Review of Doctor Sleep (2019) by Cinemaphile — 13 Nov 2019

History has a weight, as heavy as that of expectations, maybe more so. Mass relates to velocity, &velocity &mass together mean momentum. How would one change the course of the Titanic if it continued it's course, eventually  barreling along at light speed? Solve that equation &one could be wealthy beyond all dreams of avarice. How could one follow up, The Shining?

Mike Flanagan doesn't flinch from the gravity of this two body problem, but embraces it with DS, his adaptation of the best selling novel by SK - not only the sequel to one of the seminal horror novels of the 20th Century but a visually influential &a most recently gentrified motion picture adapted by Stanley Kubrick. Seems like unsolvable Calculus, right? A tough aldorithmic nut.  The director of Occulus, Gerald's Game &Hulu's The Haunting of Hill House rolls up his sleeves, grabs the chalk &heads to the chalkboard.

Like King's other works such as IT &The Stand, the novel DS defies the feature length treatment. Unlike King's 1977 best seller The Shining, DS has many more points of view &locations, in addition to the added weight of literary &cinematic history. To complicate matters, Kubrick's The Shining wasn't embraced at the box office by Constant Watchers or Critics. Regardless, MF opts for the feature treatment rather than a limited run series.  Apparently, he's not one to shy from eating a historic literary elephant - so he does that, one bite at a time.

MF does that deftly, spending a decent portion of the first act re-anchoring us in the 40 year old story - but never through exposition. Some of us are "reintroduced" to Danny Torrance, Wendy Torrance &Dick Halloran. For those Constant Readers &Constant Watchers, it's an unsentimental walk through memory lane that's not done for the sake of nostalgia or as some will posit with a contemporary slur, fan service. That's key - to play to those not versed in the vocabulary of The Overlook lore ¬ explain too much to the already initiated. Again, pretty sophisticated equation balancing.  Off the page, MF never visually imitates Kubrick's austere, antiseptic style as lightly emulates it. MF gives us small visual cues, in addition to a few subtle aural ones as well.

Stage setting &character introduction done, we fast forward to the new &unfamiliar for the next three acts. In the vocabulary of Mid World, another King creation, the World of DS - specifically Danny's World - has moved on from that of The Shining's, by 40 years or so. Where these acts work best are developing adult Danny as a compelling character, which Constant Readers will recognize as a parallel to that of the struggling, tragically alcoholic Jack Torrance of the novel - not the mustachio twisting villain of Kubrick's film - &new faces Abra Stone, Billy Freeman, Crow Daddy, Snakebite Andi &Rose the Hat.

MF does his best to balance the narrative, but King's story is rich with detail &viewpoint. Narratively, The Knot - the tight knit order of psychic vampires driving the plot - overshadow our protagonists Danny &Abra's respective plights. Of note, there are no glaring storytelling missteps along the way, but this film isn't The Green Mile, anchored to one location &a simple theme. There's a lot happening of import &it's all over the literal geographic map. Like most road trips there are side jaunts &colorful road attractions. It is a long haul, sometimes with jeopardy, interesting scenery chewing &all. Some devotees of Kubrick's precursor will take umbrage at this. But, this is a different story. One with an unexpected twist.

SK had issue with the liberties Kubrick took with the best selling novel. The novel was not problematic, it was virtually perfect &in no need of revision. The opposite is the case in 2019. King's novel DS is problematic. It lacks a satisfying conclusion. Fortunately, Kubrick's inadequate resolution gave MF an opportunity to make right the mistakes of Kubrick's film &King's sequel. The fourth &fifth acts are that long awaited payoff. Nostalgia driven fans of the film will be rewarded, though not in the way they anticipate. We revisit two skeletons in Danny's closet. We've seen it in the previews. The other is a delightful surprise. MF also gives us the resolution that Constant Readers expected in 1980. "It creeps" up on us.

Does the calculus finally give us the Grand Unified Theory of King's Universe? No, it merely extends the framework &displays a fundamental understanding of the author which eluded Kubrick. That tasks was Herculean &thankless given expectations set by two novels &a previous film. There isn't a single mistake in DS, on the page or on the screen. The dialogue &the performances are spot on. But, it's the theory - the premise of the story ultimately hamstrings MF. Regardless, he took his duty seriously &studiously - DS is a polished, entertaining movie which stands on its own merits. MF is a mindful custodian of the King's universe.