10 Horror Movie Concepts That Should NEVER Work (But Do)
8. Doctor Sleep
Resurrecting a classic, beloved IP is risky - especially when it’s one of the most well-known and loved horrors of all time (in this case, The Shining). It takes guts to try to riff on a film that people know so well and has so many intense, superhardcore defenders.
It’s no wonder then that these superhardcore fans were upset when they heard the concept for Doctor Sleep: a sequel to The Shining in which Danny Torrence pairs up with a young girl to defeat some Shine-munching baddies and revisit The Overlook.
In fairness it sounds like it would most likely be cringe, fall flat and essentially bastardise every good element of the original, but with an audience rating of 89% on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s safe to say this franchise instalment is certifiably fresh.
One of the things that made it work was having horror genius Mike Flanagan at the helm. Best known for films like Oculus, Hush and his stunning Netflix shows, Flanagan made sure to employ what he knows about suspense, emotion and climactic set-pieces to bring the film to life.
Remaining faithful to both the book and the original film, Flanagan’s thoughtful sequel captured audiences' hearts and reminded us that sometimes remakes, reboots and revisits can actually be nice.