Doctor Sleep is one of the most experimental and surreal additions to the world of Stephen King movie adaptations, taking place many years after Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining and offering an eerie explanation of what happened to these characters after that film’s ending. The movie was positively received by both critics and audiences alike, with excellent performances from Rebecca Ferguson and Ewan McGregor making it one of the most engaging studio horror movies in recent memory. Mike Flanagan thrives in the world of Stephen King, and this film is clear proof.

Interestingly, Doctor Sleep makes some important changes from King’s works that have left some audiences confused about how exactly it connects to The Shining – particularly since the novel’s author has vocally criticized that film in the years since its release. There are several Stephen King movie franchises, and since some are connected and some are separate, it can sometimes be overwhelming trying to figure out which you need to watch first. Thankfully, Doctor Sleep can easily be enjoyed on its own – but it has obvious connections to The Shining that enhance it.

Doctor Sleep Is Based On Stephen King’s Sequel To The Shining

Flanagan’s Film Is An Obvious Stephen King Adaptation

Although Mike Flanagan’s Doctor Sleep makes some major changes from the book, it’s ultimately a pretty faithful adaptation that fans of Stephen King’s work will easily recognize. The book itself was released in 2013 and immediately became one of that year’s most successful and talked-about horror releases. Not only was it refreshing to see King return to such a beloved story, but the sequel did an excellent job of expanding this universe in fresh and exciting ways without changing too much about the original novel.

The book was a hit with both King superfans and more casual readers alike, forging a story that could easily be understood without too much knowledge of the original book. Incidentally, this is something that Mike Flanagan also prioritized when making the movie; it’s clearly connected to The Shining, but it’s not so тιԍнтly bound that audiences may be alienated if they haven’t seen Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 classic. King’s Doctor Sleep book won the 2013 Bram Stoker Prize for Best Novel, proving to readers around the globe that he was still on top form.

Doctor Sleep Serves As A Sequel To The Stanley Kubrick Movie

The Movie Has Many Aesthetic Connections To The Shining

Importantly, Flanagan’s Doctor Sleep is not only an adaptation of Stephen King’s book, but also a direct sequel to Stanley Kubrick’s movie. There are certain details sprinkled throughout the sequel that clearly reference Kubrick’s film, which is something that audiences were sharply on the look-out for when it was first released in 2019. There are countless ways to approach making a sequel to somebody else’s film, but Flanagan decided to embrace the stylistic changes that Stanley Kubrick made to King’s work and apply them to his own film too.

The Shining is one of the best horror movies ever made, so it makes sense that Flanagan wanted to connect his equally impressive sequel to Kubrick’s masterwork in some way beyond the names of the characters. He also references many of the same locations, employs similar camera tricks, and adopts an overall similar style that gives Doctor Sleep a very familiar atmosphere despite the narrative differences. Although Doctor Sleep was hugely underrated at the time of its release, the film has been widely reevaluated in recent years and is now seen as a fitting continuation of Kubrick’s legacy.

How Doctor Sleep’s Characters Tie Into The Ones From The Shining

The Two Films Share Many Familiar Faces

Doctor Sleep takes place several years after the events of The Shining, following an older version of Danny Torrence as he struggles with alcoholism and mental health issues caused by his telepathic abilities and childhood trauma. The film follows Danny during his years working as a hospice orderly, where he finally sees the benefits of his powers and uses them to comfort the elderly as they approach death – giving him the nickname “Doctor Sleep”. While the majority of Doctor Sleep’s characters are new, the film also features appearances from Wendy Torrence, Dick Hallorann, and The Overlook Bartender.

Many of The Shining’s characters only appear through flashbacks in Doctor Sleep, as Flanagan’s sequel is much more focused on the conflict between Danny Torrence and a supernatural cult known as the True Knot, led by Rebecca Ferguson’s villainous Rose the Hat. It’s a very unique story that’s much more self-contained than most would expect from a direct sequel, but Flanagan manages to tie everything together excellently.

There were even plans for a Doctor Sleep 2 before it was ultimately rejected, and Mike Flanagan moved on to projects such as The Haunting of Bly Manor and Midnight Mᴀss instead. This would have been a much riskier project given the lack of source material, but it proves just how much strong potential there is in this franchise. It’s unclear exactly how this would have tied into Danny Torrence’s story, but it likely would’ve further explored his conflict with the True Knot at their villainous schemes.

What Stephen King Thought Of Doctor Sleep

The Writer Felt Surprisingly Positive About Flanagan’s Movie

Stephen King has never shied away from giving his unfiltered opinions on movies inspired by his works, and Doctor Sleep seems to be one of his favorites. King famously disliked Kubrick’s The Shining, and Flanagan had to fight hard in order to get the author’s blessing to revisit this story on the big screen. In fact, the filmmaker once shared the story on his Tumblr page, claiming that he proposed certain ideas to King as a “last ditch effort” to make the story work, and King ultimately agreed.

Since the release of Doctor Sleep, both King and Flanagan have spoken about the former’s reaction to the project. Speaking with EW, Flanagan retold the story of watching Doctor Sleep for the first time with King, and shared the writer’s brief feedback: “you did a beautiful job.” The author has personally commented on the film, claiming, “everything I ever disliked about the Kubrick version is redeemed for me here.”