I am a big fan of films that explore and develop the main characters and this film did exactly that. Dan Torrance starts off as an alcoholic still traumatised over what happened to him years and it makes so much sense he'd still be affected by it. This film does a great job covering the issue of substance abuse and how an addict can head onto the road to recovery.
The performances are absolutely brilliant. Ewan McGregor is perfectly cast as Dan Torrance and Rebecca Ferguson gives a standout performance as the films main antagonist. Where a lot of film villains can fall flat and remain forgettable, her villain makes a big impact and is one of the best things about the film. Film newcomer Kyliegh Curran is also fantastic as Abra Stone.
The main star of this film though is director Mike Flanagan. He gave us a better and at times clever sequel to 2014s Ouija and he created Netflixs The Haunting of Hill House so i had a good feeling once I heard he was directing it. As someone who is able to create genuine scary moments and craft superb stories, I knew this film was in safe hands and I was not wrong. He's able to professionally craft the story and help expand the mythology of 'The Shining'. He also cleverly adds in old footage of the shining which makes sense storywise and they are very welcome throwbacks. The editing is also fantastically done.
Now I only have one bit of criticism which is i would have liked the characters get to the hotel a bit sooner than they did and spend a bit more time at the hotel but thats it. The cast and crew gave it their all and did it justice as a sequel to the shining and an adaptation of Stephen Kings novel.
The performances are brilliant, the story is plausible and the direction is incredible. Mike Flanagan has another hit on his CV and I feel this is just the beginning for him. I'm looking forward to his next production.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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