Doctor Sleep
MFC Review
Doctor Sleep (2019) is a horror movie directed by Mike Flanagan, based on the novel of the same title by Stephen King. It’s the sequel to The Shining (1980), one of the most important horror films in history, directed by Stanley Kubrick.
The film continues with the story of Danny Torrance (Ewan McGregor), a character that during his adulthood must deal with alcoholism and the ghosts that harass him since his visit to the Overlook Hotel. We also get to know Rose the Hat (Rebecca Ferguson) and Crow Daddy (Zahn McClarnon), two mysterious characters who will search for Abra (Kyliegh Curran), a girl with incredible supernatural powers.
Doctor Sleep is not like the latest movies. Instead of jumpscares, Doctor Sleep seeks to create an atmosphere of constant tension through a psychological narrative with elements of supernatural horror. This style is shown in other Flanagan works such as Oculus (2013) and the The Haunting of Hill House series (2018).
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The long length of the film invites us to know the characters in depth, which allows us to understand their fears and intentions from a more intimate perspective. The story is told through the emotions and fears of the characters, making the film an experience that keeps us in tension from beginning to end.
Unlike The Shining, Doctor Sleep is a more faithful adaptation from the Stephen King‘s original book. Even so, Flanagan takes the liberty of reinterpreting Kubrick‘s vision both narratively and visually. In addition to being a visually stunning movie, Doctor Sleep is the perfect occasion to recall The Shining, one of the best movies of all time.
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