Doctor Sleep
Years following the events of “The Shining,” a now-adult Dan Torrance must protect a young girl with similar powers from a cult known as The True Knot, who prey on children with powers to remain immortal.
Cast
Ewan McGregor – Dan Torrance
Rebecca Ferguson – Rose the Hat
Carl Lumbly – Dick Hallorann
Kyliegh Curran – Abra Stone
Emily Alyn Lind – Snakebite Andi
Cliff Curtis – Billy Freeman
Zahn McClarnon – Crow Daddy
Alex Essoe – Wendy Torrance
Doctor Wins
I’m generally not a fan of Rebecca Ferguson. I find in some films her small pale face blends quickly into the background.. but in Doctor Sleep she is bloody brilliant, delivering a solid performance that really confirms Rose the Hat as the star of the show. From the moment she appears she creates a spooky atmosphere, and the viewer gets a large dose of this outside as well as inside the famous hotel or in Danny’s house. This non-restricting sinister action and witch-like character of Ferguson’s is backed up nicely by her co-stars whose characters all become caught up in a ghostly web of trouble. Excellent CGI also means some decent grisly visuals whenever a member of the True Knot runs into deadly trouble.
Doctor Sleep is nothing like – but has a similar quality to an X-Men or Avengers movie, in terms of a team of distinctive characters each with his or her own special power. All actors in this movie are on the same talented level too:
Emily Alyn Lind plays a milky-skinned precious little thing who unleashes an incredible psychic ability to anyone who pisses her off.
Carl Lumbly provides light relief as Dick, appearing and vanishing in a classic ghost-like way to offer support to Dan.
Kyliegh Curran as Abra is such a strong addition to the cast and yet I have never seen her in anything else. With the ability to enter people’s minds she causes all sorts of havoc, especially when she comes mind-to-mind with the most dangerous character of all.
And of course, Dan. Grown-up Danny from the original movie. Ewan McGregor excels in his role and is dramatically faultless. He almost looks like a different person at the beginning of Doctor Sleep too; his image is so rugged that Jason Momoa falls down the ladder of masculinity a few rungs. Long, dishevelled hair. Beardy. Sweaty. Promiscuous. Good god, he’s porn-perfect. His appearance complements his performance too, creating an air of vulnerability which becomes intriguing as his shining returns.
Where this movie wins is its modern take on an old classic. Familiar actors, modern technology and being set in this era make it a welcome piece of entertainment. Especially when you can watch it with The Shining (1980) in mind – it’s the same story but it’s moved with the times and witnessing Danny’s journey makes it all worthwhile.
All these years later and somehow this movie feels as though it’s something fresh – but it’s more like a fresh new look. Any fan of The Shining should give this a watch, but I feel as though there may be some mixed opinions out there. I wasn’t overly excited for this, and yet I was won over instantly with fantastic performances, surreal plot elements & props and a touch of historic value too.
Not bad at all.
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