Doctor Sleep (2019) User Reviews

Surprisingly, better than expected.

[Her-Excellency · 8/10 · 4 November 2019]

The ever-beautiful Rebecca Ferguson and a favorite from the Fargo series, Zahn McClarnon team up to bring us some somewhat scary, but more so eerie/creepy moments in this adaptation of King's Doctor Sleep. For the most part, and with the help of Ewan McGregor who plays an alcoholic, grown-up version of The Shining's Danny Torrence, they pull it off.

While Doctor Sleep is a rather drawn-out and, mostly, slowish-moving film, it still has enough to it, to not lose one's attention. The story-line is solid and engaging, although those unfamiliar with the book and looking for outright horror and gore, will find little satisfaction. There are a couple of scenes which can be construed as "horrific", but in my opinion, Doctor Sleep is not really a "horror flick" by definition. To me, it is more like an intense drama about good vs evil, with a couple of well-done 'end-of-life' scenes thrown in. :)

What I most enjoyed about it, is that in this day and age where practically every story ever has already been made into a movie, this one's plot was just a bit off the beaten path and came across as slightly new and original in its approach, while still pretty seamlessly tying it in to the well-known classic: The Shining.

If I had to add one con, it would be a somewhat minor one, in that, at times, the girl who plays Abra (Kyliegh Curran), who also possesses 'the shining', and who can communicate with Danny, delivers her lines in almost a stone-like manner, and at other times as if she is rapidly reading. It occurred one too many times, and I found that it took me out of the movie for just a bit.

While good, the scenes leading up to the ending are a bit predictable, and the 'showdown' (remember, good vs. evil) leaves a little to be desired. For the most part, however, I can live with it, seeing as Rebecca Ferguson saves it by just being in it, and King and the creators do their best to come full circle. In short, like the entire film itself, it is satisfying-enough to where one can feel as if watching it, was time well spent.

Excellent if you have the right expectations

[slseed1969 · 8/10 · 11 November 2019]

If you are going into this film expecting it to be a straight up sequel to the Kubrick film with the same horror tone, you'll be disappointed, however if you have an open mind, this movie is very well directed and acted and the story is very compelling. This is more of a fantasy thriller than a horror film and I really like that about this film. It also does quite a bit of homage to the 1980 film, but takes it into a new and interesting direction with a deep underlying theme direct from Steven King.

One of the better film adaptations of a King novel

[daemon-21664 · 8/10 · 12 November 2019]

This is easily one of the better film adaptations of a Stephen King novel, and also one of the better films I've seen this year. Yet again, professional film critics have proven they mostly have no idea about the cinema of the fantastic (fantasy, SF, and horror). If you're a fan of the genre, you'll love this film - ignore the critics.

A remarkably good film.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 9/10 · 18 October 2020]

Great job Mike Flanagan.

I don't know what's going on with movies lately, I have high expectations and films suck, or in this case, my expectations were fairly low, and I was blown away.

What a truly worthy follow up to The Shining this was. Almost forty years on, it captures the tone, spirit and vibe of that great film.

You'd think at over two and a half hours it would be overlong, it isn't,that running time allows the complex story to be told, and for the characters to be fully developed.

Young Kyleigh Curran is remarkably good, and in great company with Ewan McGregor and Rebecca Ferguson, very well acted.

A great start, with that amazing music, and those glorious panoramic shots. It takes time before you arrive at that destination, the one we all waited for. The recreation is remarkable.

All those involved, take a bow, this was outstanding, 9/10.

Perfect Balance

[johnnyutah31 · 9/10 · 31 October 2019]

Finally got to see my most anticipated film of the year and I'm happy to tell you it's everything I wished for and more. Flanagan has done an amazing job adapting the book from Stephen King and giving lovers of the Kubrick film adaptation of "The Shining" (1980) a cinematic sequel. Now i read the book and while I enjoyed it for the most part, I found parts of it underwhelming. I feel in this film adaptation, Flanagan takes elements from the novel and manages to make them more darker and serious which in turn really helped address some issues I had with the book. He does make some serious changes though and while I embraced them I'm not sure how others who read the book will feel about them. "The Shining" (1980) to me and I'm sure a lot of you, is a masterpiece in filmmaking. I for one prefer it over the novel and with this film, it most certainly feels like a sequel to Stanley Kubrick's version and a love letter to that film. The last 30 mins or so are absolutely amazing and kudos to Flanagan for pulling it off. Ewan McGregor does a great job as an adult Danny Torrance and Rebecca Ferguson captivates as Rose the Hat. The film sets a great tone with some stunning visuals and the score completely grabs you. How much you enjoy this film really depends on what you want out of it. There's practically no gore here and no cheap jump scares. What you'll get though is expert filmmaking from someone who you can tell really loves the source material he's pulling it all in from. Everything struck a balance for me that I was tremendously pleased with, top horror film of the year.

