Doctor Sleep is a Shining Masterpiece
DOCTOR SLEEP was directed by Mike Flanagan and stars Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, and Kyliegh Curran, and is the sequel to the highly acclaimed THE SHINING. Years after the events of that film, a now-adult Dan Torrance must protect a young girl with the same power he has from a cult, who prey on children with powers in order to remain immortal. This cult also has powers like they do, but every member is different. Makes me think this is all part of a massive Stephen King universe…Oh snap! Anyway, on with the review! I loved this movie. The end. Okay not really the review, I won’t cheapen the experience for my fine readers! So, let’s get on with it…
Technically speaking, this film has some minor issues here and there, particularly with pacing. There were some edits where I just felt didn’t flow as organically as they should have. There was also a problem, for me at least, at the very beginning where they did a recap of events. I wasn’t particularly sold on that because it felt kind of cheap. The new scenes they added however did help flesh out Danny’s (he calls himself Dan now) childhood and how he dealt with the things that haunt him, and I appreciated that. The movie then jumps around from period to period, and that would’ve been okay if it didn’t feel like they jumped around too much.
But despite my nit-picking…this movie is a friggin’ masterpiece. The cinematography, the acting, the bloody deaths…all of it was top notch. There are some disturbing moments (particularly because they involved kids) that got under my skin. Ewan McGregor is incredible as Dan Torrance. But the real shining star of this film is Rebecca Ferguson, who was scary, sensual, and incredible as the antagonist. The other star of the film, the dilapidated Overlook Hotel, never looked so damn terrifying. There are some interesting moments between Dan and Jack that gave me chills, reminiscent of THE SHINING. I also don’t want to downplay how great the supporting cast were, every member of this group gives 110% effort and were a delight to watch on screen.
DOCTOR SLEEP is an incredible entry in the universe of films that Stephen King crafted with his novels. The film is a fantastic supernatural drama that plays out similarly to its predecessor. It doesn’t feel like a long film despite an almost 3-hour run-time. It has great performances, is beautifully shot (seriously…so gorgeous), and is handled by an incredible director in Mike Flanagan (don’t believe me? Watch OCULUS or THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE both on Netflix and get back to me…) You’ll definitely shine watching this film. Check it out, it’s in theaters now.
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