Doctor Sleep – A Review of the Stanley Kubrick Film The Shining

Doctor Sleep

Doctor Sleep is the sequel to Kubrick’s The Shining, and it manages to fuse a mix of horror and sci-fi genres. It borrows heavily from Kubrick’s visual palette, but avoids the emotional abyss of its predecessor.

While Kubrick’s visual style dominates the film, Doctor Sleep uses a modernized battle to bring the story to life. Its characters have to earn their keep and find a way to survive. They are also confronted with the emotional toll of their past.

The film opened softly in October 2019 and grossed $14 million on its opening weekend. Overall, it earned $31 million domestically and $72 million worldwide. The film, which had a budget of $45 million, made a loss. Luckily, the film’s director Mike Flanagan has hinted at a potential prequel for 2020.

Jack’s reappearance also evokes two characters from “The Shining,” including the bartender, Lloyd, and the overbearing Delbert Grady. Recasting classic roles can be difficult, but Flanagan manages to pull it off without the need for cheesy dialogue.

Deleted epilogue

The deleted epilogue of The Shining was revealed two years ago. The scene was shot in a hospital and was located between the shots of Jack in the snow and in a hospital. However, Kubrick removed it after the film was released in the U.S. He had an assistant remove the scene and then destroy all copies of the film, but there are some continuity Polaroids of the scene. These Polaroids are now housed in the Stanley Kubrick Archive.

While many people have been able to see the deleted epilogue, there are still many who are unable to see the film’s original version. According to Janet Maslin, the hospital scene helped maintain the film’s slow rhythm and kept the ending from being too abrupt. On the other hand, Roger Ebert wrote in his Great Movies review that the deleted epilogue “pulled a rug too far from the story.” Although Ebert does not mention seeing the deleted epilogue, he did note that the film had a different ending, with the police not finding Jack’s body.

The original ending of “The Shining” had Jack Nicholson dying in a hospital. Kubrick showed this ending to star Julian Senior before the film premiered, but he said it did not feel right for the character. The original epilogue was cut after the film was released.

The film’s ending

The film’s ending has been described as a gritty drama, a Billy Wilder comedy, a teary melodrama, and even a Basic Instinct-style thriller. However, the film’s final 20 minutes are a mystery. It is difficult to pin down the reason for the film’s ending, and there is nothing to tie up loose ends.

One critic thought that the ending endorsed suicide, and the writer for The A.V. Club felt that this ending was a blatant endorsement. During the editing process, the film was re-edited to have a different ending that would keep the story going. Ultimately, the film’s ending is bittersweet and leaves viewers wondering whether or not the characters are real. Ultimately, it is a movie about sacrifice, and the idea that two people are ghosts for each other.

The film raises a number of gendered issues, including religion-driven sexism. It also satirizes the notion of men moving like incels. This theme is further explored in the film’s final scene, when Harper’s friend Riley arrives at Harper’s house after a night of chaos. While Riley does not panic at the sight of Harper, she does notice the vicar in the distance.