Directed by:
Mike FlanaganScreenplay:
Mike FlanaganCinematography:
Michael FimognariComposer:
The Newton BrothersCast:
Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, Kyliegh Curran, Cliff Curtis, Carl Lumbly, Zahn McClarnon, Emily Alyn Lind, Bruce Greenwood, Jocelin Donahue, Alex Essoe (more)VOD (3)
Plots(1)
Still irrevocably scarred by the trauma he endured as a child at the Overlook, Dan Torrance has fought to find some semblance of peace. But that peace is shattered when he encounters Abra, a courageous teenager with her own powerful extrasensory gift, known as the “shine.” Instinctively recognizing that Dan shares her power, Abra has sought him out, desperate for his help against the merciless Rose the Hat and her followers, The True Knot, who feed off the shine of innocents in their quest for immortality. Forming an unlikely alliance, Dan and Abra engage in a brutal life-or-death battle with Rose. Abra’s innocence and fearless embrace of her shine compel Dan to call upon his own powers as never before - at once facing his fears and reawakening the ghosts of the past. (Warner Bros. US)
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Reviews (14)
A very faithful adaptation of a book I enjoyed very much, that builds on one of the best films I've ever seen. The courage of the makers of Doctor Sleep was tremendous – to continue Kubrick's story, but at the same time be true to King and make more than an epilogue to The Shining. They succeeded brilliantly, thanks largely to Mike Flanagan, who straddled the line between King and Kubrick, standing firm, and I can only thank him for it. When you see all the original and very impressively executed mind travel (and combat), the atmosphere, which is much better than the trailers suggested and relies not on scares but on honest suspense... That's exactly how I imagined it when reading the book, and yet the book lacked the film's biggest trump card – the Overlook. I could find a scene or two to fault, but overall I'm so pleased with Doctor Sleep that I can't, or rather won't. The ending is a downright treat for anyone who has not only seen The Shining, but also read it... Notto mention the amazing Ewan McGregor.
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It’s been long since a sequel made me this happy. Dr. Sleep lacks the author’s vision and unpredictability of Kubrick’s The Shining, but Flanagan builds a meaningful follow-up story that richly develops the possibilities of Kubrick’s secondary themes, smartly blending it with the events of the previous film. This smart director takes other things from the legendary filmmaker: the approach to the protagonist and the narrative style – throughout the film the adult Dan Torrance is an almost surprisingly passive figure under the control of a girl with a strong shining (in a similar way the hotel controlled his father), while the story gradually shrinks, both in time and space, with Flanagan, like Kubrick, using small time lapses to illustrate it. He also manages to imitate the main style characteristics of the previous film, likewise with the music motifs, the reliance on details of the actors during tense moments, the absence of shallow jump-scares, which are replaced by the strategically organised movement of the characters in the mise-en-scène, and the identical staging of some scenes, which both pays homage to and reinforces the narrative connection with the previous film (McGregor’s conversation with Bruce Greenwood in an office looks the same as Jack’s interview with Ullman at the beginning of The Shining; on the stairs, Rebecca Ferguson uses similar gestures as Jack Nicholson; the conversation with the barman, etc.). The long runtime isn’t a problem, either, the film works from the get go with three strongly motivated camps of protagonists (or rather, antagonists) that are slowly being brought together, plus the brilliant return to the iconic hotel, were all the sequences will be gold for the orthodox fans of the original. The Shining told the viewers that the Overlook was the only evil and dangerous place for people who shine, Dr. Sleep expands this into a vast fictional world where Danny gradually assumes the role of his mentor Halloran and his childish self is replaced by a girl who’s going through a similar development (which is highlighted by the film’s very last shot). The very positive impression is completed by a ton of welcome references, the character of the climax and the excellent actors, led by the traditionally likeable and credible McGregor, though the divine Rebecca Ferguson also deserves praise, she’s convinced me again she’s the most charismatic actress of today (and for me, maybe the past, too). If only every sequel of a famous brand was at least half as good as this one. 90%
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A very different film compared to The Shining. I've heard it sticks closer to the book, though I haven’t read it myself. You can feel the difference right from the atmosphere — while The Shining leans more into psychological horror, Doctor Sleep drifts towards a sort of mysterious fantasy. It makes sense, though, given Stephen King’s style. Once I adjusted to this shift, I really enjoyed watching Ewan McGregor and Rebecca Ferguson, especially with the film’s nods to the original classic. Mike Flanagan was the perfect choice to helm this sequel; his respect for The Shining is clear, and the subtle callbacks are a real treat.
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I figured out the thing had always bothered me subconsciously about The Shining, that basically it is not about that “shining” in the title. In Kubrick’s film, it feels like a mythological element quite inorganically incorporated into an ordinary and simple horror film about people living in a haunted hotel. I bet that nine out of ten people asked to briefly retell The Shining wouldn’t mention that Danny is “special”. Compared to that, Doctor Sleep has a rich mythology set in a universe I would like to return to discover other stories that may be taking place. Warner really failed at selling the film, the trailers left me quite underwhelmed, but in the end, I think this’s been one of the most pleasant horror surprises of this year. And, for the second year in a row, Mike Flanagan has significantly improved the year’s horror balance, clever boy. I like how Doctor Sleep connects to The Shining in a meaningful way, while still being a different film which, with only minor changes, would perfectly work on its own. For a horror film, it’s not afraid to have copious footage, it’s not afraid to use snares or to avoid relying on jump-scares, and nor is it afraid to be nasty and uncompromising in many ways.
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A great adaptation, faithful enough to the book to please its fans, and different enough for it to tie in with the end of Kubrick’s movie. McGregor is excellent as Danny, but the sexy Rebecca Ferguson’s performance as Rose the Hat is just heaven. Much better than in the book. The climax at the hotel, logically different from the book, is a playful variation on the original Shining, with an ending that closes the circle.
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