should be mini-series

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 20 February 2020]

Rose The Hat (Rebecca Ferguson) leads a group with monstrous appetite for young children. They eat the shine from the few special children. One of those is Dan Torrance (Ewan McGregor) who survived the Overlook Hotel with his mother. He grows up hiding his Shining. Rose recruits Snakebite Andi (Emily Alyn Lind) as the new pusher. Abra Stone (Kyliegh Curran) is a young girl with the Shining.

I watched the director's cut which is three hours long. Even the shorter version is two and a half hours. It's rather long for a modern theatrical movie. This is really a Netflix mini-series. Otherwise, there are generally two major issues. The first is that the start stumbles a little. Wendy should be besides herself. Young Danny supposedly relieved her of her crazy anxiety due to the events and the movie needs to make a big show of it. Also the little girl needs to have the horrifying murder like Jacob Tremblay. A movie needs to jump off with both feet. A good start is Pennywise in the sewer eating a child. This movie's start should punch you in the face. The second is that Abra is too powerful. The only true threat comes from Crow. The Winnebago gang is inferior and it never feels that dangerous. Also why didn't Dan bring guns to the Overlook? They are not immune to bullets. It seems like a more effective weapon than an axe. Sure the axe has meaning but it is still an axe.

There are some very compelling aspects in this movie. It's interesting to have this movie's versions of the old movie. McGregor is great and the girl is great. Rebecca Ferguson is very interesting as a villain. Again, the tension would be heightened if she's more powerful than the girl. Overall, it's an intriguing companion piece to the classic.

Surprisingly a neat little companion piece to the classic! That doesn't just rely on nostalgia to tell their story

[paulijcalderon · 8/10 · 1 November 2019]

What a surprise... That wasn't so bad actually! Now, hear me out. When I first saw the previews for this I felt disappointed by the visual look of the film, as it was all too green-tinted and lacked the Kubrick-esque framing I want from a film like this (it being a sequel to "The Shining" after all). Remember, I care too much about the visual aesthetics of these things sometimes. Especially when it was clearly supposed to connect right to the iconic classic. The green tint stays throughout the film, much to my displeasure. Worked great in "Joker" though. But once I got what the story was and paid attention I realized I was getting invested. This is a different type of film while still remembering to pay huge amounts of respect to the legacy of the original. Once you do get to the elements that carry over from Kubrick's film it felt well earned. Interestingly enough they kind of blend well together too eventually. We delve into the supernatural aspects of what Stephen King was going after in his book, and that's completely fine. I don't mind a chilling spookie once in a while. Recently I've felt done with most of the modern day horror film tropes, so it's such a shock for me to say that I had a good time with "Doctor Sleep".

The progression of where Danny Torrance's character goes to is a natural right step. They go for the 'father like son' kind of thing, and I was completely onboard with it. The ghost of Jack Nicholson's presence looms strongly over the story too, with Danny fearing not to follow his father's footsteps. The new story elements were able to grab my attention as well. Again, as soon as it clicked what type of plot/movie this was, then it worked. It's its own thing, and that's great. No "Shining" remake - except for some re-created imagery (handled with nice respect) - But most importantly: The story and characters moved forwards. Loved what they did with the character Rose the Hat. What a sinister yet oddly charming antagonist portrayed hypnotically by Rebecca Ferguson. Hope she gets the deserved credit. Ewan McGregor will always be Obi-Wan to me, but he was a fantastic choice to play Danny. He can convincingly make me believe that he's got the 'shine'. It surprises me how positive I feel about the movie! It's a neat little companion piece to the classic. Again, big props for them to go for their own thing. This is no "Force Awakens", if you know what I mean. You'll walk though memory lane here for sure. The difference is that it doesn't rely on the nostalgia to tell their story. It actually stands on its own. I'll say that if you're a big fan of the original, then it's worth taking a looksie

Flanagan gets King right

[gogoschka-1 · 15 June 2020]

As far as Stephen King adaptations go, Mike Flanagan's DOCTOR SLEEP undoubtedly has to count among the small - but distinct - group of excellent ones. For a director to achieve this is a rare feat - as any Stephen King fan can sadly attest to after dozens of mediocre to downright terrible adaptations over the last four decades - and what's even more impressive is that it marks the second time Flanagan managed to pull this off, since he already knocked it out of the park with his Netflix adaptation of King's previously considered to be unfilmable novel GERALD'S GAME.

