Still irrevocably scarred by the trauma he endured as a child at the Overlook, Dan Torrance has fought to find some semblance of peace. But that peace is shattered when he encounters Abra, a courag...
“Dare to go back”, the movie poster states, and “Doctor Sleep”, directed by Mike Flanagan, does indeed tap into a strong sense of nostalgia, while providing enough tension, deep emotions, and unique thrills to create an successful blend that pays homage to Kubrick’s film and the original vision of Stephen King while being its completely own beast.
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After a prologue that reveals a young “Danny Torrance” figuring out how to control his “shining” powers and capturing the ghosts that haunt him, the film focuses on an adult “Danny”, who’s descended into the depths of alcoholism to blot out the memories and spirits that chase him thanks to his gifted powers. After finding tranquility and stability through sobriety and a new job that allows him to use his powers for good, he’s then thrusted back into the darkness of the world when he meets a young girl with the same abilities as his and is being hunted down by a powerful creature who steals the “shining” from kids.
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First and foremost, let me sit all you Moviegeeks down and have a serious talk. Do not enter into this film expecting a masterful piece of work like 1980’s “The Shining”. This film, while pays its respects to Kubrick’s film in the third act, is a departure from the supernatural horror story that came from it. It instead forges it’s own path and chooses to tell a deeply emotional story about trauma, cycles of abuse, and mortality.
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The film disturbingly depicts childhood trauma and how fragmented coping mechanisms are later followed throughout adulthood. Our main protagonist is able to lock away the starving demons from “The Overlook” in captivity, yet, he’s not able to defend himself from the demons that are hidden inside a bottle or medicine tube that then masquerades the trauma instead of curing it. Once you see the character recover and find an occupation that has him use his supernatural abilities for aiding others, he becomes an endearing protagonist to follow. Thanks to a fantastically heartbreaking performance from Ewan McGregor, the character of “Danny” is powerfully depicted as a fragile, yet, strong willed person. His character then later leads to the film’s overall themes of addiction, recovery, and grappling with the past. Through alcohol, “Danny” was able to elude his past for years, but now that he’s given up the destructive habit, his demons, quite literally, are coming back to haunt him in the form of undead hunters.
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Transitioning into the film’s antagonists, the film revels in its own dark tone with disturbingly brutal sequences that will shock and sicken audiences. In the center of all the horror is an incredibly terrifying performance from Rebecca Ferguson. Becoming the shining star in the entire cast, she’s a captivatingly sinister character that’s filled with mystery and lunacy as she uses her good looks and charisma to disguise her evil intentions. She leads a group of evil people who are pretty much cannibals and all their sequences together are absolutely terrifying to bare witness.
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Unfortunately, when the film drifts away from evocation to straight up recreation is where the hiccups begin to become apparent. To be clear, not all of the film’s loving homages to “The Shining” goes amiss. Scenes in which shot composition, edits, and sound cues are reused feel like rewarding nods to the original film. That being said, the actors they got for returning characters in which I won’t spoil look more like uncanny valley than the character their portraying.
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While it’s thrilling to return to “The Overlook” in the third act with painstakingly recreated sets that look straight out of the original, it’s scenes in which they use the location feels out of place and incoherent to the overall story. Nevertheless, the third act does deserve credit for how it reconciles King’s novel and Kubrick’s film.
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“Doctor Sleep* diagnoses you with the right amount of psychological horror and villainy as it takes you on this stimulatingly terrifying journey of suspense and soulfulness. The film is at it’s best when it’s creating its own thing rather than connecting with the past, and boasts an absolutely terrifying story about overcoming trauma and reclaiming the darkest moments of your life, to shine against it all.
