Thirty-nine years later comes a probably not asked for but more than welcome sequel to Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 horror-classic The Shining. Doctor Sleep stars Ewan Mcgregor as the now grown-up Danny Torrance, suffering from trauma and alcoholism, as he encounters a new young girl who shares his gift, as well as the supernatural threats that face them both.
Doctor Sleep’s strengths lay in its stellar performances, as well as its creative visual sequences and its scenes reminiscent of the Shining. Ewan Mcgregor, Rebecca Ferguson, and newcomer Kyliegh Curran especially shine. (I swear to God that pun was unintentional, but I’m leaving it in, deal with it.)
The movie does suffer from an overly long run time, which could be due to its heavier influence on Stephen King’s books rather than Kubrick’s movie. Doctor Sleep is less of a horror movie than a sequel to The Shining. I think it does a good but not great job as a follow-up which honors the original but still does its own thing. If you’re a fan of the original, I say it’s worth a watch, but maybe wait for it to be available to stream. If you haven’t seen the original,
A.) Get it together, and B.) You won’t find much satisfaction in starting here. •
