Doctor Sleep (2019)

★★★★

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Years following the events of "The Shining," a now-adult Dan Torrance meets a young girl with similar powers as his and tries to protect her from a cult known as The True Knot who prey on children with powers to remain immortal.

Classification: 15

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Opening with the iconic notes from The Shining's unforgettable theme across the classic Warner Bros. logo, one would think that Doctor Sleep could just be an ill-advised nostalgic retreading of one of the greatest horror films of all time. However, within the seconds the score transforms into The Newton's Brothers own sound and director Mike Flanagan makes it clear that while he'll respect the cinematic legacy he shall not be shackled by it as he is tasked as the mediator between two titans. The original author of both novels, Stephen King notoriously hated Stanley Kubrick's 1980 adaption of The Shining, finding the changes made to be disrespectful to his source material. Kubrick's film, however, is so revered and ingrained in pop culture lexicon that it is more likely one would think of the story of Jack Torrence's descent into madness belonging more to Kubrick than King.

There lies the conundrum to Doctor Sleep, while King writing a sequel to his own novel is in no way controversial, the idea of returning to the Overlook Hotel on the cinematic screen creates a far greater pause. Stanley Kubrick is nothing short of a cinematic God, a man who conquered and redefined every genre he ever touched and The Shining was no exception. It almost feels untouchable, that the notion of using the film's iconic imagery for a modern sequel is blasphemous and should be shunned. Even though Hollywood has no issue with exhuming any intellectual property for a quick buck, there is feared respect to Kubrick's legacy from the producers which is why the master of modern horror Mike Flanagan is given the impossible task to bridge the film and the novel. Flanagan, whose work has delivered some fine horror instalments with his film Gerald's Game (another King adaptation) and television series The Haunting of Hill House being the most terrifying releases of their respective years. Flanagan is the perfect choice for Doctor Sleep, a filmmaker with distinctive talent that can make this union of King and Kubrick into his own unique vision.

The film is incredibly engaging and its a testament to Flanagan's talent that the most captivating elements are in the middle chunk of the film where the Shining references are very minimal. Doctor Sleep focuses on an adult Dan Torrence still plagued by spirits and memories from the Overlook Hotel, using his psychic abilities to trap memorable characters such as the Bathroom Lady in his mind. Struggling with depression and alcoholism Dan travels to New Hampshire to build a new life as an orderly at a hospice using his talents to assist dying patients in their final moments, earning his titular moniker Doctor Sleep. Unlike its predecessor, Flanagan's film is less of an exploration of madness and terror but more focused on trauma and recovery. Dan essentially doing everything he can not to become Jack Torrence and finding peace and redemption in helping Abra Stone another girl with the shining.

Abra's storyline alongside her conflict with the True Knot, a group of immortal fiends who hunt and kill children to consume "steam" the gaseous form of the shining power, is frightening and a strong enough story to stand on its own. It's a case where the connection to The Shining is a positive reinforcement rather than a crutch to keep a meandering story afloat. The True Knot is lead by Rebecca Ferguson's Rose the Hat, a charismatic and sadistic villain who commands the screen with her every scene, grounding the supernatural elements of the plotline with her commitment. Aided by Zahn McClarnon's Crow Daddy and Carel Struycken's Grandpa Flick, the notion of feeding on "steam" never feels goofy but sickening as Flanagan creates the film's horror in finding the humanity within the supernatural. Ferguson consuming steam may not be a frightening image but the screaming bloody child beneath her is and it's that combination that makes this quirky bunch of outcasts an unsettling and credible threat.

Those who have the shining have a connection to one another, can sense and communicate with each other. It's how the True Knot tracks its victims but also how Abra Stone finds Dan Torrence. Early in Dan's life in New Hampshire, he comes home to find his bedroom wall, transformed into a giant chalkboard by a previous tenant bearing a simple chalk message of "hello", a message from Abra through her powers. Over the years the two communicate through simple exchanges through the chalkboard wall, slowly Flanagan establishes that while Dan rebuilds himself from the shadows of his past, that the shining is still there and there is a debt to be paid. As Abra's power grows she gains the attention of Rose the Hat, culminating in an incredible climactic scene where that very wall shatters leaving a message that sends shivers through Dan and the audience's spines.

