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Actor=Kyliegh Curran /
7,5 / 10 /
Release date=2019 /
Drama, Fantasy /
runtime=152 min /
Directors=Mike Flanagan

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What is this, Hallmark after dark? This movie was so disappointingly bad. Terrible, predictable script. Terrible acting. Has nothing at all to do with the Shining. but it's so diverse! A modern critic's dream come true. Identity politics are killing Hollywood.

So very disappointing.

With the popularity of Stephen King's acclaimed novel The Shining came a followup known as Doctor Sleep. Recently, modern horror movie director Mike Flanagan has come out with his own feature film adaptation on said book (or at least in early screenings as of now) although it seems to follow up on the Stanley Kubrick adaptation of The Shining more so than the book. All of that being said though, this actually benefits the feature as a solid continuation of the beloved classic.

Set years after the first film, Dan Torrance tries to find peace within himself and his psychic "shine" powers That chance is ruined however when another special girl named Abra seeks him out to stop the merciless Rose the Hat and her True Knot clan, who obtain immortality by sucking the shine out of others. As a result, Dan and Abra engage in a bizarre battle with Rose with their powers, even if it means Dan has to reawaken some old ghouls of the past. The two best characters in the whole film are Dan and Abra, mainly because Dan is trying to live in spite of his "gift" yet has to come to terms with the severe consequences from having it, and Abra is a brave child who refuses to see the innocent taken away at the hands of evil. Ewan McGregor and Kyliegh Curran have wonderful chemistry with each other, seeing as how their characters are constantly communicating with each other on how to take the villains down.

In terms of how the film emulates the Kubrick film in both continuation and in style, it does make several referential callbacks yet only sparingly and manages to tell a solid story about good triumphing over the wicked. As Dan develops his way through past tragedies and alcoholism, it gives his character more of an edge that comes from the scars his father and other disturbing beings left on him. The cinematography and shot composition is the most imitative of Kubrick's visual language, although the digital cinematography can't help but make the film lack that special glow that made Kubrick's movie so creepy (the dark shades and colors are effective enough though. The music score is quite haunting in its own right whenever a certain scene plays out, yet there may be a few too many jump scare key notes that it makes the loud shocking moments feel almost ridiculous.

As for other notable characters, Rose herself could have been just another cliched malicious soul eater bent on consuming all of mankind, but her stoic presence and the conniving performance by Rebecca Ferguson make her subtly menacing and chilling. The same can be said for most of her group, as they're either blood thirsty psychopaths without much control or manipulative monsters who are great at tricking others into falling in their trap. A few key characters from The Shining do appear in small yet effective roles that help give proper context into Dan's frightening childhood and disturbed adulthood; their scenes are brief but convey so much within his psyche. Anyone else are either poor victims of the True Knot clan's tricks or minor leads that are only effective depending on what happens in the story, yet the film's lead duo are so engaging that one could forgive their appearances for being so abrupt.

Doctor Sleep is a strong example of turning the horrific concepts of Stephen King's literature into moving pictures and getting it right thanks to two intriguing leads, haunting atmosphere and a good blend of the familiar with something more recent. Granted, the film may appeal more to fans of The Shining in both book and movie form, as you may feel confused going into this blind. Regardless, check this out on Halloween and see if you think it lives up to the hype.