Now the reason why those two films work so well is actually quite simple: like Frank Darabont and Rob Reiner before him, Flanagan gets that the most intriguing aspect of King's stories is not the horror. He's the rare director adapting a story by the writer who gets that it's not the supernatural, not the gory thrills or creeping chills that make those books so immersive and so well loved (though of course those are elements that we King fans also greatly enjoy): it's the meticulous worldbuilding and the deeply human characters.

King's novels - and Dr. Sleep is no exception - are so immersive because they're usually less about the horror itself and much more about the journeys he sets his characters on in confronting that horror, the world they inhabit and the people they meet along the way - and the strong bonds and friendships they forge. So in order for the adaptations to work on screen, it's crucial to retain the warmth and the humanity the writer infuses his protagonists with. The director's cut of DOCTOR SLEEP (which is the only cut I've seen), perfectly captures that aspect of King's writing. It has that special "King tone" - for lack of a better word - which so rarely survives the Hollywood treatment of his works.

My only - minor - gripe is that Flanagan focused his considerable talent on what I consider to be a somewhat mediocre book. If latter-day King is what he had to choose from, I wish he had picked BAG OF BONES or DUMA KEY instead, as his storytelling instincts would have been perfectly suited for both of those (admittedly also flawed) novels. There's some great stuff in there that could make for fantastic, haunting, beautifully Gothic genre films if a writer/director with Flanagan's old-school approach to storytelling and deeply humanist sensibilities were to tackle it.

But never mind my nitpicking; DOCTOR SLEEP is a treat for King fans as well as genre fans in general, and it's a shame it wasn't a bigger success at the box office. The movie is beautifully photographed, the cast - especially Rebecca Ferguson, Kyliegh Curran and Zahn McClarnon - are wonderful, and the deliberate pacing works perfectly for the story. So let's give it up for Mike Flanagan (who's apparently already busy adapting King's Lovecraftian novel REVIVAL); in the absence of Rob Reiner and Frank Darabont, he's perhaps the greatest hope for us King fans.

3 hours long...

[Sf123 · 7/10 · 22 February 2020]

It deserves a good rating because besides its slightly average story(imo), they still managed to make me watch the full 3 hours in one sitting without feeling bored for a minute and enjoying it. Good camera work too.

Fantastic Doctor Sleep

[ymyuseda · 10/10 · 7 November 2019]

Rating 10/10 Clue from dreams. Finally i watched a good movie after almost 2 months. I went in to see this movie, mind you i had not read any reviews much less have seen any trailers. I was shocked by how good the movie was.This movie is really amazing. Great cinematograpy, great acting performance with great cgi effects. Thanks Mike Flanagan & Stephen King for making this kind of movie. I strongly suggest you guys to go watch it on the biggest screen you can get. I am sure that you wont regret what you pay for. I really liked it. Shine on Abra Stone !! Shine on !!

Doctor Sleep may not diagnose you to the land of nod, but tediously drains your shining spirit.

[TheMovieDiorama · 6/10 · 1 November 2019]

Director Mike Flanagan had an unfathomable task. To both adapt a Stephen King novel, which is no easy achievement considering his uniquely descriptive writing style, and provide a sequel to what many describe as "the greatest horror film of all-time". Quenching the thirst of King's avid readers and cinephiles alike. So even without divulging my own opinion on Doctor Sleep, applause must be given for just producing this feature. That, unfortunately for Flanagan, doesn't result in myself excusing specific inexcusable filmmaking tendencies that taint, not just Doctor Sleep, but various decaying intellectual properties that have been unnecessarily drudged up again.

An alcoholic scarred Dan Torrance, having endured the irrevocable dangers of the Overlook Hotel ('The Shining'), has his peace shattered when he encounters a young extrasensory girl whom is being hunted down by shine-draining monsters.

First and foremost, I have not read the novel, although this should not come as a surprise. I have however, watched 'The Shining' multiple times. Now, what promotes the aforementioned horror as the best of its kind, is legendary Stanley Kubrick using the essence of King's novel and essentially making his own iteration of it. One that the renowned supernatural writer still, to this day, has mixed emotions for. So for Flanagan to introduce some faithful interpretations of Doctor Sleep, whilst maintaining the cinematic endeavour that Kubrick meticulously crafted, is as I said, unfathomable. And there's a perfectly valid reason for that. The overtly supernatural strands of the novels do not complement the genesis of terror from Kubrick's film. Which is why, with great regret, I have to report that Doctor Sleep does not work. It doesn't.

