‘Doctor Sleep’ Shines, Despite Its Flaws

29 years ago, a menacing theme droned in the background as the POV of some unknown “force” swept its way across a sprawling lake into the mountains of Colorado, setting its sights on a small, yellow Volkswagen Beetle, the occupants of which were heading towards certain doom. And with that scene, thousands of audience members in the ‘80s were introduced to Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining,” which quickly cemented its reputation as one of the best films the horror genre has to offer. Now, in 2019, writer-director Mike Flanagan has stepped in to take his shot at “Doctor Sleep,” Stephen King’s sequel to “The Shining.” With an impressive résumé of past projects behind him (“Oculus,” “Ouija: Origin of Evil,” and “The Haunting of Hill House”), hopes were high that Flanagan would be able to do “Doctor Sleep” justice. And he does not disappoint. Though the film suffers from a hefty length, some failings, and a heavy reliance on Kubrick’s original film, “Doctor Sleep” is a worthy addition to the King filmic canon and it succeeds in repairing many of the mistakes made by its predecessor.

Decades after surviving an attack by his crazed father at the Overlook Hotel, Dan Torrance (Ewan McGregor) is haunted by the literal and metaphorical ghosts of his childhood. Struggling to subvert the violent, alcoholic nature that he has acquired from his father, Dan settles down in a small New Hampshire town while simultaneously burying his “magic” abilities which he has long called “the shining.” Yet his life is thrown back into chaos when he meets Abra Stone (Kyliegh Curran), a teenager with extraordinarily powerful “shine” abilities, and learns of the True Knot, a cult of quasi-immortal beings who feed on Steam, a life-giving energy produced by torturing those who can “shine.” When the True Knot sets its sights on Abra, Dan must face his childhood ghosts to protect Abra from the evil that is coming her way.

Yes, that sounds absolutely ridiculous. However, the film takes itself very seriously and somehow manages to make this outlandish plot work surprisingly well. The True Knot is a terrifying force to be reckoned with, and the film makes it very clear how dangerous the members can be. While the prospect of harvesting Steam sounds silly in a quick summary, it is no laughing matter on the screen, and Flanagan makes that abundantly clear with one of the most disturbing scenes put to film in many years. The disturbing villains hold the plot together and create an atmosphere that oozes with suspense. Somehow, the stellar writing and acting make the ludicrous and scattered plot believable and engrossing.

On that same note, the narrative is bolstered by strong performances. McGregor does a great job shedding light on Dan Torrance’s demons and turning him into a believably flawed hero. The subtleties in his acting, from the kindness of a smile to the horror of a loss, are what make his portrayal so gripping. Rebecca Ferguson, who plays Rose the Hat, the leader of the True Knot, along with the actors who play the cult members, do a remarkable job of showcasing the terror that these characters inspire. Even those characters with little screen time give incredible performances. Alex Essoe plays Shelley Duvall playing Wendy Torrance, and gets everything right, down to the cadence of her voice. Jacob Tremblay, who plays Bradley Trevor, is only in the film for a short time, but his performance resonates with the viewer long after the credits roll.

“Doctor Sleep” also goes to great lengths to succeed where its predecessor failed. Though “The Shining” has secured its spot as a key staple of the horror genre, there are those (including Stephen King himself) who have been especially critical of the liberties taken on the original work. Additionally, Kubrick’s misogynistic attitudes towards actresses he has worked with, especially Shelley Duvall, have been condemned. “Doctor Sleep” manages to subvert and rectify many of these missteps. “Doctor Sleep” is, at its core, a film built on strong female characters and their performances. Though Dan Torrance can be considered the primary protagonist, it is the showdown between Abra Stone and Rose the Hat that takes center stage throughout most of the film. Furthermore, as “Doctor Sleep” is a direct sequel to “The Shining,” Flanagan is forced to accept and build on the narrative decisions made by Kubrick. That being said, “Doctor Sleep” adheres much more closely to King’s source material and rectifies the deviations in the original work wherever it can. Fans of the books will likely be happy with Flanagan’s creative direction and ultimate loyalty to King’s work.

However, while the film succeeds in differentiating itself from “The Shining,” it is hindered by its repetitive use of callbacks to Kubrick’s film. While some of these callbacks are used to great effect and should make fans happy, others are overused to the point of exhaustion. The first time the bathtub woman from Room 237 appeared was a horrifying and welcome surprise. The fifth time, not so much. Additionally, a lot of moments in the final act of the film play out more like fan tribute scenes than productive narrative development — they detract from the brilliance that came before.

Additionally, the movie drags on for too long. Once the conflict begins to develop and the wheels start turning, the movie moves along at a fairly brisk pace that does a good job of maintaining tension. However, it takes a while for the narrative to gain that momentum, and the beginning drags. Some scenes in the middle could also have used some trimming. There is a particularly lengthy segment that, ultimately, retreads topics that the film has already adequately covered and does not have nearly enough of an effect on the plot to warrant the time allocated to it.

Perhaps most critically, despite Flanagan’s strong writing and mesmerizing character performances, there are times where the façade comes down and it becomes readily apparent just how ridiculous parts of the narrative are. Though these moments are few and are often quickly remedied, they provide just enough of a peek behind the curtain for the suspension of belief to falter and for one to say, “Okay, that’s a bit of a stretch.”

Overall, there can be no denying that Flanagan has created a worthy successor to “The Shining.” Though the film suffers from a fair amount of overreliance on Kubrick’s film and several other notable pitfalls, it is another worthy entry in the library of Stephen King films.

—Staff writer Scotty Courvoisier can be reached at clifford.courvoisier@thecrimson.com.