Doctor Sleep (2019)
Director: Mike Flanagan
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, Cliff Curtis, Kyliegh Curran
Primary genre: Supernatural
Secondary genre: Horror
"Doctor Sleep" was the much delayed and hotly(?) anticipated sequel of the ultimate horror classic "The Shining" (1980), an adaptation of Stephen King’s infamous novel by the legendary Stanley Kubrick. Directed by the capable Mike Flanagan ("The Haunting of Hill House" series (2018), "Oculus" (2014)) and starring an intriguing cast, it focuses on the story of the now adult (and alcoholic) Dan Torrance.
The story is pretty straightforward having minimal surprises and checking every typical King box. Its minimal connection to the original does not extend beyond a nicely replicated Overlook hotel set towards the end while Jack Nicholson’s gonzo performance looms over the proceedings making it hard for the film to stand proudly on its feet. The main focus here is the lackluster cat and mouse game between Dan and a supernatural cult led by (the inspired casting of) Rebecca Ferguson which is mostly disappointing in its execution and subsequent outcome with repetitive scenes that lose steadily momentum.
It does not help that the cult - perhaps in a way to empathize with them - are not full blown psychotic devils but everyday individuals with their own traits and personalities (at least some of them, others have no lines at all) diminishing their menacing factor to almost zero. Despite the best efforts of Ferguson, her character does not shock or scare and besides a visually inventive sequence half way through and a pretty ballsy torture sequence (that feels very Stephen King), “Doctor Sleep” feels more like an expensive "Nightmare on Elm Street" (1984) rip off instead of a natural evolution of what came before.
Flanagan directs with a straight face and although he has accumulated a pretty impressive CV, his execution is nowhere near the perfection that Kubrick showed back in 1980. He tries to keep a steady pace with some inspired cacophonic sound effects and loud orchestral music, but even these do not generate the desired effect due to the max out frequency. With an extensive running time, he seems to be having problems with the extensive running time of 152 minutes which half way through we sincerely start losing interest as the story has nothing exciting to offer anymore.
Ewan McGregor is always a plus in any film portraying the protagonist sympathetically enough considering the emotional luggage Dan has forced himself to carry sharing good chemistry with Kyliegh Curran as the newcomer Abra. But the rest have nothing to work with, particularly Ferguson who plays Rose the "Hat" as an evil saucy witch whereas Cliff Curtis and (even worse) Bruce Greenwood do the bare minimum that is required from them to get their paychecks.
"Doctor Sleep" is a disappointment considering where it is coming from and where it wants to go. Having a weak source material cannot propel the if any story and its attempts at world building and expanding the mythology feel clumsy and poor. Despite the good performances and a relatively restraint to walk in familiar horror tropes, “Doctor Sleep” is not that engaging with lifeless proceedings, banal supporting roles and the lack of real stakes.
A mediocre sequel of a horror classic
+Cast
+Interesting take on antagonists
+Restrained direction
+Ferguson tries her best
-If only she could have more lines
-Legacy burden
-Wasted supporting cast
-No character development for antagonists
-Requires a lot of trimming