Mike Flanagan’s Doctor Sleep is an ambitious sequel that rests on now hallmark auteur signatures, if to a fault. The “Hill House” architect proves himself one of the era’s most compassionate horror storytellers in the way his characters deal with empathy, addiction, and trauma – but Flanagan’s overall vision is hampered by Stanley Kubrick comparisons and Stephen King’s source novelization. Where Kubrick took King’s words and charted his own nightmare experience (much to King’s dismay), Flanagan seems slavishly dedicated to the source. The result? A swollen running time that scores some nostalgic wins, feels otherwise recycled, and loses grip of the larger original narrative while tossing in “Kingiverse” Easter Eggs until your basket runneth over.

Dan Torrance (Ewan McGregor), to no shock, harbors deep psychological wounds after his experience at the Overlook Hotel. Now an adult, he numbs his “Shining” with hopelessness and liquor. The thing is,...