Review: Doctor Sleep is a fitting sequel to The Shining
Mike Flanagan delivers spooky chills in the adaptation of Stephen King’s follow-up novel
★★★★½
Years following the events of “The Shining,” a now-adult Dan Torrance must protect a young girl with similar powers from a cult known as The True Knot, who prey on children with powers to remain immortal. (IMDb)
Director: Mike Flanagan
Writers: Mike Flanagan, Stephen King
Stars: Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, Kyliegh Curran, Cliff Curtis
It’s been 40 years since his terrifying stay at the Overlook Hotel in The Shining, and now the story of Danny Torrance (Ewan McGregor) continues in Doctor Sleep. Horror director Mike Flangan (best known for Oculus, Hush, and The Haunting of Hill House) takes over the reigns for this take on Stephen King’s follow-up novel, that also honours the continuity of Stanley Kubrick’s cult 1980 adaptation. Flangan worked closely with King on the film (King was notably critical of the acclaimed Kubrick Shining) but has still said that “this also exists very much in the same cinematic universe that Kubrick established in his adaptation of The Shining”.
The story here is all about Danny and his life several decades after the horrors of the original film. He’s scarred by his childhood experiences and quite literally haunted by ghosts from Overlook, retreating into alcohol to deal with his problems and inhibit his “shining” abilities. The film sees him connect with Abra Stone (Kyliegh Curran) who also has the shining, but is being chased by a semi-immortal cult of villains. They’re led by Rose the Hat (Rebecca Ferguson) and they seek to feed off her power and the essence of other children with psychic potential. Danny realises he has to protect Abra from this threat and that, in doing so, he will have to face the demons of his past too.
Spooky character drama
Some detractors have said Doctor Sleep is a little more conventional a little less scary than The Shining, although these arguments are definitely debateable. It’s certainly more of a character study than its predecessor, and in McGregor’s Danny (or Dan, as he goes by) it has a strong and compelling protagonist. Dan is someone who’s spent his life running from his demons and has even found ways to lock them away in his mind, but not all horrors are ghostly and it’s through Rose the Hat and her cult that we see how evil people can become. This is a cult that feeds off children to survive for far longer than an ordinary human lifespan, and the idea of what they are is terrifying (especially when we see them stalk and attack their victims — there’s an especially violent one that shows the death of a child). While McGregor is reliably excellent in the leading role, Ferguson is instantly memorable as the brutal, desperate and conniving villain of the piece. She’s frightening, devilish and the kind of antagonist you love to hate. Beyond Ferguson and McGregor, all of the smaller roles in the film are also cast well with some terrific actors.
Atmospheric and engrossing
If you watched The Haunting of Hill House on Netflix, you know Flangan knows how to create and sustain an atmosphere of tension and fear for a long time. Doctor Sleep isn’t a short movie, but there’s no point where it‘ll lose your attention and it has a wonderfully spooky soundtrack (by The Newton Brothers) and some stunning cinematography from Michael Fimognari, with Flangan editing the film. Much like The Shining, the camerawork on display here is careful and considered, and cheap tricks like jump scares are generally avoided in favour of creepy production design and sets, and sound design that enhances the suspense. The movie also cleverly recreates shots and revisits certain locations from the original, and it maybe has more callbacks and cameos than you might expect (thankfully, though, roles have been recast and there’s none of the sometimes off-putting de-ageing CGI on display here). Throughout, Doctor Sleep confidently sustains a powerful and unsettling environment that keeps you gripped to the action.
Escaping from childhood trauma
Thematically, it doesn’t come as a surprise to see that the film is all about moving on from childhood trauma and finding ways to help the younger generation. Dan runs from his shine and any kind of purpose, dulling his abilities with alcohol whenever he can. But when he’s sober he can’t run from how he’s meant to help people. He earns the nickname “Doctor Sleep” by visiting dying patients in a hospice and helping through their final moments. And, when he learns of Rose the Hat’s cult and how they’re chasing the young girl Abra in order to feed off her power, he initially tells her to hide away as he has done before realising that some evils need to be confronted and defeated. Beyond this core theme, Doctor Sleep is definitely interested in reactions to loss and grief, along with exploring insanity and morality throughout. It’s a movie that’s designed to make you think, and will keep you interested as much as it keeps you hooked with its ghosts and vampiric villains.
Verdict
It’s a worthy sequel to The Shining that is different to the original but still suspenseful and engrossing, with a sinister and eerie atmosphere. The performances are powerful and the film is dark and gripping.
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