This Terrifying and Tragically Underrated Stephen King Adaptation Is Now Streaming on HBO’s Max
Bestselling author Stephen King’s work is notoriously difficult to adapt to the screen. I think that pertains (in part) to the author’s tendency to be somewhat verbose. Granted, he isn’t bloviating. But King tells stories with great depth and detail. He crafts characters who invoke an emotional response from his readers. Cutting down a 500+ page book to a 2-hour feature isn’t always an easy task. Luckily, Mike Flanagan understands exactly how to capture the essence of King’s work without losing too much in translation.
Doctor Sleep gets so much right but that didn’t translate to box office gold.
Flanagan demonstrated his keen understanding of the author’s work with his Shining sequel, Doctor Sleep. He put together a stunning follow-up effort that pleased fans and critics alike. Unfortunately, Doctor Sleep didn’t reach as wide of an audience as the studio was hoping and the film is collectively considered something of a disappointment by the mucky-mucks. But don’t let the suits’ lukewarm reaction fool you. Fans know that Doctor Sleep is anything but a disappointment. If you need further convincing, scope the trailer in the player below. If that catches your interest, head over to Max and give the film a shot.
Fortunately, the modest box office returns for Doctor Sleep didn’t dampen Flanagan and King’s enthusiasm for working together. The pair recently joined forces once again for the genre-bending picture The Life of Chuck. That joint effort won the prestigious audience award at TIFF and is now expected to be an awards season contender.
The setup for this woefully underappreciated Stephen King adaptation goes as follows:
Struggling with alcoholism, Dan Torrance remains traumatized by the sinister events that occurred at the Overlook Hotel when he was a child. His hope for a peaceful existence soon becomes shattered when he meets Abra, a teen who shares his extrasensory gift of the “shine.” Together, they form an unlikely alliance to battle the True Knot, a cult whose members try to feed off the shine of innocents to become immortal.
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