After nearly 40 years of not waiting, the sequel to The Shining has finally arrived in theaters. Based on the book of the same name from Stephen King, Doctor Sleep continues the story of a grown-up Danny Torrance years after the traumatic events of his childhood. Although Doctor Sleep is undeniably a sequel the Stanley Kubrick’s psychological horror classic, it’s also designed to reconcile King’s well-publicized issues with the original film. Is the new movie able to match the greatness of its predecessor? Let the battle between The Shining and Doctor Sleep begin!
Cover Photos: Warner Brothers Pictures
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The idea of adapting Doctor Sleep is a tricky prospect. It’s a movie that has to forge its own iconography, while also respecting and expanding on The Shining. Luckily it’s also one of the rare legacy sequels that actually fulfills these expectations while also delivering an entertaining viewing experience. Even though Doctor Sleep probably won’t be as iconic as it’s predecessor, it results in an exciting follow-up that works both as a sequel and a standalone story. While Doctor Sleep is a formidable effort, it’s hard to deny that The Shining remains the superior effort – at least for now.
Overall Winner: The Shining
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Mandatory Movie Battles: The Shining vs Doctor Sleep
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Horror/Suspense
Neither The Shining nor Doctor Sleep are particularly scary movies in the classical sense. Although both films eschew traditional jump scares, they’re both extremely effective in unsettling the audience. At the same time, they both present different notions about how exactly to accomplish such an unsettling tone. With that said, Doctor Sleep ultimately has a more modern approach to the horror/suspense elements of the story.
Winner: Doctor Sleep
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Plot, Characterization, and Themes
Unlike most horror films, both The Shining and its sequel are more focused on exploring the ramifications of emotional trauma. As a result, both films are dense on themes and character rather than focusing just on the surface-level, shock-and-awe elements. While The Shining is certainly no slouch in terms of providing believable character motivations, it’s also far more ambiguous than the follow-up. Simply put, Doctor Sleep has more precise character arcs and evident themes than its predecessor, even though The Shining is far more iconic.
Winner: Doctor Sleep
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Cinematography
Although the cinematography in Doctor Sleep is certainly formidable by modern standards, The Shining is downright iconic. While John Alcott’s cinematography is unnervingly effective, it’s the latter’s quintessential use of Garrett Brown’s Steadicam work that is truly inventive. There’s no doubt that Kubrick was a master visual storyteller, and The Shining is the perfect encapsulation of this trait.
Winner: The Shining
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Direction
There’s no doubt that Doctor Sleep is a well-made movie. Not only does writer-director-editor Mike Flanagan have a specific vision for interpreting Stephen King’s source material, but he also pays loving homage to Kubrick’s horror masterpiece. However, the fact that The Shining remains one of Kubrick’s most culturally significant works leaves Flanagan with massive shoes to fill – no matter how good his directing may be.
Winner: The Shining
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Special Effects
Both Doctor Sleep and The Shining are relatively effects-free horror stories. This is probably due to the fact that they rely on psychological and emotional terror rather than over-the-top visceral imagery. While it’s hard to deny the indelible imagery of the blood coming out of the elevator, The Shining is also less reliant on special effects than Doctor Sleep. With that said, there are several moments in the sequel that prove to be superior, especially in terms of visualizing the powers and abilities of the various characters in the story.
Winner: Doctor Sleep
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Cast and Acting
Although Doctor Sleep certainly has more modern acting from its cast, it’s hard to deny the iconography of the performances from the original. From Jack Nicholson’s subtle transition into madness to Shelly Duvall’s manic performance, Kubrick’s casting is impeccable. Doctor Sleep gets extra points for recasting the iconic roles of the original rather than digitally recreating them. However, the cast of The Shining is simply too recognizable for the sequel to come close to matching it in this category.
Winner: The Shining
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Score
Perhaps one of the most crucial elements of The Shining is Wendy Carlos and Rachel Elkind’s haunting score. It’s the perfect companion to the striking visual imagery that Kubrick creates, offering an expertly crafted classical score that just happens to be synthetically produced. While the score for Doctor Sleep from the Newton Brothers offers some solid stand-alone music, the film also heavily references its predecessor. In other words, there’s no denying that The Shining has one of the most iconic scores of all time, which makes this a no-brainer.
Winner: The Shining
