Doctor Sleep

Starring: Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, Kyliegh Curran, Cliff Curtis, Zahn McClarron, Emily Alyn Lind, Selena Anduze, Robert Longstreet, Carel Struycken, Henry Thomas, Bruce Greenwood, Jacob Tremblay
Directed by: Mike Flanagan
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Fantasy,Horror
2019

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Decades after the horrific events at the Overlook Hotel, Dan Torrance (Ewan McGregor) still struggles with his memories, as he helps a young girl (Kyliegh Curran) who also has the Shine.

Review:

Tim: I was a huge fan of Stephen King's The Shining follow up, Doctor Sleep. It was fascinating to check in with Danny Torrance decades after the horrific events he survived in Colorado. The book felt like it was true to the original, while striking out on its own. It felt like more of an exciting adventure than a true horror novel. I enjoyed it a great deal and was so excited when I learned it would be adapted into a feature film.

The movie benefited greatly from the steady hand of Mike Flanagan. Flanagan has done impressive work within the horror genre and was familiar with King's work, as he adapted Gerald's Game for Netflix. That was a good movie. He builds on that experience here, turning in perhaps his best movie yet. Flanagan pulls off something remarkable here. Not only does he adapt the novel, he brings the gulf between the novels and the movies. His film is a sequel to The Shining, Stanley Kubrick's incredible movie that Stephen King hated. In this film, it works as a sequel to that movie, an effective adaptation of the novel, and it also ties in elements of The Shining book that went used in the film. That's a stunning achievement. He does all this while turning in a very effective (although not quite great) movie. You have to feel good about the quality of this movie (even as you lament the box office).

What I loved about the book and therefore, this movie, is the depiction of Dan Torrance. King nailed this aspect of his story. Where his life went after The Overlook feels true to the character, and his arc is a compelling, believable one. We see him struggling with the trauma he experienced and how he finds himself again. The movie benefits from the effective book, but Flanagan gets credit for adapting this so well (he also wrote the screenplay).

The cast here is tremendous. I don't believe there's another actor who could have made Dan Torrance come to life in the same way Ewan McGregor did. He's such a great actor and he played this role brilliantly. It didn't require a lot of flash and substance- much of what makes Dan interesting is quiet and subtle. McGregor hits all the right notes. His Dan is someone who is trying to find stable ground after a lifetime of instability. I really enjoyed his performance. Rebecca Ferguson was wonderful as Rose the Hat. She's a larger-than-life antagonist and Ferguson captures that while grounding the character in something that feels real. This was probably the hardest role of the film and I have nothing but praise for Ferguson. Cliff Curtis and Bruce Greenwood (working with Flanagan again after Gerard's Game) both added nice supporting performances. I have to say, I was unimpressed with Kyliegh Curran. Not many young people could effectively portray Abra Stone, so I admit the difficulty of it. However, her performance just didn't work. She forced too much of it, yet was too stoic at the wrong times. It simply didn't work well and it hurts the movie. I did love seeing Carel Struycken, Henry Thomas, and Jacob Tremblay in smaller roles. Each contributed well to the film. Emily Alyn Lind did a good job, too. I'm more familiar with her younger sister (from "The Gifted"), but I did see her previously in Replicas. She's much more effective here than in that movie. Based on a solid performance here, I'm intrigued to see what she does next.

I'm so impressed with how Flanagan tied this movie to Kubrick's film. This requires him to step away from the novel, most notably in the conclusion, which bears little resemblance to the book. However, it works. It was amazing to see The Overlook again and it results in a rousing, memorable conclusion.

I know the box office wasn't there for this film, especially compared to some other recent King adaptations. However, I had a lot of fun with the movie. Tying itself to The Shining was brilliant, but it also makes you realize this film cannot compare to that terrific movie. It gets closer than you might have expected, though, and it feels like a worthy sequel. I really enjoyed Doctor Sleep and this is a movie I'd be happy to revisit again.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Shining, Gerald's Game