A beastly behemoth that, whilst does stand on its own two legs, relies on heavy-handed storytelling techniques and nostalgia to tackle both mediums that inspired it. In tonality, they are irrefutably different from each other. But before the disappointing third act is tackled, let's address some positives first.

Doctor Sleep is a shining example of depicting childhood trauma and how fragmented coping mechanisms are embedded throughout adulthood. Young Danny imaginatively designs mental traps so that he can hold the starving ghosts from the Overlook in captivity. Yet that wilful mentality does not prevent him from suffering with alcoholism, substance abuse and an insalubrious lifestyle that masquerades the trauma instead of curing it. Thematically, this is powerful, and grants the narrative a solid cohesion throughout. For the first two hours, you subconsciously warm to Danny due to the tormenting fears he has established throughout the two films. He's a pillar of "the shining". McGregor consistently captivated by depicting a fragile mentality through a physically demanding performance, maintaining the entranced demeanour of his younger character.

The first hour, that heavily explained "the shining" and the intentions of the merciless antagonists The True Knot, experienced inconsistent tones due to the mass sprawl of locational change. One minute we're in a sleepy town, the next a woodland area, and then all of a sudden eight years have been and gone. The zippy nature of the editing and bloated exposition resulted in atmospheric terror being abolished. The tension was non-existent, and the imitation of Kubrick's directing style paled in comparison.

Then, the second hour commenced, which is by far one of the strongest acts the year has yet to offer. Flanagan retained a surprisingly dark tone that, was so shocking, forced audience members to leave the auditorium. The mind-space of Abra, a precocious teenager who has "shine", produced a transcendental imaginative battle against Rose the Hat, leader of The True Knot. Ferguson, who portrayed the primary antagonist, was sensational. Equalling the likes of Pennywise as one of the most enthralling King villains ever depicted. Sinister, unrelenting and bordering on near-lunacy. Controlling every scene from just her eyes alone, she enhanced the palpable tension. She made the second act. In fact, she made the film. The interjecting gore and darkness throughout the middling act abruptly astonished me, and settled for a direction that I thought would control the underwhelming first act.

The third act then arrives, and the entire story crumbles much like the Overlook itself. Plagued by an overshadowing sickness that 'The Shining' had produced. Nostalgia. Remember that time where Jack viciously chopped the bedroom door down with an axe? Or that moment where blood came hurtling through the hallways in slow motion? What about Room 237? The introductory swooping camera movement that Kubrick embraced whilst the Torrance's drove to the hotel? The typewriter? Slowly walking up the stairs in a confrontational manner? The snow-covered hedge maze? The twins? No? You don't remember? Flanagan has got you covered. Nostalgia is a powerful tool, yet it must be handled with delicacy. The difference between imitating and homaging is very fine, and unfortunately Flanagan settled for the former.

So much of 'The Shining' is replicated in the third act, scene for scene, that it was a near-identical copy without the textual substance that accompanied them originally. The re-casting of the original actors, despite Essoe bettering Duvall's performance (although not difficult), felt unnecessary. Almost tarnishing 'The Shining' in itself. Danny walking through the dilapidated hallways for ten minutes whilst Flanagan incorporates identical sequences, had no purpose other than to forcefully remind you that this is the sequel. Literarily, it never progresses Danny's character or the plot. Rose the Hat staring at the blood-spewing elevators? Pointless. Danny staring at an axe encased in glass? A suitable nod to its predecessor. Do you see the difference? Between imitation and homage? The third act was littered with falsified copies, preying on the nostalgia of fans. It's uninspired. It's mundane. And it made me a dull boy.

Creatively, Doctor Sleep managed to infuse the very best of its adapted novel and preceding feature, but embellished the very worst techniques when conveying the plot. Psychologically stimulating without installing dread. Extrasensory without testing the senses. Dimly shining amongst King's supernatural adaptations.

Different Experience Than The Shining, But Still Worth Watching

[jeffreyoliverrock · 8/10 · 11 November 2019]

While I don't consider it a masterpiece, I did enjoy the classic Kubrick rendition of The Shining, and I understand why it has the fan base it does. Seeing the trailer for Doctor Sleep and discovering Ewan McGregor was playing an adult Danny Torrance, I thought the concept might be interesting.

Everyone acts fantastic in this film. I thought Ewan McGregor built a very nice character. If I had imagined how Danny might have turned out after the first film ended, I don't think I would have predicted it much different. There are a few intense moments with the villains (Primarily Rose the Hat and Snakebite Andi) that made me absolutely hate them (which is a good thing). I think the things they do in the film would make anyone want them to see a terrible fate.

