Hammerman Ikon

Hammerman Ikon Film Guide

Doctor Sleep
2019
**
Director: Mike Flanagan
Cast: Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, Kyliegh Curran, Cliff Curtis, Carl Lumbly, Zahn McClarnon, Emily Alyn Lind, Bruce Greenwood, Jocelin Donahue, Robert Longstreet, Carel Struycken, Alex Essoe, Zackary Momoh

The Shining, Stanley Kubrick's claustrophobic horror classic was based on Stephen King's 1977 novel. This belated sequel must strike a balance between Kubrick's loose adaptation and King's 2013 novel. The story revolves around a creepy cult who track down and kill children who have the shining in order to extend their own lives. Dan Torrance, now a recovering alcoholic, is compelled to protect a young girl with extremely strong psychic abilities. Almost 40 years have passed, so it is unfair to compare this to the 1980 film, but I must admit that I was captivated by this long and uninteresting story only when it returned to the Overlook hotel. The rest feels like a second rate X-Men movie.