Ewan McGregor does a damn fine job making Torrence his own character, capturing trepidation, guilt but also bravery in how he becomes involved in Abra's story. The pacing of the film allows for no underdevelopment showing his transformation from morose drunk to community pillar but its the delicate manner that Flanagan has the history told that makes this new story worthwhile. It can be argued The Shining doesn't need Doctor Sleep and vice versa, all the new elements to this story are strong enough on their own but its how Dan and the audience are connected by these memories. Flanagan never uses a shot from the original film, he creates pitch-perfect recreations, the same framing, colour scheme and while it's different it's inescapably the same. This how Flanagan honours Kubrick not by copying his talent for scares but by allowing Kubrick's past to inform Flanagan's present. This connection helps us and Dan understand what danger awaits Abra, forcing both parties to face their fears and accept what responsibility is owed to Abra as another child victim to those who would seek to harm her.

So much of the film feels like its own beast, Flanagan creating fresh visuals to represent Abra, Rose, and Dan's powers. Their conflict ranging from battles within the mind and in the physical world, its a story less concerned with delivering blood-chilling frights but more powerful personal drama. Doctor Sleep thrives when it focuses on the relationships between the heroes and the villains, Dan with his best friend Billy Freeman and the trust they place in each other, or especially Dan's connection to Abra, becoming familial because of their shared gifts. On the flip side Roses' sense of family to the True Knot, her paternal connection to Grandpa Flick or her flirtation with Crow Daddy, and the maternal role she takes on with the whole tribe creates a twisted inversion to the story. Both sides are just trying to protect their families, see the shining as both as a tool and weapon and seek security in the changing world. This is where Flanagan is allowed for the film to be his own, displaying his immense talent as a storyteller capturing this epic battle for a child's soul.

However, the final battle must have an arena and there seems to be no other way for Doctor Sleep to conclude than to have Dan and the audience return to the Overlook Hotel. Flanagan understands the importance and dangers to this decision, with the very introduction commanding the audience to sit a little straighter, to hold their breath and take notice to the hallowed ground they dare walk upon. The culmination of Dan Torrence's story is connected to this moment and while the return is both beautiful and haunting it has an undeniable feeling of struggle. It is no easy task and Flanagan doesn't disappoint but it still feels like he's wrestling an alligator against full-blown nostalgia and story-driven purpose. Doing all he can to satisfy those that want the references and ho boy you get them all, bloody elevators, snowy hedge mazes, and Ewan McGregor stumbling through hallways, axe in hand. Then again Flanagan is also able to take Kubrick's film and place it into his control, allowing this imagery to serve Doctor Sleep and make this about Dan coming to terms with his past, the best example of this is when Dan has a drink with a familiar bartender.

It's an impossible task but Flanagan wrestles that alligator into submission and delivers a conclusion that is satisfying to fans of both King and Kubrick. Doctor Sleep may not hit every intended emotional note and its overindulgence in the third act may be frustrating but it's still a journey worth taking. It may not be his most frightening work but this film is definitely a tour de force of Mike Flanagan's talent, refusing to be a referee and makes Dan Torrence's return a story of his own design. Impeccable production design, cinematography and music create an immersive atmosphere for the audience and the actors to get lost in. Creating its unforgettable moments and allowing the characters and audience to reconcile with their fears and history with The Shining. Doctor Sleep is far from an embarrassment to its cinematic legacy, it may not have the same adoration or impact decades later but the film establishes itself as a story of its own right and one that is definitely worth watching.

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Director: #MikeFlanagan

Cast: #EwanMcGregor, #RebeccaFerguson, #KylieghCurran, #CliffCurtis, #ZahnMcClarnon #CarlLumbly, #EmilyAlynLind, #CarelStruycken, #JacobTremblay, #HenryThomas

Release Date: October 31st 2019

Trailer:

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Written review copyright ©CoreyBullochReviews

Images and Synopsis from the Internet Movie Database