Doctor Sleep 4K/Blu Ray Review (Warner Bros)

Doctor Sleep was a huge surprise to me, I didn’t expect to like it this much. It’s definitely made my top 10 for 2019, the director’s cut is even better than the already impressive theatrical cut. It took a long time for Stephen King to write this follow up to his classic The Shining & it wasn’t rushed into production until recent King remakes like IT & Pet Sematary became very popular with the mainstream audience. Mike Flanagan is an upcoming filmmaker to look out for, he has been on a roll lately. He also convinced author & producer Stephen King who has never been shy about talking about his disappointment with the original Kubrick film to let him do a direct sequel to it rather than going with the other TV version that was closer to the novel. Yes, the director’s cut is 3 hours long but there’s never a dull moment here so it doesn’t feel like it. It expands the story & characters by so much compared to the theatrical. It’s rare these days that a director actually gets to do & release his preferred version right away like this. Don’t get me wrong, the theater cut is fine & I loved it when I seen it on it’s opening week but this new version opens up so much more. This is one of the best recent Stephen King adaptations & the script will make all the die hard fans very happy. Ewan McGregor has been on fire lately, he did this back to back with Birds of Prey. Both performances were top notch, I actually think he has got better over the years. I recommend checking out his dual performances from Fargo a few years ago also. Cliff Curtis is always solid, I’ve never seen a bad role from him so far & I’ve seen most of his work. Newcomer Kyliegh Curran holds her own against her talented cast. It’s one of the better child performances that I’ve seen in a long time. Rebecca Ferguson steals the show as the charismatic villain Rose the Hat, she made the role better than what it could be. I can’t see anyone else playing that character, it’s one of those times where it’s improved over the source material. The supporting cast was very solid which includes Zahn McClarnon, Carel Struycken, Alex Essoe, Carl Lumbly, Bruce Greenwood, Emily Alyn Lind, Jacob Tremblay, Henry Thomas, Zackary Momoh (Harriet), & Jocelin Donahue (The House of the Devil). I loved how some of the smaller roles were from actresses that played the final girl in some amazing independent horror features. It also had cameos from original Danny Torrance, Danny Lloyd (The Shining). The music was top notch & it almost like it’s own character in this. 1980’s The Shining is a hard act to follow but Doctor Sleep has no problem continuing that great story, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!

Let’s talk about the high definition presentation from Warner Bros! This 2160p (1.85:1) transfer with Dolby Vision & HDR10 looks amazing in 4K! Just a heads up, the director’s cut is only available on blu ray so the theatrical cut is only 4K version on this UHD. It was a treat to go back to Overlook after all these years. They captured the original look & production design here. It has a variety of audio options that includes English: Dolby Atmos, English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1, English: Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1, French (Canada): Dolby Digital 5.1, Italian: Dolby Digital 5.1, & Russian: Dolby Digital 5.1 on this UHD disc. It sounds fantastic & the haunting score really sets the tone for everything. The dialogue is crystal clear & all the chaos is elevated here. It also loaded with various subtitles that includes English SDH, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Arabic, Danish, Finnish, Greek, Korean, Mandarin (Simplified), Norwegian, Russian, & Swedish. This is one of the best Technical releases that I’ve reviewed from Warner Bros so far, VERY impressed!!!!

Let’s discuss the special features from Warner Bros! It’s a rarity but all the extras are actually on the 4K disc. “From Shining to Sleep” is almost 5 minutes. It has interviews with director Mike Flanagan & author Stephen King. They chat about going back to the Overlook & this world for this sequel. They talk about this being a good mix of a follow up to Kubrick’s version but staying true to the actual book. They mention a few things were changed for the better. They added some stuff that was left out of the original Shining for this. They bring up how personal these movies are to King from being an alcoholic to getting sober. “The Making of Doctor Sleep: A New Vision” is almost 14 minutes. It has interviews with director Mike Flanagan, author Stephen King, special fx artist Robert Kurtzman, actors Ewan McGregor, Kyliegh Curran, Rachel Ferguson, Zahn McClarnon, Carel Struycken, Emily Alyn Lind, & various members of the production. Mike Flanagan says he was excited about a Shining sequel being made & it was a nice bonus that he was the one directing it. They chat about revisiting the classic & the inspirations for some of the characters including the True Knot. They talk about their experience. They bring up the look of some of the roles. They go over the special fx. “Return to The Overlook” is almost 15 minutes. It has interviews with various cast & crew members. They talk about getting the original work prints from the Kubrick family to recreate the iconic location exactly how it was. They mention they had less time than the original & had to tear down then do something else quick during the shoot. They chat about bringing back characters with new actors playing them for this sequel. They go over recreating some classic scenes from The Shining. They say they had fun revisiting everything, They highlight some of the special fx from the production. It also has a slipcover, a digital copy, & the director’s cut gets it’s own blu ray disc. It’s a must own for any Stephen King or horror fan. It’s available everywhere right now, CHECK IT OUT!!!!

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