Doctor Sleep

GoMovieReviews Rating: ★★★★

Rated: MA15+

Directed by: Mike Flanagan

Based on the Novel Written by: Stephen King

Screenplay Written by: Mike Flanagan

Starring: Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, Kyliegh Curran, Cliff Curtis, Zahn McClarnon, Emily Alyn Lind, Selena Anduze, Robert Longstreet, Carel Struycken, Catherine Parker, James Flanagan, Met Clark, Zackary Momoh, Jocelin Donahue, Dakota Hickman.

Doctor Sleep is the sequel to Stephen King’s famous novel, The Shining (1977).

The film here, follows on from director Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 classic, never-to-be-forgotten interpretation featuring the axe-wielding Jack Torrance (Jack Nicolson) – ‘Here’s Johnny!’, opening in Florida, 1980, where Danny Torrance (Ewan McGregor) lives with his mother far away from any snow, far away from the Overlook Hotel.

But the Overlook Hotel hasn’t forgotten him or his Shining.

Using his magic tricks Danny manages to keep the monsters locked away.  But he can’t escape his own demons or the rage he inherited from his father.

Like the novel, addiction continues to plague Dan.  Except this time, we see his addiction and his journey to recovery.

Running away Dan can’t escape from himself but he finds compassion and through compassion he finds himself.

Looking for another bright light, Abra (Kyliegh Curran) finds a shining kindred spirit in Dan. She introduces herself, writing on a foggy mirror from afar: ‘Hell😊’

Following the detail of the novel we find Rose The Hat (Rebecca Ferguson) and her crew of empty devils who are the, True Knot who are also looking the next bright shining light.

This band of monsters are hunting those most pure.  Children.

‘Live long, stay young. Eat well,’ says Rose The Hat.

And Abra might be the most pure and brightest of all.

So there’s addiction, then redemption, compassion and all the grime of child-killing-devils contrasting to give the horror more kick.

But it’s not all black and white.

Screenwriter and director Mike Flanagan has captured the different layers of character that Stephen King writes so well (and why I’m such a fan), so Dan has his dirty deeds and the evil Rose The Hat is somehow likable in her loyalty to those in her inner circle.

And it’s a good story.  Shown well.

The soundtrack is restrained yet powerful as a heart beats steady, creating a suspense in the waiting that hangs when the beat stops so I could feel and hear my own heart, waiting for the next door to open, the next magic trick.

The stars wheel, gravity shifts, turning a room to slide into another place.

Yet the trickery isn’t over-done.

Flanagan has managed to get the detail of the novel without losing sight of the story.

I really enjoyed the book and have read it twice so I was hoping for a worthy adaptation.

And I’m happy to say Doctor Sleep the movie, delivers.