DON’T SLEEP ON ‘THE SHINING’ SEQUEL

I never would have thought that someone would make a sequel to the 1980 classic “The Shining,” but it happened, and it is better than I could ever expect.

Director Mike Flanagan had one of the toughest jobs with adapting this story to the screen: Not only did he have to adapt the “Doctor Sleep” novel written by Stephen King, but he had to create a sequel to the Stanley Kubrick-directed film, which King famously hated. 

This big conflict in production created one of the most memorable horror films of the past decade – an amazing story, great directing and acting, and, of course, fan service for people who love the previous novels and movie.

From the very start, Doctor Sleep recreates a couple of iconic scenes from the original and then picks up after the events of that movie. Danny Torrance, the little kid with psychic powers, or “the shine,” is our protagonist. The beginning fills in the gaps between the first movie and the direct plot of this one, then it flash-forwards, and we now follow an adult “Dan Torrance.”

Just like his dad, Dan is an alcoholic and suffers from the trauma of the first movie’s events. Ewan McGregor does an amazing job of portraying a man running from his past while being confronted with problems that make him chase it. His arc is one of the more satisfying parts of the entire film, and by the end you feel that he is the adult Danny that we deserve.  

Aside from all the throwbacks to The Shining, the main story of Doctor Sleep is compelling and constantly had me on the edge of my seat.

The child actress who plays Abra does an amazing job and even outperforms her adult peers in key moments of the story. The expansion on the lore of the shine was a little hard to understand if you didn’t read the King novels, since the 1980 movie lacked this exposition. But the ways in which Flanagan is able to portray these plot elements keeps the movie suspenseful, and even, scary.

Speaking of which, the horror in this movie is a lot more intense than the trailers suggest. There were some really hard-to-watch sequences that were original for a horror movie, and there some sequences that take similar visual cues from Kubrick’s direction.  

Doctor Sleep is a great film and an awesome viewing experience. This is a must-see for anyone who is a fan of King’s novels and especially for people who liked the Kubrick classic, although I think viewers who are unfamiliar with the first film are going to be a little lost since the story relies on the iconic imagery and music that made it historic.

Still, I truly believe that Flanagan, McGregor and the rest of the crew deserve all the credit for making this movie as good as it is. It’s a truly impressive feat.

4.5/5 stars