Doctor Sleep

A sequel to The Shining was always going to be a must-see for me. I am a big fan or psychological horror films, a huge fan of The Shining and a super fan of Stanley Kubrick - very possibly the greatest of all time.

I liked that it didn't make it it's mission to explain the goings on of Kubrick's 1980 classic, to do so would have been treacherous to say the least. Arguably, that theachery is part and parcel of the nature of sequels, but that's a discussion for another time. Kubrick knew it wasn't important what exactly  caused Jack Torrence's breakdown, so to leave that only mostly unanswered is wise. I also liked the nostalgia of seeing some facsimile scenes from The Shining recreated.

There is no doubt that Dr Sleep is not as good a film, but in itself it was well made, well acted and suitably enigmatic. I suppose it might, just as accurately, be called a spin-off as a sequel, as it explores parallel elements to the original story that were never a focus, as well as the adult life of Danny. They are very different films after all. Save for the first 5 or so minutes and the limited contact with a couple of outsiders, The Shining takes place exclusively within the walls and grounds of the Overlook Hotel, and the claustrophobia was one of it's strongest elements.

I think Doctor Sleep did a fairly good job, in as much that it expanded on the original film and it's legacy in a way not to detrct from it. Another sequel for an iconic Kubrick film, the underrated 2010 the year we make contact, also did it well by leaving some, maybe most of the questions unanswered/ponderable. I wonder what the man himself would have to say if he were still around.