The Shining is one of the most notable paradoxes in cinematic history, earning widespread praise for its haunting atmosphere and powerful performances from critics and audiences alike while novel purists and Stephen King himself have lambasted it for its diversions from the source material. Rather than lean towards connecting to fans of the film or the novel, however, writer/director Mike Flanagan (The Haunting of Hill House) has made the bold decision to bridge the divide with the latest King adaptation, Doctor Sleep, and the result falls just short of an absolute masterpiece.

  Picking up years after the events of its predecessors, we are following Danny Torrance (Ewan McGregor), now going by Dan, as he is psychologically traumatized by what happened at the Overlook Hotel. Filled with the same rage and struggles with alcoholism as his father, Dan is a soul wandering aimlessly across the States without a purpose until landing in the small town of Frazier, New Hampshire, where he decides to give up drinking and takes jobs at a tourist attraction and as a hospice nurse.

  It’s at the hospice he earns the titular nickname from his patients as he uses his resurfaced “shine” abilities to soothe them in their final moments on Earth, learning who is about to pass with the help of a cat who seemingly knows when one’s time is up.

  These small moments in which Dan comforts the dying as they struggle with the existential dread of what, if anything, will come next are some of the most rewarding, yet fleeting, of the entire film. Without giving any detailed explanation to those about to pass as to what to expect, Dan’s brief assurances that there is life beyond death are some of the most powerful to watch as McGregor delivers a quietly moving performance with just his face. A face that, despite the horrors he’s witnessed in his past, is filled with hope and relief that he’s helping to guide these desperate souls to a happier place.

  After an eight-year time jump in which Dan has a hold on his alcoholism and has made a telepathic pen pal, we are introduced to Abra Stone (Kyliegh Curran), a 13-year-old girl who shines brighter than anyone has in a long time. While she is learning the extent of her powers, she comes under the sights of Rose the Hat (Rebecca Ferguson), the leader of a group of vampire-like creatures that hunt children with various shine abilities to feed on called The True Knot. Realizing she’s in danger, Abra reaches out to Dan for help and the two hit the road to find a way to stop the group for good.

  Given the more divisive reception even almost 40 years after Kubrick’s adaptation, Flanagan seemingly had two options: stay faithful to the novel to the source material or stick to the Oscar-winning director’s vision, and yet he went with the ultimate curveball and decided to do both. Revisiting both novels and sitting down with King, the two found a path on how to remain mostly faithful to the source material while still blending elements from Kubrick’s work, and the end result is breathtaking.

  Artfully recreating some of the most chilling moments from the 1980 film, namely the flying shot over the lake near the hotel, while also paying homage to it with wardrobe choices, mannerisms in certain areas and Easter Eggs littered throughout, Flanagan delivers a sequel that honors both of its predecessors.

  In addition to a compelling narrative and homage-fueled direction, Flanagan continues his atmospheric mastery, delivering some truly chilling and occasionally terrifying moments across its mostly well-paced two and a half hours. Everything from terrifying-looking spirits to the haunting presence of The True Knot, Flanagan does well to strike fear into audiences’ hearts without having to rely on jump scares, something the director has done effectively since his 2013 breakout Oculus.

  The film’s only true flaw comes in the form of its opening act, which attempts to catch audiences up on Dan’s life since the Overlook Hotel, including some of his coping mechanisms as a kid, while also balancing his struggles in his adult life with the introductions to Rose and Abra. Much like that very long previous sentence, there is an off-kilter to the balance, with plenty of scenes focusing on Ferguson’s malevolent Rose, who we’ll come back to, but not enough of Dan or Abra to off-set it, making for a slightly sluggish-yet-still-compelling opening third of the movie.

  Once we dive into the 2011 and present-day narratives of the three leads, not only does the pace and balance start to take shape, but as do the performances. As mentioned prior, McGregor delivers in full-force a wonderful balance of hurt, comfort and anxiety as he fights his trauma and addictions to be a meaningful mentor to Abra, but it’s Ferguson who truly shines here (I’m not sorry).

  Best known for her work in the more antihero role of Ilsa Faust in the Mission: Impossible franchise, she proves to be an absolute menacing force to be reckoned with as Rose. Carrying plenty of charm as she draws in both victims and potential allies while slyly hiding darker ulterior motives, Ferguson chews up every bit of scenery she’s in even as she gives nothing but a knowing look of malice.

  Despite a slightly sluggish and imbalanced pace in the opening act, Flanagan once again proves he is a force to be reckoned with in both the horror and King adaptation genres, delivering an emotionally powerful, tonally consistent and exhilarating follow-up to both the legendary author’s original work and Kubrick’s masterpiece. In a few years and dozens more revisits, Doctor Sleep may just surpass The Shining in the same manner that Blade Runner 2049 surpassed its predecessor.