★★★½

Doctor Sleep (2019)

Written by Dalton Welsh - November 10, 2020

Just the notion of making a sequel to one of the most revered horror films of all time “The Shining” would be enough to make any director hesitant to take on such an enormous responsibility. But following the success of his acclaimed horror series ‘The Haunting of Hill House’ there was perhaps no one better to attach to the project than Mike Flanagan. The film entitled ‘Doctor Sleep’ follows Danny Torrance from the original film, now an adult, who is still struggling from the trauma he experienced from the Overlook Hotel all those years ago, and his hopes for a quiet life are shattered when he meets a young girl named Abra who possesses his same supernatural abilities and must help her to battle forces who wish to do her harm. While there are some misses along the way the film maintains a great lead performance and characterization for Danny, intriguing cinematography, and a sparing but effective use of horror.

One of the big questions going into the film was how it would work as a continuation of ‘The Shining’, and ultimately how it would compare as a film. Some of the mystery of the original film is alleviated by the explanation and expansion of the supernatural elements of the story, and while it does work as good world building, and works in this film, that follows a more mainstream narrative structure when compared to the original. One cannot help but feel that it has come at the cost of the fantastic mood and unsettling horrific aura of the original. Admittedly, there was a thin chance this film could match that, and it is good that this film is trying something different with the story. Nonetheless it’s hard to ignore the absence of that expert anxiety the original conjured. Additionally, the ‘fan service’ for lack of a better word, for the original films is done mostly subtlety or tastefully, feeling organic to the story and a natural progression in the series. But there are still a few sparing moments where you can feel the team behind the film get a bit carried away with there evident love for the original to where it can feel a touch out of place, manipulating the audience into being excited by familiar imagery.

But with that out of the way, perhaps the films greatest strength is the characterization of our protagonist Danny Torrance. The exploration of his childhood trauma and how that has developed now into substance abuse is an intriguing avenue to take his character and makes for some fantastic and emotionally hard-hitting drama. Your empathy towards his struggle and attempts to reintegrate with society are further strengthened by a great lead performance by Ewan McGregor. The anxiety and deep psychological trauma that Danny has experienced is portrayed expertly by McGregor and feels genuine and believable. You can feel his constant state of distress and apprehension in the beginning stages of the film and McGregor further greatly communicates his progression and change as the film goes on. 

The supporting performance from Rebecca Ferguson as the film’s antagonist Rose is also relatively successful. Vowing to give a more exaggerated and theatrical performance appropriate for her character that is a lot more supernatural. While at times the nature of her character can feel somewhat tonally inconsistent with that of Danny, given his more grounded, real word struggles, she never feels out of place in the dramatics of the film. Additionally it is with Rose that the most horrific elements of the film are seen, where for the most part the film is a drama with psychological elements, and these scenes are some of the most effecting horror that I’ve seen in a film in recent memory. Going a long way to helping the audience develop a disdain for the antagonists, and subsequently root for our protagonists to succeed. 

However the character of Abra, the young girl that Danny takes under his wing was an aspect of the film I found lacking. She lacked any of the interesting character found in Danny and Rose, and given her intuitiveness with her abilities, the stakes feel lessoned whenever she is in seeming danger, removing the tension that might of otherwise been there. And while her character is semi-necessary for the plot to unravel the way it does, one cannot help but feel a direct conflict between Danny and Rose would have made for a more compelling story. 

For the more technical aspects, the film makes use of a more drained colour palette, greatly reminiscent of the visual aesthetic of director Mike Flanagan’s ‘The Haunting of Hill House’. While at times it can feel a little tiresome it is still greatly effective, especially given the sombre tone of the film. With the blues of the colour palette working as a great complement to both the cold and warm moody lighting. The film also makes use of lots of long takes, making for some great tension in the unbroken fixation of the shots, accompanied by some new and inventive camera movement and motion.

All in all, while not matching the excellence of the original, which it was never going to, the film still stands on its own and sees success in a number of areas. Some weaknesses in the character of Abra and a comparably lesser mood aren’t enough to bring down an excellent performance from Ewan McGregor and the layered trauma of the character of Danny, A theatrical antagonist in Rose, who presents genuinely unsettling moments of horror, as well as an appropriately beautifully sombre colour palette and creative camera work.