Doctor Sleep: Will Keep You Awake!

I read Stephen King's "The Shining" (1977) and also saw the legendary movie "The Shining" (1980), directed by Stanley Kubrick and starring Jack Nicholson.  I liked the book better, and their endings were different.  I haven't read King's sequel, "Doctor Sleep" (2013), but I may do so after seeing this film.  I think it's a terrific horror movie with uplifting themes of life-after-death, friendship, courage, self-discovery, and overcoming addiction, among others.  It's 2 hours and 30 minutes long, but it wasn't slow.  I didn't even look at my watch once!  Although I'm not sure, I think this movie will wind up in my Top 20 for 2019. Danny Torrance (Ewan McGregor) isn't doing well.  He's an alcoholic and he's broke.  He has the "shining" gift, but he has never gotten over his early childhood trauma at the "Overlook Hotel" (as seen in "The Shining").  Rose the Hat (the beautiful Rebecca Ferguson) and her band of evil marauders travel around the country, hunt down people with the gift of "shining," and kill them by feeding off their shining/life essence.  By doing so, they are nearly immortal. A young girl in her early teens, Abra Stone (Kyliegh Curran) has a very powerful shining gift, but Rose the Hat wants to capture her.  Rose might kill Abra and live off her essence, or possibly turn Abra and have her join their band.  Abra and Danny eventually link-up with each other and make a stand against Rose and her compatriots. The special effects are first-rate and Director Mike Flanagan gets excellent performances from the cast, especially Ferguson and newcomer Curran.  The film at times is occasionally scary and violent, but not unnecessarily so.  Robin and I both think the film is "haunting!"