Surviving through the emotional turmoil and damage the events at the Overlook hotel impacted him Dan Torrance is a struggling alcoholic in recovery with Alcoholics Anonymous. Using his newfound sobriety he becomes a hospice orderly where he uses his gift, the shining, to comfort dying patients. Unknown to Dan a cult of psychics called the True Knot, led by Rose the Hat, have been artificially extending their life spans by torturing and killing kids possessing the shining and consuming the “steam” that is released. The True Knot is beginning to have to face the possibility of death due to a dwindling amount of prey, while they are feeding from a recent kill a young girl named Abra Stone senses them telepathically viewing the heinous acts. Rose senses Abra’s presence and sets her sights on Abra as the group’s next target. Abra reaches out telepathically for help when Dan senses her, the two become friends before Abra informs Dan about the True Knot and their intentions. Seeking to save his friend from the impending danger Dan agrees to help Abra stop the True Knot. Throwing Dan back into danger, paralleling the guidance and protection Dick Hallorann once gave him.
This 2019 sequel to The Shining shed the isolation and terror of the first film and chose to focus on character-driven narratives posed against a terrifying background. Generally well received, the film holds an approval rating of 78% on Rotten Tomatoes. Flanagan’s choices in the film show expertly focused decisions on staying true to the source material while also paying homage to Kubrick’s film. Dan’s journey is one that embraces the growth and recovery of both addiction and trauma, highlighted by the performance of Ewan McGregor, the story captures the heartwarming subject matter without losing the tension and terror Stephen King is known for. Flanagan is quoted as saying that The Shining is “very much about addiction, which is doom. It’s about annihilation and the destruction of a family,” while Doctor Sleep was about “recovery,” stating, “In the way that addiction feels like doom and annihilation, recovery is rebirth, and recovery is salvation, in a way.”
As always, if you’ve seen the listed film, dislike the film, or just don’t believe you would like it we have provided a list of alternative choices for you to pick from: alternative-films-for-this-spooky-season
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