Doctor Sleep is a sequel that shouldn’t have worked but does. It not only had to be a sequel to The Shining novel but also to the film, the fact this is even connected to Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining is a miracle as Stephen King hates Kubrick’s film. I’m happy to say that Doctor Sleep is an incredible film that pays homage to Kubrick’s creation while standing on its own two feet and is a shining example of how to make an effective horror film.
The acting is outstanding by everyone with not a single weak performance, Ewan McGregor is great as Dan Torrance but to me, the standout performance was Rebecca Ferguson as Rose The Hat, she is truly fantastic portraying a creepy and menacing villain that is a true threat throughout the entire film.
The film is well-paced, and considering the running time of 2 hours 31 minutes it is never boring, it does take its time to tell its story though. The cinematography is great the film is never stale visually and the way its shot deliberately makes you feel uneasy.
Doctor Sleep is a scary horror film without using clichés like cheap jump scares and music cues to tell the audience when they should be scared, the only issue I have with this film is when it stops homaging The Shining and moves onto full blown recreation it feels forced and unnecessary and in my opinion holds the film back from being a true masterpiece.