I found myself smiling at the call-backs to the classic movie, and when Danny returns to the Overlook Hotel. It's been a while since I've said to myself "Oh wow, there it is" that many times at a film. I will say there are a couple scenes at the Overlook that feel like they were written in to make the fan base happy rather than be part of the story, but nothing that drags on too long.

As far as it being a scary film, you may jump a few times, and some scenes are a little disturbing, but by Stephen King standards, it's more of a suspense film.

An advantage I'll give this film over The Shining is that even though the film is two and a half hours, it doesn't get boring. Not that The Shining was boring, but it is a very slow film. Stanley Kubrick loved to throw in very long shots in his films, and while I personally think they worked sometimes, other times they were excessive, and in The Shining, they were excessive to me.

I think this film is at least worth a watch whether you're a fan of the Kubrick film or not, because it's sort of it's own film in a way. It shows enough of the classic film to have a connection, but also has a story different enough and good enough to hold it's own.

It Is not a Horror Film

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 31 January 2020]

Danny Torrance (from "The Shining") is a grownup alcoholic adult (Ewan McGregor) that has fought his demons along his life and used his abilities to lock them up in boxes in his brain. He joins an AA group, moves to another town and befriends Billy Freeman (Cliff Curtis). Meanwhile a dangerous group of predator creatures led by Rose The Hat (Rebecca Ferguson) hunt down people that "shine" like Danny to feed with their steam and remain immortal. When Dan knows the powerful girl Abra Stone (Kyliegh Curran), he decides to protect her from the predators.

"Doctor Sleep" is a dramatic fantasy film that uses the adult life of Danny Torrance from Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece "The Shining" in a full of action story that slightly recalls "Near Dark". Rebecca Ferguson and her costumes with the hat is gorgeous and stylish. If the viewer expects a sequel of "The Shining" of even a horror movie, he or she will be disappointed. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Doutor Sono" ("Doctor Sleep")

The Shining turned into a shadow

[kikepachecoflores · 1/10 · 8 August 2021]

The great Kubrick's movie didn't deserve such a poor sequel.

So long, so boring and hollow story that made me remind allí those stupid vampires and college horror movies.

Such a dissapointment, i really mean it.

Shining (a light)

[kosmasp · 8/10 · 29 March 2020]

Now if you were not aware of the Original (don't be condescending if possible, not everyone can know all the movies), this is a good reason to (re)visit it - no pun intended! It will stay with you once seen and it will set the field for this sequel, which some might feel comes way too late, but than again, when should it have come out? The timing is quite good I'd say.

I'd also say that the movie is quite good. I know some will disagree and will not like this at all for various reasons. Try not to expect a copy of the Shining. This is paying tribute, by also being differently when it comes to certain scares, to the story and more.

I have not read the source material this is based on, but it does a good job for those who've seen the Shining and treads the story with enough respect. There are holes in the story and flaws in the telling - but overall this is entertaining and scary enough to be more than just a decent viewing

Enjoyed it a little more than I thought

[jenisedong · 8/10 · 10 November 2019]

I didn't have a ton of expectations going into this movie but I thoroughly enjoyed The Shining (like much of the human population) so I was expecting a good continuation of the original story line. Overall I think Mike Flanagan was able to deliver. The way the movie was filmed and edited really exemplified a typical horror movie. Doctor sleep includes a constant mist in the settings, there are a lot of dramatic slow panoramic shots, and the music is eerie and impactful. The acting is pretty decent but in my opinion Rebecca Ferguson absolutely shined as Rose the Hat. Ferguson put in so much emotion into her character and her expressions throughout the movie were just so unsettling, it was pure perfection. I didn't find Doctor Sleep to be very scary I might classify it as more thriller, there were a few jump scares and a few shots disgusted me but nothing really shook me to my core, which is fine. Overall as an avid fan of horror movies and King I enjoyed this movie a lot and might even say it's one of the best horror movies of the year.

Entertaining and Satisfying Sequel

[Jared_Andrews · 7/10 · 23 November 2019]

"Doctor Sleep" is the decades-later sequel to the horror classic, "The Shining," set primarily many years after the events at the Outlook Hotel that left young Danny Torrance scarred. Danny (Ewan McGregor) is now an alcoholic adult who battles with inner demons who manifest because of his "shine." He also faces real-world demons of sort in the form of vampire-like creatures who steal the souls of children who shine. Dan and a particularly powerful young girl cross paths and team up to battle a group of the creatures, who call themselves the True Knot.

