Doctor Sleep - Shine On

In 1977, renowned horror writer Stephen King published a book titled The Shining. The story of a small family taking on a job as the winter caretakers of an elegant and prestigious Mountain resort known as The Overlook Hotel. Which, as it turns out, also happens to be haunted. Further exacerbated by the fact that the family's young son, Danny, possesses strange psychic abilities (which he refers to as Shining), which allows him to observe and communicate with otherworld beings such as ghosts. Three years later, renowned filmmaker Stanly Kubrick released a film adaptation of the book starring Jack Nicholson and Shelly Duvall. Despite becoming one of the most acclaimed horror films over the years, Stephen King has continuously expressed his disdain for the film. Mainly due to the massive changes made to the main characters as well as specific plot points. Stephen King would go on to produce a three-hour television special of The Shining, which was more faithful to his book but significantly less entertaining. Then, in 2013, King published a sequel to the book titled Doctor Sleep. The story of Danny Torrance now grown up and dealing with the trauma he suffered at The Overlook. Now, six years later, a new and influential voice in horror filmmaking, Mike Flanagan, has presented audiences with a film adaptation of King's book, framed simultaneously as an adaptation of the novel and a sequel to Kubrick's masterpiece, and he's hit it right out of the park. Not only is this arguably the best possible sequel to The Shining we ever could have asked for, but it's also just a fantastic film in its own right. If this doesn't cement Mike Flanagan as the new King of Horror Cinema, I don't know what will. 

The story follows Danny Torrance (Ewan McGregor) as an adult dealing with a wide variety of issues. He's inherited his father's drinking problem and has been unable to properly cope with his past trauma. Not to mention, his Shining powers (his psychic ability to talk to ghosts and read minds) are occasionally hitting him over the head too hard. Things begin to turn around for Danny as he eventually finds himself a new friend named Billy (Cliff Curtis), who gives Danny a place to stay, enrolls him into an AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) program, and gets him a job as a hospice worker. Where, given his unusual talent for comforting the ones who are about to die, earns him the nickname Doctor Sleep. All is getting better. That is until Danny starts communicating with a young girl named Abra (Kyliegh Curran) who possesses Shining powers way more potent than his own. Making things even more complicated is the discovery of a group of what can only be described as Shining Vampires, lead by a mysterious woman named Rose the Hat (Rebecca Ferguson), who achieves near-immortality by eating the souls of those who Shine, especially children. Having just witnessed the gang commit their horrible deeds, Abra emplores Danny to help her stop them. Now, Danny must confront his past, in more ways than one, to save his friend and take down the monsters.  

What makes this such a great and entertaining film, at least to me, is how intelligent it is. None of the characters ever act recklessly or stupid for the sake of a scare or for advancing the plot. All the characters, especially Abra, are remarkably bright, which makes them feel more three dimensional and robust. All of which is commented well by the script which, without spoiling anything, succeeds in presenting a compelling narrative, utilizes each and every character's strengths & weaknesses and uses nostalgia in a way that doesn't feel contrived or forced. In this day in age, that's nothing short of miraculous. 

Director Mike Flanagan, who previously worked on Oculus and Netflix's The Haunting of Hill House (both of which are equally excellent and I highly recommend), clearly shows that he has a great deal of respect and admiration for both the works of Stephen King and Stanly Kubrick. In addition to employing his natural ability to create a genuinely creepy atmosphere and suspenseful tension, Flanagan took on the challenge of crafting a film that would both compensate for Stephen King's issues with Kubrick's film and honor what makes that very same movie so memorable. Needless to say, Flanagan succeeded with flying colors. What's more, he did so in a way while still making the film feel like his own. It's a near-perfect collaboration and understanding of artists spanning generations that could not have had a better outcome. 

The acting is superb. Kyliegh Curran especially, at age thirteen no less, delivers a performance on-par with the likes of some of the greats such as Meryl Streep. She showcases such a wide variety of emotions and characteristics and maintains so much conviction throughout that she could quickly put some of the more seasoned veterans she shares the screen with to shame. Her chemistry with Ewan McGregor makes her shine even more. Without a doubt, this young lady is unquestionably worthy of the MVP award for this film. 

Doctor Sleep is, quite possibly, the absolute best sequel to The Shining we ever could have asked for. Usually, having Stephen King's blessing on a film adaptation of his work isn't necessarily a clue of excellent quality, but in this case, it most certainly is. Even though there may be times when the movie feels just a little bit too long, it never really drags. The only real nitpick I have with this one is that they didn't think to release it right on Halloween.

I look forward to buying my copy of this film when it is released on disc. 

Is this movie worth seeing? 

Yes. 

Is it worth seeing in Theaters? 

Yes. 

Why? 

It's a brilliant film that has earned its place high on the mantle of the most tremendous psychological/supernatural horror thrillers ever made, especially The Shining. A worthy sequel to a memorable story. Please don't miss this one. 

Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm, thank you all for reading.