Doctor Sleep
The Shining was a revelation for me in terms of genre filmmaking. A film without traditional horror mechanics and stereotypes, it managed to make me anxious and nervous at every passing moment. Where through Nicholson’s beautiful performance or the mystery surrounding the Overlook Hotel, there was so much to love with that story. Leaving behind more questions and possibly even more answers, it allowed me to think deeply on its themes and the overall mystery much more than other films do. Horror is a genre with massive potential for open-ended stories, but oftentimes this is avoided more for the idea of jump scares and a conclusive, yet unearned ending. Doctor Sleep, in a way, pushes the boundaries in different, and similar ways to its predecessor, but manages to shake free the fear I managed to avoid in the original.
The story begins shortly after the events of The Shining, as young Danny is living with his mother. He’s haunted by the woman from room 237 at the Overlook Hotel and has to deal with nightly encounters with this terrible ethereal being. One day, Danny is confronted by the ghost of Dick Hallorann, a man from the Overlook Hotel who also possessed the shine. Through Dick, Danny learns to confront the woman and any other ghosts that come after her. At the same time, a young girl is lured away from her family on a camping trip and ends up being taken by a group called True Knot, led by Rose the Hat, who feed on “steam,” a substance produced in the dying moments of people who possess the shine.
As an adult, Danny' struggles with alcoholism and decides a fresh start is in order. Moving to a small town in New Hampshire, he befriends a man named Billy who helps him into AA. As Danny’s life begins to turn around, he begins to communicate with another young girl named Abra, who seems to shine even more so than he does. Becoming a worker at hospice care he, along with a cat who knows when patients are going to pass on, comforts them as they move into the next world, granting him the name “Doctor Sleep.” But, when another child is taken, True Knot is drawn to Abra, bringing Danny into the crossfire.
Doctor Sleep in a way, makes The Shining almost feel like a prelude to the true story of this world. Focused on a singular family, it focused more on the effects of being able to shine, along with how those who seek to control it can “infect” those around them. All of these ideas are taken to the next level through Doctor Sleep, with True Knot becoming a living embodiment of this craving for the shine. I was impressed with the way Mike Flanagan was able to take a story that is famously debated and argued even amongst its own creators, and develop the narrative so that both parties could enjoy it. While it’s most definitely its own thing, there are influences of note from both The Shining and Doctor Sleep novels by Stephen King.
Speaking about the movie itself, Ewan McGregor plays Danny well and gives the necessary performance to make you care about his character, but truth be told he isn’t the real emotional heart of the film. While going as far as call him one note is a disservice to the performance, it certainly doesn’t feel like there was a ton of growth with Danny from The Shining to the end of this film, except for one critical moment near the end of the film. Danny is a good person, thrown into bad situations and struggling with his past. There’s nothing to really change about him as a character that this movie can throw at the audience.
Abra and Rose are without question the best parts of this film. Abra, played by Kyliegh Curran, is able to use her shine in ways no one else with the ability can, and as a result, she senses when others with the power are in danger. There are moments when she’s a bit stale or not conveying what I wonder consider proper emotion for a scene, but overall for a young actress, she plays the character excellently. I was invested in her story and unlike Danny in The Shining, she matters as more than just a plot device.
The real jewel of this film though is Rebecca Ferguson as Rose the Hat, the leader of True Knot. A captivating lead that at first seems to be another one-note character, Ferguson takes the character to another level. Rose is terrifying and interesting all at once. She’s a villain to be feared but isn’t just a laughing and maniacal threat. There are moments where she is often the prey in her own predatorial story, taking the initial archetype of a horror film and turning it on its head. Ferguson brings a presence to the role that whenever she is on screen, you are glued to her and her motives, even if they go to excruciating and terrifying levels.
Speaking of the horror and terror of this story, again Flanagan avoids the use of jumpscares as a mechanic in this story, much to my joy. The terror comes mostly from True Knot, as they track young users of the shine, and seek to absorb their steam. The best comparison that can be given is that of vampires: at times very conniving and smart, but they come with great weakness in their hunger for steam. As their situation grows dire and there are fewer children able to shine, you can see their desperation and actions becoming more and more terrifying as their hunger grows. An example of this horror revolves around a short sequence in which someone using the shine is being murdered, they collapse on them like a pack of hungry wolves. It’s terrifying and entrancing all at the same time.
Like The Shining before it, Doctor Sleep deals with themes of isolation, connection, and alcoholism, but goes as far as to include family as another very heavily used theme throughout the film. Abra is a lonely young girl, struggling to find outlets for her ability, while Danny is actively trying to suppress his, as he believes they are the source of his terrible history. The biggest theme really feels to be the “stronger together” style that comes from this story of mentors and mentees. Rose the Hat is a mentor to many of her followers, often looking to her as a sort of god. When she begins to show weakness as Abra fights back against her, their connection comes into question. On the other side though, as Abra and Danny become more and more in sync with their each other and their ability to shine, their growth together and separately becomes that much more apparent.
For those coming into this movie looking for a common horror experience, there is something I want to note. This movie is very open about murder and the brutality is shown on screen. Not just killing of adults, but in one specific instance, the death of a child. It’s brutal, painful to watch, and overall very much uncomfortable. I respect Flanagan’s dedication to the genre, and it’s a scene that feels necessary, but for some, it could most definitely be a deal-breaker. Overall, Doctor Sleep isn’t very much in the vein of traditional horror, and that’s arguably playing to its strengths.
Even though I’ve spent a good portion of this article talking negatively about Doctor Sleep, I want to come back around and say that even with the issues I had with this film, it is very much another classic case of being more than the sum of its parts. Danny and Abra’s relationship is excellent, and Rebecca Ferguson’s Rose is one of the best villains I’ve seen in a horror or thriller film. There’s something special about this film for me, perhaps it’s because its the first true horror film that I’ve gone into cold without truly knowing what was coming, or maybe because it’s just that interesting of a film. I can’t place my finger on it as of this point, but it’s definitely something I’d like to revisit in the future. Regardless, Doctor Sleep continues the excellent legacy set forth by Stanley Kubrick’s original film and presents some new ideas sure to satisfy fans new and old.