In the film's best moments, it really shines (sorry). Mike Flanagan (who has steadily been building his reputation as the most reliable working horror director) performs a challenging dance of honoring both Stanley Kubrick's film and Stephen King's novel sequel. This task becomes all the more difficult when we realize that the follow-up novel paid no mind to the changes between the first book and movie. Certain characters are in different places and key landmarks, like the hotel, faced different fates. Fortunately, Flanagan pulls it off.

At times we can also sense a struggle between calling back to the original and pushing forward with a new vision. Fortunately, Flanagan pulls that off too.

One scene in particular that displays Flanagan skill and vision features True Knot leader, Rose the Hat (Rebecca Ferguson), leaving her body and floating across the country in search of the powerful young girl. I would've enjoyed seeing more moments like this and fewer obvious homages to the original movie. There's plenty to this story to more than stand on its own. The film would have benefitted from further breaking away from "The Shining."

Blood and violence are kept relatively tame aside from one brutally unsettling scene that gives a sense of how vicious and unfeeling the True Knot group members truly are. Ferguson owns this scene, displaying equal parts menace and alluring charisma. Her performance is the best in the film, with respect to McGregor, who does fine work as well.

Ultimately, the film works well thanks to the strong performances and skill of Flanagan, remaining entertaining throughout the lengthy 152-minute runtime.

If you get it you'll agree...

[Canberra07 · 10/10 · 31 October 2019]

...mike Flanagan GETS IT. He feels it. Few people can translate this well from an original tale within a tale within a tale. YOU certainly can't! If your heart doesn't beat to the soundtrack, and you don't feel those happy goosebumps several times during the film, then, history is lost on you. After seeing this movie, you may have an awakening of sorts... and see the world's periphery in a new light...with details you may not have noticed before. At least that's what I hope for every person who gets a chance to enjoy this truly unique and amazing cinematic experience!

Anti Climatic and Nostalgia Driven.

[Raxing · 6/10 · 19 May 2022]

The movie was enjoyable in some ways, but watching it is kind of like watching fan fiction. The movie relies too heavily on nostalgia from the original movie, The Shining, and does not focus enough on making the movie compelling on its own. The movie lacks suspense because they decided to make the girl, Abra, so powerful that I never believed the antagonists were true threats. Watching her take on the villains was like watching Macaulay Culkin take on the burglars in Home Alone. She handles them too easily with a smile on her face and she never seems to be in distress. To make matters worse, the villains are supposed to be quasi immortal people who have lived for centuries, but they get taken out so easily that it is hard to believe they could have survived this long. The movie is long yet somehow the writers failed to give most of them a character arc that helps us understand why they are part of the group instead of being eaten like their victims. Adding to that previous thought, this tribe seems to have difficulty handling even the slightest bit of resistance. How in hundreds of years did they not acquire some tricks for handling people who resist them and what is the point of having a tribe of people with psychic abilities if they can't handle two people with guns?

The movie at one point makes a funny remark about how Netflix may be the cause of less people gaining psychic ability. That of course makes no sense and is almost a joke on the movie itself. This movie is Netflix quality and the idea behind it is Netflix like. Netflix tends to carry movies and TV shows that are loosely based off of original movies. The quality of these unoriginal spin offs is about the same as Doctor Sleep.

The end of the movie is pretty lame tbh. It took about 20 minutes to reach the climax location and the ending was very predictable.

Doctor Sleep is a great film for fans of both King and Kubrick.

[rustonreviews · 8/10 · 9 November 2019]

Although considered a timeless horror classic by both critics and audiences alike, Stanley Kubrick's The Shining (1980) remains famously loathed by Stephen King to this day. Despite the authors widely recognised disappointment with Kubrick's interpretation of his novel, the film has stood the test of time as one of horror cinema's greatest achievements. In 2013, King released a follow-up novel, Doctor Sleep, which provides the basis for Flanagan's latest King adaptation (his second following 2017's Gerald's Game) starring McGregor as a middle-aged Danny Torrance, still haunted by the traumatic events that took place at the malevolent Overlook Hotel decades ago. While regularly attending AA meetings, Danny secures a job at a hospice where he comforts dying patients with a little help from his supernatural abilities, soon acquiring the title of Doctor Sleep as a result of his unorthodox methods. Meanwhile, a group of quasi-immortals operating under the moniker True Knot seek to drain the steam from within supernaturally gifted children who 'shine', just like Danny, in order to retain their youth.

