This issue is made even worse by Doctor Sleep's director's cut, which while a better movie overall, adds another lengthy scene between Danny and Jack, this time with front-view close-ups that further highlight how little Thomas resembles Nicholson.

That's much to the chagrin of King, who never liked Kubrick's adaptation, feeling it lost the essence of King's work, especially in how it changed Jack from being a decent man with addiction problems into someone who seems like he's one second away from snapping even at the opening of the film. The Shining was of course adapted to film by the equally legendary director Stanley Kubrick in 1980, and while it took a few years for The Shining to truly catch on, it's now seen as an all-time classic of horror by most. Unfortunately, this hotel is full of ghosts, and young Danny has psychic powers, making for a combination not conducive to Jack's sanity. The Shining, which remains one of King's most celebrated works, tells the tale of recovering alcoholic Jack Torrance taking care of the remote Overlook Hotel during the winter, along with his wife Wendy and son Danny. However, despite many commendable qualities, the cinematic sequel Doctor Sleep ultimately let itself down by doing a disservice to one of the property's most legendary figures.

Legendary horror author Stephen King has blessed lovers of the genre with many iconic novels, and the original Shining book is no exception. The shameless alcoholic holds a job only long enough to drink his fill before fleeing the law, a fight or a jilted lover.Recasting The Shining's Jack Torrance turned out to be Doctor Sleep's biggest mistake. As he grows older and heads out on his own, he wanders aimlessly from town to town and job to job, with a bottle as his constant companion. He also writes that he “had to know” what happened to Torrance.ĭanny survives the attack by his deranged father, Jack, and the ghosts of the Overlook Hotel and lives a troubled childhood with his mother, Wendy. The Shining is one of those novels people always mention (along with Salem’s Lot, Pet Sematary and It) when they talk about which of my books really scared the bejesus out of them.” “Did I approach the book with trepidation?” King writes in a Doctor Sleep author’s note. The horrific images from the book and movie (remember the creepy woman in the Room 237 bathtub?) haunt readers and viewers decades later. Yet Doctor Sleep pales in comparison with The Shining- regarded by many people as the best King novel.

Doctor sleep sequel to the shining