I have something to confess…I’ve never really been a huge fan of The Shining. I know, I know, for a movie geek who loves horror that basically constitutes heresy. I have the utmost respect for what Kubrick was able to capture and what the film did for the genre….but it was just so boring for the most part. That being said, I did find myself getting pretty psyched when I heard this was being made. Ewan McGregor stars as the adult Danny, now Dan, who’s life wasn’t exactly champagne dreams after his pops went all axe murderey and chased he and his mother around the snowed in Overlook hotel. He’s cleaning up his life, attends AA and works at a hospice center where he’s using his ‘Shine’ to help the patients in his care. He’s so good at making them comfortable he earns the nickname Doctor Sleep (Title!). Here’s where things go a little left. Enter the True Knot. A cult who draws power and youth from “steam”, which is the dying breath of anyone gifted with the shine. When they kill a boy named Bradley, his death alerts others with the gift through the shine, specifically Abra, a teenage girl. Abra seeks out Dan and together they have to survive the True Know and a return to the Overlook hotel.
It pains me to say this, as the addition of a murderous cult to a movie is a big bonus for me usually, but the True Knot fell short of being a terrifying threat. When the shoes you’re filling belonged to an ax-wielding Jack Nicholson it’s going to be tough to make the fit, and sadly, they just don’t. Rebecca Ferguson, who plays cult leader Rose, is perfectly fine performance-wise but falls short of being a compelling villain. I’m not to sure if this next bit is actually a bad thing or not, but you need to be prepared for the whole “cult murdering children to feed off their last breath” aspect if you’re going in expecting a ghost story. Let’s highlight something that isn’t usually talked about, Stephen King writes really really weird books. It flys under the radar most of the time because the film adaptations are able to leave out the odder choices, but don’t be fooled, this whole storyline is pretty standard Stephen King stuff.
I’m fairly certain your enjoyment of this movie is going to depend highly on one thing, not expecting something exactly like The Shining. Going in with a clear slate this is a highly polished, completely effective thriller with some great performances. Not to worry, if you’re only reason to see it was to head back to the Overlook Hotel, well you get your way as well.