The world of The Shining returns, this time set 30 years later with a much more grown up Danny…
We start with an unknown woman who lures away a little girl from her family and shows her a “magic trick” that doesn’t end too good for the little girl. Close by, is The Shining protagonist Danny and his mother, not too long after they escaped the Overlook Hotel following the creepy events that they witnessed involving Danny’s father Jack Torrance.
From then, we jump forward with a much older Danny (played by Ewan McGregor), 30 years later in the year 2011. Danny now is an alcoholic and is struggling for money. He hops on a bus to an unknown town and when he departs he meets local worker Billy: the best character in the film and the sweetest of them all. Billy offers Danny a place to live, a job and even introduces his to an AA meeting to help him resolve his alcoholism.
The horror aspect of this film starts to take place when Danny is in his new place and he starts to witness writing on his wall, as if he is communicating with another but this is unknown who. Also, it is at the hospice Danny works, that every time someone is about to die, he is able to comfort them as they fall into their final deep sleep, and it is at this point the name “Dr Sleep” appears.
Eight years later, we now see a recovered Danny doing well in his job and a more spruced up appearance. It is revealed that his mysterious pen pal is a 13-year-old girl named Abra (Kadabra?) who is able to communicate with Danny because they have the same gift: “The Shining”. Without revealing too much more, these two set out on a mission to defeat a sinister group tied to the incident in the opening scene.
Positives that definitely arise from this film include how more is revealed about the mysterious happenings within the characters lives, such as the questions that were left unanswered in the original film like what really happened to Jack for him to go mad, and what was really going on inside his head. What made this sequel even better (despite the expectation that sequels are never as good) is the fact it played homage to the original as again it takes itself back to the 80s version and answers the questions that puzzled people before.
The special effects are used as exquisitely as they should be with the technology we have compared to what was used in the eighties version. They were a clear effective attribute of the film because it made it clear that this was a horror film you are watching and leaves viewers feeling startled and on the edge of their seat. A scene that stands out with the use of these effects is when Abra is able to manipulate minds, and the quick movement between shots is what leaves you in shock from what you are watching at the time.
As far as negatives go, it would just be the ending as it had all this build up to the finale where they return to the Overlook Hotel and it ends abruptly. It is this build up to the film with the fast tempo music in the background that somehow makes the audience watching more tense as any horror or thriller should do, but their time in the hotel is so brief that it makes you wonder what the build up was for.
However, the final moments after the hotel scene, without revealing too much, are a satisfying ending because happiness is seemingly restored – but you will need to watch to see how exactly this comes about.
Ultimately, for anyone that is a fan of the Stanley Kubrick classic The Shining or anyone looking for a 21st century thriller to leave you on the edge of your seat, Dr Sleep is a must watch.
By Katie Green
Feature image credit: Warner Bros.