Enter Mike Flanagan (Oculus (2011), The Haunting of Hill House (2018)) who was burdened with the insurmountable task of not only crafting an adaptation that King himself would be proud of, but also a sequel that would impress fans of Kubrick's acclaimed original. Flanagan, who stands as one of modern horror's most prominent writer/directors right now, strikes a perfect balance with Doctor Sleep. It is a film that establishes itself as a completely different beast to Kubrick's film, while also drawing just enough influence from what's come before to please die-hard fans of what Kubrick established with his own vision. Ewan McGregor is well cast as a damaged Danny Torrance, but it's Rebecca Ferguson's captivating performance as Rose the Hat, the enigmatic leader of the True Knot, that steals the show. Fuelled with malevolence, Ferguson's deranged antagonist serves as one of Doctor Sleep's most exciting performances, and she's an absolute joy to watch. Kyliegh Curran also turns in a solid performance as Abra, a gifted young girl who shares a telepathic connection with Danny.

As is often the case with Flanagan's work, jump scares are practically non-existent. Instead, Flanagan focuses on atmosphere and tension to elevate the sequences of terror. During a grueling sequence that displays the True Knot's ability to drain children of their shine, Flanagan chooses not to hold back from depicting a scenario that will undoubtedly unease the most hardened of viewers. Stylistically speaking, Flanagan often channels Kubrick's visionary flairs to replicate certain shots that pay homage to the original film. Although both films are totally different from one another, Doctor Sleep serves as a terrific companion piece to the 1980 classic that fans of both Kubrick and King can appreciate. It's certainly an exciting journey with instances of some amazing cinematography (a sequence involving Rose scouring the night sky is a particularly captivating, dream-like moment), and Flanagan's screenplay is brilliantly paced, completely engrossing, and never dull. Doctor Sleep stands as the best Stephen King adaptation to be released this year, and one of the better horror efforts, too. Simply put, Doctor Sleep truly shines.

Some Films Don't Need Sequels

[trailer_trashed89 · 6/10 · 2 November 2019]

If you go into this film expecting it to be anything like Stanley Kubrick's 1980s masterpiece of horror, you will leave disappointed. Let's just start there.

Little Danny Torrence is now a grown man, and still haunted by the things that happened to him at the Overlook Hotel when he was a kid (understandably). Most days he drinks his hours away to silence the voices in his head. On a whim he travels to a new town and wile there, gets his life together, and meets a young girl Abra, who 'Shines' just like he does. Against his will he ends up protecting her from a group of powerful psychics, lead by Rose the Hat, who hunt young children with psychic powers in order to feed on them to make themselves live forever. In order to keep Abra safe Danny is forced to return to the overlook hotel and face his ghosts, in ore ways than one.

Generally, this isn't a BAD film. It's entertaining enough. The problem is, it's following one of the most iconic horror movies ever made and it hard to forget that. There are a few great nods to the original, using both cinematography and sets and props to jog the memory of anyone who ever saw the original movie, so that's fun. But the plot is a little slow for me and lacked punch.

Sadly most of this film was just...meh. It lacked the nail biting atmosphere that 'The Shining' had in spades. It lacked a lot of fear of any kind really. The recurring visuals (The naked Lady in the Bathtub for example) that were meant to be scary, by the end just induced eye rolls form me and while the acts of Rebecca Ferguson and her group of cannibalistic psychics were horrific, they weren't really scary. After the amazing experience of watching 'The Shining' last week in the theatre, watching 'Doctor Sleep' was just disappointing. I expected more.

You do wait the whole film to see Danny return to the Overlook, and then when we finally get there, its anti-climactic and not really worth waiting for. Everything they do there to try and scare you has already bee done, you aren't shocked by anything you see. You can tell the director was trying to incorporate things from the first film, but his just comes off as a cheap imitation.

But hey, don't take my word for it. Go see for yourself and leave a comment below.

Was absolutely outstanding, up until the third act

[decarloj · 8/10 · 31 October 2019]

Major spoiler in here, you've been warned.

The first 3/4 of the movie were incredible. Excellent directing and excellent acting. It kept you completely engaged. Kyliegh Curran was the standout and you'll definitely be seeing more of her. They did a great job of making you absolutely hate The True Knot. They were some of the most evil, vile villains I've ever seen in a movie. One part in particular where they kidnap a young boy was very difficult to watch.

The movie falls a little flat in the third act when they arrive at the Overlook. It started to feel like one of those made-for-Youtube fan made sequels. I get that they had to reference the movie since more people are familiar with it than the novel, but they could've just done it with brief flashbacks. And the decision to not use cgi to bring back Jack was a bad one. It looked like Henry Thomas with a bad baldman cap.

But all in all it was a very enjoyable movie, much better than IT 2.

