Is ‘Doctor Sleep’ worth being overlooked?

After nearly 40 years, Stanley Kubrick’s iconic film “The Shining” is receiving its cinematic followup, “Doctor Sleep” which, just like its predecessor, is based on a novel by Stephen King by the same name. Kubrick’s bizarre horror masterpiece has had decades to earn its rightful place as one of the genre’s very best and any sequel would have a mighty hard job at duplicating the unique tone and feel that only Stanley Kubrick can craft while also pleasing Stephen King fans who, much like the author himself, were not especially pleased with the drastic changes “The Shining” film made from the novel. So does the sequel have what it takes to continue this spine-chilling tragedy with the same thrills?

Long after the events from “The Shining,” Danny, the young boy with the titular power, has grown into a man and has begun to fall down much of the same alcoholic path as his father once did. Amongst retreating to a new town, Danny begins to heal himself and find special ways to use his abilities to help others. Things don’t take long to turn upside down once again, however, as a young girl with similar abilities is on the run from a cult of power-hungry beings who feed off the energy of others to remain immortal. From here, it is up to Danny and the young girl to team up and use their abilities to take on this band of marauders.

There’s plenty working in “Doctor Sleep”‘s favor that make the film a solid follow up to “The Shining.” Many of the concepts the film plays around with that expand the world of “The Shining” feel appropriately stepped up. In particular, the film’s villains were a treat to watch, as much time is given to flesh them out as characters and understand their motivations. While never fully sympathetic, the understanding as to why they do what they do and how they view the world makes for surprisingly interesting commentary on how the world has changed over the nearly four decades since the original film’s events.

While never coming close to Kubrick’s manically precise and detailed direction, Mike Flanagan does his very best to keep the intricate feel of “The Shining” intact while also giving the film a decent amount of his own flair. The cinematography is especially gorgeous, with various moments that are drenched in atmosphere thanks to this element alone. The sound design and score are also major highlights. Much of that same experimental and droning soundscape present from the first film seep their way into this movie with ease and practically engulf the experience until it becomes another part of the set piece. The editing is more of a mixed bag, with some brilliant moments of visual storytelling that is accomplished through editing alone, but the over reliance on cross dissolves does grow tiresome after some time.

The performances are also worth mentioning as a bright spot for the picture. Ewan McGregor gives an unsurprisingly fantastic performance as an adult Danny, selling the tragedy of the character fully and capturing much of the well-spoken, precise energy of the character very well. Rebecca Ferguson as Rose the Hat made for an insanely entertaining antagonist. Her mannerisms felt well thought out and precise, allowing for her larger moments to hit with more impact. The best performance, however, was undeniably from young Kyliegh Curran who plays as Abra Stone. The child star has a wealth of talent, able to hold her own remarkably well with whoever is in front of her with ease, bringing this immensely likable character to life in a believable manner.

It is a shame, however, that for all the intriguing ideas and concepts that work for “Doctor Sleep,” there are a multitude of others that never fully do so. The film feels very stuck in between the two worlds of pleasing both Kubrick and King fans, with a hard-edged distinction between doing both jobs. Much of the first few acts feel far more King inspired with enough of the atmosphere of Kubrick’s film coming through to hold it all together. By the third act, however, things take a drastic turn, as the movie becomes fully infatuated with delivering as much fan service in its last 15 to 20 minutes to the original film as possible, no matter how much sense they make within its own narrative.

This imbalance of ideas also translates to the story and the many ideas it attempts to juggle. Contrary to the original film that famously leaves many of its imagery and ideas up to audience interpretation, “Doctor Sleep” feels the need to answer many of its questions in a way that ends up doing more harm than good. Certain plot elements expanded from the original, such as the abilities one has with the shining, now feel over-explained in a way that has turned this mysterious ability into another version of the force, making much of the sense of fear and vulnerability from the original feeling lost. Similarly, some of the new plot points the film plays around with feel to have the wrong amount of focus to prove effective. In particular, the film’s attempt at fleshing out its villains, while certainly needed, goes to an extent that pulls attention from Danny’s story, ultimately leaving the protagonist feeling largely inconsequential by the end.

At the end of the day, “Doctor Sleep” is about as good a sequel to “The Shining” as one could hope for, which may not be saying much. While not the most tonally or structurally consistent film out there, there is enough atmosphere and entertainment to be made out of giving this one a watch. This may not be a hotel you’ll want to stay at for as long the second time, but at least it doesn’t hurt to check in once.