Longtime fans of Stephen King’s works may not have thought any new release could serve as an adequate successor to The Shining, even though King himself notoriously hated the contents of Stanley Kubrick’s interpretation. But although the 2019 film Doctor Sleep had big shoes to fill, it definitely delivered in more ways than one. Under Mike Flanagan’s direction, King’s sequel takes on a new sense of depth on the big screen to make the story truly come to life. Both men have spoken out on their individual histories with alcohol addiction, each adding their own unique perspective to what is already a deeply personal story.
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Doctor Sleep picks up months after The Shining ends, first painting a picture of the remaining members of the Torrance family, Danny and Wendy, building back up a life for themselves from scratch after what happened at the Overlook Hotel. As the story progresses, viewers follow an older Dan, played by Ewan McGregor, on his journey to sobriety and healing after he starts over again and addresses his alcoholism and trauma in the town of Frazier, New Hampshire. Dan psychically connects with young Abra Stone and the two fight back against the True Knot, a traveling cult that aims to “eat what shines.” The resulting film is an intimate look at healing from horrific challenges, with added fantastical components to further its impact. Here’s why Doctor Sleep is an underappreciated sequel.
Real-Life Horror Alongside Imaginative Elements
Warner Bros. Pictures
Doctor Sleep didn’t perform well at the box office initially, but its contents are worth the attention of moviegoers, containing much more than just cheap scares expected within a horror movie. This film expands on the portrayal of lingering trauma first introduced in The Shining, especially since a significant amount of time has passed between the events of each. A unique blend of true-to-life horror and elements of fantasy makes the lessons it contains seem both symbolic and painfully realistic at the same time. Detailing the impact and aftereffects of abuse, viewers watch a disheartening delineation of Dan as a traumatized child who later sinks deeper into alcoholism.
The True Knot is a group of ageless hunters, ushering in an otherworldly sense of desperation and insatiable hunger and conjuring up some startling visuals. They, too, have an addiction: feeding on the lives of individuals with psychic powers. Besides the obvious physical antagonist of the True Knot, the collection of mistakes made during his drinking days quite literally comes back to haunt Dan. One night he is haunted by Deenie, a woman he met at a bar, and her young child. They show up in his bed to beg for help, imparting to him that their bodies still haven’t been found. Recoiling in horror, Dan is made to confront the gravity of addiction and the depths of those days. The dark reality of the situation is intensified by the ghostly nature of it all, which is the case of much of his trauma.
Stellar Performances from Young Actors
One of Doctor Sleep’s most promising inclusions is its incredible cast. Besides big names that audiences recognize, like Ewan McGregor and Rebecca Ferguson, the wealth of talent within the film really shines (pun intended) with its younger members. The most central role played by a young newcomer to the film industry is Kyliegh Curran’s portrayal of Abra Stone. As a gifted girl with psychic abilities that rival even Dan’s, her curiosity and spunk carry her deep into dangerous territory as she first begins to fend off the influence of the True Knot. Curran’s breakout role here captures her excellent acting chops, showcasing her as a bright young talent within this movie and the film world as a whole.
Jacob Tremblay plays Bradley Trevor, also called “Baseball Boy” by Abra, as she psychically senses his impending distress. Hunted down by Rose the Hat and other members of the True Knot, it’s only a matter of time before their caravan shows up at his baseball game and quickly makes him their next meal. As they prepare to inhale his shining essence, known as steam, he begs for his life in an extremely heartbreaking and drawn-out scene. Even Stephen King himself thought that this particular part of the film was too painful to watch, which speaks to Tremblay’s already incredible acting ability at the moment he turned 12.
Themes of Recovery
One calling card of typical horror films is often their trademark sense of bleakness, leaving the audience often feeling emotionally wrung out by the time the credits roll. A unique aspect of Doctor Sleep is that while it’s absolutely a true horror film, it also shimmers with a sense of hopefulness, threaded throughout some genuinely nightmarish scenes and sequences. After Dan’s years of drifting and drinking, he settles down in Frazier in hopes of a fresh start, which quickly lands him in Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. With the support of a group behind him, he learns to take responsibility over his actions and feelings as he leaves his old life behind and steps into his true purposes.
These threads of possibility are found even through the film’s heartbreaking resolution, which differs drastically from that of King’s book. In the novel, Dan has been sober for 15 years and continues to live a meaningful life after the horrors of his past. At the end of the movie, Dan instead perishes in the fire at the Overlook after his final battle with its ghosts and the True Knot. He returns as a spirit to visit Abra and tell her he’s safe. Despite its deviation from the original source material, this ends a tumultuous film on a bittersweet note.
