Movie Review: Doctor Sleep

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Doctor Sleep is a delightful Siamese-twin of cinema, serving both as an adaptation of the 2013 Stephen King novel of the same name, and as a direct sequel to the 1980 Stanley Kubrick film, The Shining, balancing scares and satisfaction without pandering to either fanbase.

Director: Mike Flanagan Starring: Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, Kyliegh Curran, Carl Lumbly, Cliff Curtis, Alex Essoe, Zahn McClarnon, Emily Alyn Lind

Doctor Sleep is a brilliant piece of modern horror cinema, though it’s worth addressing some misconceptions that may turn unprepared viewers away. The film is set in Kubrick’s universe, but never attempts to compete or create a piece of cinema on-par with the psychological-horror masterpiece, The Shining.

It would be impossible to do so; the 1980 film diverged heavily from its source material, few performances could compete with the pure psychotic supernova of insanity that was Jack Nicholson, and there would be little point in Doctor Sleep director, Mike Flanagan, wasting two-and-a-half hours of cinema simply to measure himself against the restrained and aesthetically perfect directorial vision of Stanley Kubrick.

Doctor Sleep is also not a faithful adaptation of its own source material – the ending of The Shining would make this impossible – but instead trims the novel down to its most essential components and filters them through an anomalous lens of modern horror cinema, creating something that is entirely unique, yet eerily familiar. For viewers hoping for an extreme commitment to either homage or adaptation, the film could well be a disappointment. Now let me tell you why I absolutely loved this film to tiny, axe-chopped pieces.

The biggest drawcard in Doctor Sleep is director, writer, and editor, Mike Flanagan, responsible for three of my favourite horror-thriller productions: Oculus, Hush and the television series, The Haunting of Hill House. He is a master of creating slow-burn dread on screen, and Doctor Sleep is no different; as the film begins to veer toward softer, safer territory, we’re suddenly thrust into unflinching ritualistic child sacrifice; as we fear the film is diving into a tired trope of the unaware, all-powerful child prodigy, he springs a shockingly twisted scene of dominant psychic degloving.

All of this is made possible, and enhanced, by exceptional performances from Ewan McGregor as the aged Danny Torrance, and newcomer Kyliegh Curran as Abra Stone, a young girl who may be the most powerfully gifted character in its cinematic universe. McGregor captures the tormented, traumatised, and violently struggling alcoholic of the novel, while Curran emits an aura of pure, devastating power in every scene – never making the character feel overpowered, but fully realised in her morally grey acceptance of the world she inhabits.

Rebecca Ferguson, Zahn McClarnon, and Emily Alyn Lind all bring their own flair to their roles as members of the True Knot, a cult of vampiric psychics who ruthlessly torture and consume psychics to enhance their powers and prolong their existence, while supporting performances by Cliff Curtis, Carl Lumbly, and Bruce Greenwood all add a familiar and well-fitting flavour of Stephen King authenticity to the flow of the film’s grounded narrative.

Alex Essoe and Henry Thomas offer a distorted refraction of Shelley Duvall and Jack Nicholson in their portrayal of Wendy Torrance and The Bartender/Jack Torrance, while The Overlook Hotel is every bit as spookily authentic as it was nearly 40 years ago. Together, this feels like a living, breathing ensemble tribute to the much-loved and stunningly horrifying 1980 film, while simultaneously introducing vital themes that were previously absent – namely, alcoholism and parental abuse and its resulting trauma within children.

These are present in The Shining, but take a backseat to the gloriously vibrant set design and the polar representatives of frail weakness and relentless rage in Wendy and Jack Torrance, while Doctor Sleep dives headfirst into addressing these without batting an eyelid. The final 45 minutes of the film are stunningly violent, emotionally tormenting, and satisfying in its conclusion of multiple character arcs.

Ultimately, Doctor Sleep is largely what you’ll expect it to be, and everything you didn’t know you wanted it to depict – a brilliant example of modern horror cinema that doesn’t fool itself into pretending to be something it’s not, and in doing so delivers 180 minutes of playfully grim dread that truly shines on its own.

~Oxford Lamoureaux

Oxford Lamoureaux
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