Review: Doctor Sleep

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I used to call it the shining...

About forty years after his run in at the Overlook Hotel Danny Torrance (Ewan McGregor) now goes by Dan and is a recovering alcoholic laying low in New Hampshire. He has telepathic conversations with another person like him, Abra.(Kyliegh Curran) When Abra witnesses Rose The Hat (Rebecca Ferguson) and her group of shine stealing cultists known as the True Knot murder a young boy (Jacob Tremblay) she begs Dan to help her. 

I'm not sure if many people would venture into Doctor Sleep without having seen The Shining, but just in case you haven't, you really need to have seen The Shining to make sense of this film. I've never read the book this is based off of myself, but with how much information is in this film, they must have done a decent job adapting it.

I really liked Ewan and Kyliegh in these roles. It's sad to see Dan grow up to be so troubled, but I'm glad we also got to see him getting his life back together. Abra was also a nice addition. I also really liked Zahn McClarnon, who plays Crow, one of Rose's fellow True Knot members. The cinematography is gorgeous and the film is very creepy. Especially when Tremblay's character comes in for his short scene. Holy shit does he make you uncomfortable. I had a legitimately hard time watching him.

My biggest complaint about this film is its length. You really feel the 2 and a half hour run time. I felt like it could've been edited down quite a bit. It gets especially annoying when we get to the final act and are taken on a Shining greatest hits journey. I just wish they had trimmed it down because it did not need to feel this long, but again, maybe if you've read the book, you will enjoy all the things they kept.

Overall, I think this is a fine sequel and a very well done horror thriller. Even though it's long, it's not unbearable.

Recommended: Yes

Grade: B-

Memorable Quote: "Alright, bitch child. Alright." - Rose The Hat (Rebecca Ferguson)

Comments

  1. AnonymousNovember 18, 2019 at 11:52 AM

    I love The Shining and I do want to see this film since I like Ewan McGregor. Do they mention what happened to his mom? Does he revisit the hotel? I am thinking yes but could be wrong

    ReplyDelete
  2. thevoid99November 18, 2019 at 3:22 PM

    I'll wait for it on TV though my only interest is that it's sort of based on The Shining as that's a film that I still love to re-watch.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamNovember 18, 2019 at 3:43 PM

      There's a lot of Shining reference that I'm sure you'll enjoy then!

      Delete
  3. s.November 19, 2019 at 10:51 AM

    It's such a shame that movie is flopping in the box office, it was the best made King adaptation this year

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamNovember 20, 2019 at 6:24 AM

      It's that run time, people who are iffy on a movie aren't going to go if it's 2 and a half hours. You have to want to see something that long.

      Delete
  4. ChrisNovember 20, 2019 at 5:08 AM

    At least Stephen King wrote Doctor Sleep so wasn’t a fanfiction sequel. Despite the overlong running time, pleased to hear the film is bearable!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamNovember 20, 2019 at 6:24 AM

      That's true, especially with how much he hated The Shining.

      Delete
  5. keith71_98November 20, 2019 at 8:15 AM

    I was shocked by how much I loved this movie. As I was writing my review I kept thinking of things that really stood out to me. As for the running time, I actually appreciated it more than I expected to and felt most of it added some meaningful and interesting character development. I do get where horror fans may not go for it though.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamNovember 20, 2019 at 8:58 AM

      I think had I read the book I would've appreciated the run time more as well. I just really felt it.

      Delete

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