Review of Doctor Sleep (2019) by Bkorras — 23 Nov 2019

I'm super surprised by Doctor Sleep. The fact that this is a sequel to an all-time classic horror in The Shining, it wouldn't have shocked me if it ultimately fell on its face, leaving me to lousy mouth Hollywood and their greed for making an unnecessary sequel. But there I was, credits rolling, with a big grin on my face. Doctor Sleep is a worthy sequel to The Shining; let me tell you why.

The film is brilliantly cast. Ewan McGregor as an older Danny Torrance, Rebecca Ferguson as Rose The Hat, and newcomer Kyliegh Curran as Abra Stone, being the standouts. That trio brings their a-games, and gravitas to the movie, making it feel like a horror epic. The supporting cast is damn good too, Cliff Curtis and Zahn McClarnon in particular. The writers have done an excellent job here also, not being afraid to take their time to develop the characters, very much like The Shining. But unlike The Shining, the movie leans more towards Stephen King's style then Stanley Kubrick's, which is not a knock, by the way, it works for this film.

The film is also brilliantly shot — some of the scenes were beautiful and dreamy, in particular, a scene involving astral projection. Also, the horror imagery is superb, and I'm glad they relied more on that rather than jump-scares. The directing is excellent too. The director, like the writers, was also brave in allowing the movie to breathe and slowly build, in the age of ADHD, that's ballsy. I also like some of the fan service it pays to The Shining. It doesn't feel forced; it fits right into the film. Props even to Wardrobe. Rebecca Ferguson looks super cool and dark in this, and I'm now in love with her.

Doctor Sleep is a great ride. It has well-developed characters. It has horror; it even has a little action. The cast does a fantastic job. Rose The Hat is one of my new favourite villains; she now gets added to my "favourite villains list." If you like The Shining, you'll love this. You know what, even if you didn't, you'll probably still love this. I highly recommend seeing it.