Mike Flanagan is truly one of horror cinema’s unsung heroes, but I suspect that’s about to change.
Since 2011, with the debut of "Absentia," a blistering supernatural thriller, Flanagan has been a prolific and consistently original voice in high-quality scares, from "Oculus" to "The Haunting of Hill House," which is one of the best serial programs ever produced by Netflix. Hell, Flanagan even was able to craft a genuinely creepy sequel, "Ouija: Origin of Evil," to what was a throwaway, jump-scare-heavy cash-grab by toy maker Hasbro.
Doctor Sleep
4.5 out of 5 stars.
Rated: R
Run Time: 151 minutes
Directed by Mike Flanagan
Starring Ewen McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, Kyliegh Curran, Cliff Curtis, Zahn McClarnon, Emily Alyn Lind, Alex Essoe, Henry Thomas and Carl Lumbly
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But "Doctor Sleep" is unlike anything Flanagan has ever attempted, and it’s a big, big swing for the fences that thankfully clears the wall despite a few wobbles.
More than just being a best-selling novel by Stephen King, "Doctor Sleep" was the author’s attempt to revisit one of his classic works, "The Shining," and deliver a satisfying update on Danny Torrance, the young boy with the gift of shine, who was terrorized by his father during a winter blizzard at the haunted Overlook Hotel.
It’s no secret that King hated Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 adaptation of "The Shining," which deviated considerably from his book. It’s also no secret that Flanagan is a huge fan of both King’s and Kubrick’s work; in fact, he already had one King adaptation under his belt, "Gerald’s Game," which was warmly received on Netflix.
But what Flanagan has accomplished with "Doctor Sleep" is something truly unexpected.
As screenwriter, editor and director, Flanagan has essentially merged "Doctor Sleep" and "The Shining" into one nearly seamless epic that captures the essence of both works while literally reinventing certain sequences from Kubrick’s film in a way that dovetails surprisingly well.
Such ambition takes serious stones.
"Doctor Sleep," for the uninitiated, revisits Danny (Ewen McGregor) as a grown man, struggling with the same demons that his father faced. He eventually drifts to a small community in New Hampshire, gets sober and uses his psychic gifts to serve as a would-be ferryman, helping Hospice patients cross to the light. For that, he earns the titular nickname.
But soon, Danny is contacted by another prodigal child, Abra Stone (Kyliegh Curran), whose own shine has detected the True Knot, a group of quasi-immortal energy vampires that feed off children with the shine. The Knot is led by Rose the Hat (Rebecca Ferguson), who has no qualms killing kids to survive. Danny must race to save Abra from Rose and her minions by returning to the Overlook, where old ghosts have waited to get another taste of his shine for decades.
Flanagan deviates considerably from King’s sequel, which is not necessarily bad, mostly by giving short shrift to the origins of True Knot, which the book heavily explored.
And he does what some might consider unthinkable by recasting key characters from Kubrick’s film. Wendy Torrance is now played by Alex Essoe ("Starry Eyes," "Midnighters"), who does a great job. Dick Hallorann is now played by Carl Lumbly, who evokes Scatman Crothers but still makes his own mark. And iconic Jack Torrance is now played by Henry Thomas.
Hallorann is a ghost that only Danny sees, and he teaches him how to control his shine by constructing mental boxes to lock away nasty, dangerous spirits. The world is hungry, he tells Danny, and the darkest beings are the hungriest, but Danny can turn what they want against them.
It’s solid advice that plays a big part in "Doctor Sleep’s fantastic third act, the bulk of which is set inside the Overlook.
Flanagan always has had a knack for pairing paranormal hauntings with a nuanced study of fear, grief and redemption, and he elevates King’s words by exploring parts of "The Shining" that didn’t fit within Kubrick’s clinical vision.
While "Doctor Sleep" benefits from the acting prowess of McGregor and Ferguson, who infuse their respective characters with the perfect mix of hubris and vulnerability, it’s Flanagan’s artistic flourishes that deliver several standout Wow moments.
The sequences that visually explore what it means to shine, to psychically project, to communicate with others, both alive and dead, are thrilling and wholly original. Likewise, the scenes where the True Knot feed, devouring the steam that slips from a gifted child’s lips, or at the moment when certain of their ranks die, are extraordinary and impactful.
"Doctor Sleep" is easily one of the best adaptations of a King novel, ever, period, but that feels almost like overly simplistic praise.
Flanagan has taken characters firmly stitched into our collective pop culture consciousness and reinvented and/or revisited them in ways that aren’t derivative or overreaching.
More than that, he has given fans a glorious gift that should inspire countless viewings and its own fevered dissection to unlock all of the Easter eggs, homages and callbacks contained within.
As Rose says, "It’s the special ones that taste best," and “Doctor Sleep” is indeed a special treat.
Contact John W. Allman at Blood Violence and Babes.com, on Facebook @BloodViolenceBabes or on Twitter @BVB_reviews. Follow @cl_tampabay on Twitter to get the most up-to-date news + views. Subscribe to our newsletter, too.
This article appears in Nov 14-21, 2019.