By Isabella Purdy
Warner Brothers truly took a risk with Doctor Sleep coming out so soon after “It Chapter 2”. Only two months apart from “It Chapter 2,” its two month older sibling is still in theaters. Direct competition with another Stephen King Cinematic Universe film made “Doctor Sleep”‘s work cut out for it. But, despite mixed reviews, this film does “The Shining” and “Doctor Sleep” novels justice.
Like its other recent films: “Pet Semetary,” “It” and “It Chapter 2,” this movie delivers. If Warner Brothers can keep this up with the fantastic Stephen King adaptations, they will be unstoppable in the world of horror. Directed by Mike Flanagan with the talented Ewan McGregor, this film truly does have a great cast and team behind it.
When I saw “Doctor Sleep,” I had just seen “The Shining” not two weeks before. Despite Stephen King hating Stanley Kubrick’s interpretation, “Doctor Sleep” is a more fine blend of King’s and Kubrick’s ideas. It honors what came before while still respecting the source material.
I had high expectations for this movie as I had just seen “The Shining” and “It Chapter 2” was still fresh in my mind. Both were fantastic films and “It Chapter 2” seemed to achieve the perfect sequel. But, “Doctor Sleep” was about to blow “It Chapter 2” out of the water.
“Doctor Sleep” is the best sequel film I’ve ever seen. Actors Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, Kyleigh Curran and Emily Alyn Lind all do incredible jobs bringing King’s deep characters to life. Curran and Lind are both breakout stars likely to surely become loved by the fan base like the breakout teen-aged stars we came to know and love in “It”.
Everything about this movie is brilliant. The visuals, score and seamless transitions all make this an incredible experience made for the big screen. The Newton brothers really outdid themselves bringing back “The Shining” theme in a whole new instrumental format called The Overlook Hotel.
This movie is a must see for all horror and King lovers. While I would recommend seeing “The Shining” first, you do not have to read the novel to understand this movie. This movie makes me incredibly excited for the next King adaptations coming down the road and just raises the bar so much higher for all of these movies.
