Making a sequel to a classic film almost 40 years after the release of the original is a difficult task. “Doctor Sleep” is no exception, as the film had to provide a follow up to Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining,” a supernatural classic. 

Director Mike Flanagan was up to the task of adapting another Stephen King novel as he also directed “Gerald’s Game” on Netflix. Anchored by fantastic pacing, strong performances from Ewan McGregor and Rebecca Ferguson and solid filmmaking, “Doctor Sleep” overcomes its flaws to provide a fascinating watch that complements its predecessor.  

“Doctor Sleep” centers around the life of Danny Torrance (McGregor), who has fallen into the same pitfalls that his father did at the Overlook Hotel. He’s able to overcome his alcoholism and depression by working at a hospital overnight in a small town. Torrance’s life is changed again by a young girl named Abra Stone, who has extremely strong supernatural abilities. Her powers shine far brighter than his.   

Abra’s powers gain the attention of Rose the Hat (Ferguson) and the True Knot, a cult that feeds off the those who shine. After seeing Abra’s potential, Torrance decides to come out of hiding and shine again while addressing his troubled past in the process.  

This may sound like a densely-packed plot for a film that is two-and-a-half hours long, but Flanagan crafts a well-paced film. “Doctor Sleep” flows different story arcs well for the most part and always leaves each scene as long as necessary. Thanks to a strong score by the Newton Brothers that mixes itself well with the original score, it creates tension with each scene, not quite as well as “The Shining,” but still pretty great.  

McGregor and Ferguson also carry their scenes. Torrance’s life following the events at the Overlook are fascinating to watch, and his arc is elevated by McGregor’s down-to-earth performance, with a willingness to get unhinged when necessary. On top of that, Ferguson is thrilling to watch as the leader of her cult. Her energy and mysticism elevate every moment that she’s on screen.  

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Unfortunately, “Doctor Sleep” is weakened by Abra’s storyline. Aside from her powers, Abra does not have much personality or connection with the other characters she’s with on screen.  

The relationship with her family is mostly rushed and she’s not given enough time to develop a relationship with them. Kyliegh Curran, who plays Abra, works well enough with McGregor but that does not make up for her being an underdeveloped character.  

Abra is not the only underdeveloped character in the film. Aside from Ferguson, the rest of the True Knots are completely disposable. Also, Torrance’s best friend, Billy, is a generic good “friend” character. Additionally, it’s ridiculous that the True Knots, a group of people great at finding people who shine, have been unable to find Torrance for this long.  

Despite these flaws, “Doctor Sleep” is still fascinating for its ties with the original film. In terms of cinematography and music, Flanagan is paying homage to many famous moments from the original film, while even reshooting several scenes perfectly.   

This comes naturally, given that it is a sequel, but “Doctor Sleep” never feels like a complete retread. This is a different story, focusing on how Danny Torrance moves on from such a troubling childhood and comes to grips with his abilities.  

It’s an inconsistent film, but one with a fantastic message about people using their gifts and stepping up in the face of adversity. Torrance’s arc, and the filmmaking as a whole make “Doctor Sleep” a worthwhile watch for fans of Kubrick, King and film lovers in general.  

Published on November 11, 2019 at 11:20 pm

Contact Patrick: pagunn@syr.edu