The Shining is one of Stephen King’s most beloved novels. For many readers, it’s the work that cemented their interest in King’s writing, and turned them into long-time fans. Stanley Kubrick released a film version of the book in 1980, and that eerie, visually stunning movie (featuring Jack Nicholson) is now regarded by many as a classic of horror cinema. Except that is, for Stephen King. He intensely disliked the movie, and the changes Kubrick made to his original story. King has both spoken of and written about his disdain for the Kubrick film over the years. He even wrote the teleplay for an ABC TV movie remake in 1997 starring Steven Weber that stuck closer to the novel. The author’s most notable rebuff of Kubrick’s take on his story is the novel Doctor Sleep, which was published in 2013. The book, a sequel to The Shining, follows a grown up Danny Torrance as he struggles with the ghosts of his past, and his terrifying childhood experience at the Overlook Hotel. The novel garnered positive reviews from critics and fans, and in his introduction, King recalls his dislike of the Kubrick film, and how he wanted to complete Danny’s story in his own way, essentially ignoring the movie. Doctor Sleep was a huge bestseller, and a film version was inevitable.
Who would tackle this adaptation of King’s work? After the project was stuck in development hell for a while, writer-director Mike Flanagan took on the job. Flanagan, who made a splash with the chilling Netflix series The Haunting of Hill House, and also helmed a well-received version of King’s novel Gerald’s Game, pitched a unique idea. He wanted the film version of Doctor Sleep to pay homage (and stay true to) to King’s version of The Shining, as well as the style and iconography of the Kubrick movie. He presented his ideas to Stephen King, and the author signed off on the concept. It helped that King had liked Flanagan’s film of Gerald’s Game, and was a fan of The Haunting of Hill House. The cinematic version of Doctor Sleep is currently in release, and it’s a chilling treat for fans of King’s novels, and Stanley Kubrick’s film.
The movie charts the journey of an adult Danny Torrance, who’s never gotten over the trauma caused by the nightmarish events he and his mother endured when the dark forces of the Overlook Hotel possessed his father. Danny’s an alcoholic, and drifts through life on a series of benders and one-night stands. The spirit of Dick Halloran (who also had the power of the shining, and befriended Danny at the Overlook before he was killed by Danny’s father) visits Danny and teaches him how to use his gift to put his fears and nightmares to rest. This helps Danny turn his life around, and he settles down in New Hampshire, gets a job, joins Alcoholics Anonymous and makes some new friends. He works at a hospice facility, where he quietly sits with patients about to pass on, guiding them to the next world, thus gaining the nickname “Doctor Sleep.”
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| Ewan McGregor and Carl Lumbly |
Meanwhile, a nomadic band of killers (called the True Knot) led by the beautiful but deadly Rose the Hat, hunts down children who have the shining and robs them of their life force. This group of “energy vampires” prolongs their own lives by feeding off these innocent children. In one of the film’s most chilling and unsettling sequences, they drain the energy of a young boy who they’ve stalked and captured. This puts them on a collision course with a young woman named Abra, who can see what they’re doing thanks to her own gift of the shining. The problem is, it's a two-way connection: Rose can see Abra as well, and feels the depth of the young girl’s power. Abra connects with and befriends Danny, while Rose plots to find her and take all of her energy for the long-lived members of the True Knot. Danny decides to help Abra stop these monstrous beings, and end their reign of terror. His decision to aid Abra will not only put him in the crosshairs of Rose and the True Knot, but will bring him face to face with his deepest and darkest fears at the one place he thought he’d never return to: the Overlook Hotel. The climactic showdown will bring the nightmares of that evil location back into Danny’s life, as he and Abra try to end Rose's reign of terror.
Flanagan and his crew do a fantastic job melding together the worlds of King’s novels and Kubrick’s film. The spectacular production design effectively recreates the memorable backdrops of Kubrick’s movie. Flanagan also seeds the film with elements of Kings original novel that weren’t used in Kubrick’s version, which should please the author’s fans. The cast is superb; Ewan McGregor is quietly effective as Danny, Carl Lumbly projects a strong and supportive presence as Halloran (a role played Scatman Crothers in the original film), and Kyliegh Curran has an ageless, ethereal quality as Abra. There’s also fine supporting work from Cliff Curtis, Bruce Greenwood, Zahn McClarnon, and Carel Struycken. But it’s Rebecca Ferguson who steals the show with her by turns sensual, sadistic, charming and terrifying portrayal of the evil Rose.
The film runs two and a half hours, but you never feel like the story is dragging or losing its focus. Doctor Sleep is an atmospheric, haunting tale that slowly builds to a crescendo of terror in it's climax at the iconic Overlook Hotel. One caveat: there are characters and plot elements of the Doctor Sleep novel that are either compressed or eliminated, mostly for the sake of narrative flow. It’s clear that if they'd done a full adaptation of the book, the film would have run five hours or more. Writer-director Mike Flanagan pulls off a nearly impossible task here, staying true to the spirit of both King’s and Kubrick’s visions, and adding a bit of his own unique take on the material. There are also some wonderful easter eggs for fans of King's work spread throughout the film. Doctor Sleep is so good that you’ll wish that he would adapt even more of King’s work for the screen. Here's the trailer for the movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOzFZxB-8cw.
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