Doctor Sleep (2019)

User Review

• 

  d_riptide

  9 / 10

  To say “Doctor Sleep” came off as a pleasant surprise is putting it lightly; this film shines (no pun intended) with flying colors both as a stand-alone installment and as a follow up to the classic 1980’s film. The film manages to balance both Kubrick’s vision and King’s vision of said story to such a fascinating degree, acting was spectacular, characterization was well executed, Flanagan’s directing, writing and editing was almost impeccable even though the dialogue can be a little cheesy and the first and second act tends to drag on a little while to some people, the tension was white-knuckled and gripping, the plotline was stellar, the pacing was tight, horror elements were some of the most inventive I’ve seen all year, it never forsakes the elemental terror of its predecessor and even as a more contemplative sequel, it balances its poignant themes against it’s multiple lingering spine-tingling chills.
  
  
  The film‘s not really horrifying but again, it just goes to show that there are a lot of boundaries when it comes to the horror genre. The genre within itself is very subjective because again, what terrifies one person won’t have the same domino effect for everyone else. I don’t want to have to keep repeating myself about this but Otis probably the best part about this movie aside from what I just mentioned: it both shows and tells us how well it understands that horror has often been less about scares, and more about providing its viewers with a pleasurable imaginative rush of power and control as well as a psychological sucker-front towards real life traumas and situations that one can find physical or mentally terrifying. It isn’t the gore and cheap shock value that makes horror scary anymore, you know?
  
  
  Third times the charm for Mr. King this year. I advise you: don’t sleep on this Shining sequel.

  Like?

  0 member like this review.