny inhabitants, has a handsome, theatrical quality, and the show's visions of hell and of dreams bleeding into waking life are memorably unsettling. Its finest hours are the smaller ones. An episode in which Dream spends a day with his older sister, Death (Kirby Howell-Baptiste), is gentle, funny and quietly profound, and it captures the humane side of Gaiman's writing better than any battle could. The show is at its best when it pauses the quest to tell a self-contained fable. ## Tom Sturridge's remote king Tom Sturridge plays Dream as an aloof, severe figure who speaks in a low, measured voice and seldom shows emotion. It is a faithful interpretation of the comic's brooding lord, and Sturridge gives him a gradually thawing vulnerability. But the choice has a cost. With the protagonist so reserved, much of the energy comes from the supporting cast: Boyd Holbrook is a genuinely creepy presence as the Corinthian, a nightmare loose in the waking world, Gwendoline Christie is imperious as Lucifer, and Jenna Coleman brings a welcome streak of attitude as the occult detective Johanna Constantine. ## Where the dream loses focus The longer serialised stories are weaker than the standalone ones. Arcs stretched across several episodes can feel slow, and the series sometimes shifts tone sharply between whimsy, cosmic drama and graphic horror. The visual effects are mostly effective but occasionally look more like expensive television than a dream. The second season, which brings the story to a close, covers a great deal of material and does not always give its revelations the room they deserve. ## Who should watch The Sandman? It is ideal for readers of the comic, admirers of Gaiman's other work, and anyone drawn to dark, mythic fantasy that values ideas over action. It is less suited to viewers who want a fast-moving quest. With 23 episodes across two seasons, it is a sizeable but finite commitment. Be aware that some episodes contain intense horror and violence; one early episode set in a diner is among the most disturbing hours on mainstream streaming. If it enchants you, consider these: - [The Umbrella Academy](https://celluloidscore.com/reviews/the-umbrella-academy-review/), another Netflix comic adaptation about a strange, fractious family with superhuman burdens. - [The Witcher](https://celluloidscore.com/shows/the-witcher/), for darker fantasy steeped in myth and monsters, with more action and swordplay. - [Shadow and Bone](https://celluloidscore.com/shows/shadow-and-bone/), a lighter fantasy saga if you want a more conventional quest. ## The verdict The Sandman is a rich, reverent adaptation of a much-loved comic, with standout episodes that justify the whole journey. Its lead is austere and its longer arcs are uneven, but its imagination and melancholy beauty make it one of Netflix's more distinctive fantasy series. **Rating: 4/5** ## Related title - [The Sandman (2022)](https://celluloidscore.com/shows/the-sandman/) ## Editorial - [Editorial standards](https://celluloidscore.com/about/editorial-policy/) - [Report a correction](https://celluloidscore.com/about/corrections/)