A Worthy Continuation

[TheDreadedChampion2019 · 7/10 · 31 October 2019]

Just got out of an early screening of "Doctor Sleep". I'll keep it short. This was a really solid movie, that finds an interesting way to continue the story and mythology of "The Shining" while still having its own identity. Rebecca Ferguson is absolutely wonderful as the villainess. This is her best performance since Mission: Impossible. Ewan McGregor isn't as off the wall, charismatic, or memorable as Jack Nicholson, but then again, this is a different character. He does a fine job. The girl was really good...its a slow burn but it pays off in the end. Poop

Turning the Shining into a modern-day superhero movie

[tiagokern17 · 4/10 · 23 November 2019]

Regardless of what Stephen King thinks about the Kubrick adaptation of The Shining, it is still fondly remembered by movie lovers everywhere. This new movie, however praised by King as being a worthy adaptation of his novel, manages to fail where Kubrick succeeded. It's more of a slightly serious take on a superhero movie than a horror movie.

There is absolutely nothing scary about this movie, not even the few jumpscares it tries to pull are successful, and worst of all: everything that seemed enigmatic or mysterious in Kubrick's The Shining is quickly explained away and dealt with.

In the end, it's a very in-your-face movie about learning to deal with your own fears, traumas and even issues inherited/caused by one's family, rather than a horror movie that will leave you puzzling over the meaning of things or human nature. Every single horror element is fully explained, every mystery is revealed, every (simple) analogy is spelled out for you. Nothing is left to the imagination. Even the very "Shining" from the first movie, an otherworldly awareness that very few people had, is turned into X-men mutant-superhero-like powers in this one. And, oh, the reason that some people have the Shining? TO FIGHT EVIL. The whole "with great power comes great responsibility" thing. Again. It's laughable. American culture is completely obsessed with the superhero narrative as of late, and it's seeping into what some deem to be psychological horror, yet it seems people are too dazzled by the state of things to notice and choose instead to just take it and perceive it as fine.

A great story well told. And a little bit of pandering to sit through.

[tjwb84 · 8/10 · 12 November 2019]

When I first read that Stephen King was writing a sequel to The Shining, my instincts said it was probably a bad idea. Happily, sometimes my instincts suck. I thoroughly enjoyed Doctor Sleep. The book had me hooked with excellent characters and a small-scale narrative that actually had little to do with the events in The Shining, and certainly didn't pander to the reader in the way Hollywood loves to do (see South Park's "Memberberries" for more on that). I admire the way in which King handled this difficult sequel.

I'm happy to say that I really enjoyed this movie as well, and highly recommend it. It is mostly true to the book, the acting is great, and the pandering is confined to the ending (the least impressive part, more on that later).

The characters seemed as true to the book as should be expected. In particular, I thought Rose, Abra, Crow Daddy, and Danny Torrance were all bloody fantastic. Rose is an interesting character, presented in great yet mysterious detail in the book, and not easy to bring to life. But for me Rebecca Ferguson was flawless. Ewan McGregor makes for an excellent, likable-but-flawed Danny Torrance, and in one particular shot, I thought he channeled Jack Nicholson's acting very effectively, a startling moment.

The movie contains some beautiful and haunting shots. Two highlights for me were Rose flying through the sky, looking for steam, and a certain shot of Grandpa Flick savoring the steam he's just consumed, looking like something out of Bloodborne. (The only thing I really missed was Rose's one-toothed face! Wish they had included that.) The Baseball Boy's torture scene was incredibly gruesome and hard to watch - but that, of course, is precisely its intended effect.

The score is effective, frequently using the 'heartbeat' effect from Kubrick's The Shining, which produces an instant atmosphere of tension. Now, in my opinion, Stanley Kubrick's The Shining is a masterpiece of art, and in my experience, no modern film comes close to the quality of its shots, audio, or filmcraft, including this one. But that doesn't mean that Doctor Sleep's cinematography and soundtrack aren't excellent in their own right.

There are some interesting differences and similarities among the two books and films. Doctor Sleep (the movie) omits some interesting aspects of the book, such as Danny's sponsor and the love affair between Rose and Snakebite Andy. But that probably makes sense in terms of the screenplay. More crucially, in the films' universe, The Overlook was never destroyed, thus giving the movie adaptation of Doctor Sleep the opportunity to.... Go back to the hotel.

This takes us to the ending, which is the film's weakest part (the same is probably also true for the book). Going back to the Overlook and touring its key locations did nothing for me, and at that point I began to feel the movie's considerable length.

But at that point I was already a satisfied customer. I got to see an excellent novel brought to life in an excellent way. Go check it out.