‘Doctor Sleep’ Review Thread

Rotten Tomatoes: 76% (38 critics) with a 6.84 average ratingCritics consensus: Doctor Sleep forsakes the elemental terror of its predecessor for a more contemplative sequel that balances poignant themes against spine-tingling chills.Metacritic: 59/100 (15 critics)The scores will change as time passes. Meanwhile, I’ll post some short reviews.It doesn’t have Jack Nicholson, Stanley Kubrick or even much of the Overlook Hotel, but Rebecca Ferguson and other good actors provide some shine of their own in Doctor Sleep, a drawn-out and seldom pulse-quickening follow-up to The Shining that still has enough going on to forestall any audience slumber.-Todd McCarthy, The Hollywood ReporterThe best filmic tribute to “The Shining” already exists in the form of Rodney Ascher’s documentary “Room 237,” a collection of conspiracy theories and fan worship that shows how viewers have been remaking this material with their own imaginations for years. “The Shining” didn’t need “Doctor Sleep,” but it does provide a reminder of why King and Kubrick remain among the most appealing mainstream storytellers of their generations. Any attempt to resurrect their work is bound to look meek by comparison, but it’s a welcome reminder of everything that made “The Shining” — both versions — so worthwhile in the first place.-Eric Kohn, IndieWire: C+When it’s focusing on the new things it brings to the table, Doctor Sleep is consistently terrifying, visually impressive, and soulful in equal measure. Though it may get a little heavy-handed and tonally confused in its reverence for Stanley Kubrick’s Shining in the homestretch, the vast majority of the film succeeds in using the Torrance family’s pain to tell a story of coming to terms with the past. No matter which version of The Shining you prefer, fans of both will be finding things to enjoy about Doctor Sleep forever. And ever. And ever. And ever.-Tom Jorgensen, IGN: 8.5 “great”Even those familiar with King’s 2013 follow-up of the same name, more of an absorbing dark fantasy than a horror novel, won’t be prepared for the alchemy of elements cooked up here.-Tim Robey, The Telegraph: 4/5It's nothing to go channeling your inner Jack Nicholson and chopping through doors. But Flanagan's "Doctor Sleep" respects both King's and Kubrick's visions while letting a rising horror master go his own way, too.-Brian Truitt, USA Today: 3/4Working off source material that is very different from its predecessor, anyone expecting a straightforward Shining sequel will be disappointed. This isn’t a gruelling exercise in pure horror. It’s odder and more contemplative, but worth checking in.-Chris Hewitt, Empire: 3/5Don’t overlook this spiritual sequel to The Shining. But don’t expect it get close to Kubrick’s original, either.-Jamie Graham, Total Film: 3/5Ultimately this well-intentioned but unsatisfactory movie of “Doctor Sleep” suffers just like Dan Torrance does, trying to live its own life before succumbing to the tempting pull of recognizable terrors.-Robert Abele, The WrapWRITER/DIRECTORMike FlanaganSTARRINGEwan McGregor as Danny TorranceRebecca Ferguson as Rose the HatKyliegh Curran as Abra StoneCliff Curtis as Billy Freeman via /r/movies https://ift.tt/2BT3n5l