Doctor Sleep

“You’re magic. Like me.”

Filmology Rating: 2.75 out of 4

‘Doctor Sleep’ is the sequel to the beloved Kubrick film, 'The Shining', and I thought I'd never see the day where I would say that sentence. This film continues to tell the story of "the shining", but through a different lens. Ewan McGregor plays Danny and Kyliegh Curran plays Abra.

Saying that the sequel to 'The Shining' is actually worth your time is quite the statement to be said. However, it is not void of its issues.

The first act's pacing definitely leaves you slightly confused as to where the narrative is going. There are lots of character introductions, then many new locations. It was very choppy to start. However, once the film recovered on its runway, the film began striding and shined in the second act.

The second act is definitely the best part of the film. What I absolutely loved most was that this is not Danny Torrance's story. It's Abra's and Danny is simply the guiding hand in this story. I found that to be terrific and realized there was some similarities between this and, literally, an Obi-Wan-type of character. It just felt very 'Star Wars'-esc in its character dynamics.

All of the performances were outstanding, most notably Kyliegh Curran who must have been under a significant amount of pressure for being the centerpiece in the sequel to 'The Shining.' McGregor also very strong alongside her.

The last act of the film I found to be too much poetry and a little too much rhyming. However, Flanagan was very careful on what to touch and what not to touch.

There is also a very strange parallel to 'Twilight.' However, do not worry, the subject matter is executed rather well- though a singular antagonist I found to be slightly dissappointing. 'The Shining' was never a truly "scary" film and Flanagan treads in similar waters. This is more of a chilling film. You'll find that every ten or fifteen minutes, you'll have shivers down your spine. But nothing in the film is "scary." This is probably as good a sequel to 'The Shining' could possibly be. The first act's pacing is choppy, but the second act and character dynamic between Danny and Abra and how each impact one another, made this is worthy sequel to Kubrick's masterpiece.

Rating: See It

-Nolan