When it comes to bringing Stephen King’s intricate and often chilling worlds to the silver screen, the track record is, to put it mildly, uneven. However, Mike Flanagan’s Film Doctor Sleep stands out as a shining exception, firmly placing itself among the most successful King adaptations. This achievement is particularly noteworthy considering the numerous lackluster and even dreadful attempts over the past forty years. What makes Flanagan’s success even more remarkable is that Doctor Sleep marks his second triumph in adapting King, following his critically acclaimed Netflix adaptation of the supposedly unfilmable novel, Gerald’s Game.
The magic behind Flanagan’s successful King adaptations, including Doctor Sleep, isn’t really magic at all. It’s a deep understanding of what truly captivates readers in King’s work. Like masters of King adaptations before him, such as Frank Darabont and Rob Reiner, Flanagan grasps that the core appeal isn’t solely the horror elements. He recognizes that while King’s stories are punctuated with supernatural scares and gory details – elements that are certainly enjoyed by fans – the real immersion and enduring love for these books stem from the meticulously crafted worlds and profoundly human characters that populate them.
Stephen King’s novels, and Doctor Sleep is a prime example, draw readers in because they are fundamentally character-driven narratives. The horror serves as a backdrop for exploring the journeys these characters undertake as they confront terrifying events, navigate complex relationships, and forge powerful bonds. For a film adaptation to truly resonate, it must capture this warmth and humanity that King imbues within his protagonists. The director’s cut of Doctor Sleep, which is the version most widely praised, masterfully achieves this. It encapsulates that unique “King tone” – a distinct atmosphere and emotional resonance that often gets lost in Hollywood’s interpretations of his work.
While film Doctor Sleep is undoubtedly a triumph, a minor personal reservation lingers. Flanagan chose to adapt what some consider to be a lesser novel in King’s bibliography. Given the vast landscape of King’s later works, one can’t help but wonder what Flanagan could have achieved with novels like Bag of Bones or Duma Key. These, while also imperfect, possess elements that seem perfectly aligned with Flanagan’s storytelling strengths – the potential for haunting, beautifully Gothic genre films, crafted by a director with an old-school narrative approach and deeply humanist sensibilities.
However, this is a minor quibble in the face of Doctor Sleep‘s overall excellence. The film is a genuine treat for dedicated Stephen King fans and genre enthusiasts alike. Its underperformance at the box office remains a puzzling disappointment. The movie is visually stunning, boasting exceptional cinematography, and the cast – particularly Rebecca Ferguson, Kyliegh Curran, and Zahn McClarnon – deliver outstanding performances. The film’s deliberate pacing is perfectly suited to the narrative’s unfolding tension and character development. Therefore, accolades are due to Mike Flanagan (who is reportedly now adapting King’s Lovecraftian novel Revival). In an era where Reiner and Darabont are less active in King adaptations, Flanagan stands as perhaps the most promising beacon of hope for King fans yearning for faithful and masterful cinematic interpretations of their beloved author’s work, and film Doctor Sleep is a testament to his capabilities.
