Doctor Sleep

Many years ago I watched The Shining for the first time and, even though I'm not exactly a fan of horror films, I can safely say what Stanley Kubrick made there is one of the best films I've ever seen. I can best describe it as a suspenseful, chilling experience that uses careful direction to set the tone instead of all-out gore etc that can often diminish the genre's reputation. It's one of those films fans hope would be safe from half-hearted remakes but in 2019, director Mike Flanagan adapted Stephen King's literary sequel to The Shining with Doctor Sleep. It was an ambitious move but could Flanagan find the right balance with a respectful continuation to its highly praised predecessor? 

Doctor Sleep is set during the modern day with an adult Dan Torrance (Ewan McGregor) who is still greatly disturbed by the events of the last film and has become an alcoholic, not too dissimilar to his dreaded father. While moving between towns, he meets a girl, with similar abilities to what helped him survive all those years ago, and she is being hunted by a mysterious cult who prey on children. 

Much of the suspense in The Shining came from being almost entirely set around a single location but the story here moves from place to place which would hinder the film if it was aiming for the same affect yet Flanagan wisely opts for creating more of a mystery thriller. This will leave many horror fans feeling cold and disappointed initially but Doctor Sleep finds the right balance between being engaging and a successful sequel without tarnishing the original. It is also supported by a great performance from McGregor and a talented cast alongside him but despite it all, Doctor Sleep feels undercooked. 

A large part of this is due to the cult antagonists which make for an intriguing idea but somehow feel out of place existing in the same world as The Shining. This might be where the Kubrick's adaptation and King's novel divide caused too much of a gap for a sequel like this to be able to bridge both stories in what might have been better served as a TV mini-series to expand on the author's vision. 

Doctor Sleep is an intriguing thriller but also a forgettable one that I can't see myself returning to, even when the story picks-up towards the end in an exciting third act. There are a lot of great moments and ideas but unfortunately these don't quite come together for a must-see experience making this a film really only for fans of Stephen King and not quite as much for fans of Kubrick.