Film News South Africa

#OnTheBigScreen: Doctor Sleep, Black and Blue and We Belong Together

The films opening at South African cinemas, this week, include an adaptation of Stephen King's novel, Doctor Sleep; a fast-paced action thriller, Black and Blue; and We Belong Together.

Doctor Sleep

Directed and edited by Mike Flanagan from his own screenplay based upon the novel by Stephen King, Doctor Sleep continues the story of Danny Torrance – 40 years after his terrifying stay at the Overlook Hotel in The Shining.

Still irrevocably scarred by the trauma he endured as a child at the Overlook, Dan Torrance (Ewan Mc Gregor) has fought to find some semblance of peace. But that peace is shattered when he encounters Abra (Kyliegh Curran), a courageous teenager with her own powerful extrasensory gift, known as the “shine.”

Instinctively recognising that Dan shares her power, Abra has sought him out, desperate for his help against the merciless Rose the Hat (Rebecca Ferguson) and her followers, the True Knot, who feed off the shine of innocents in their quest for immortality.

Forming an unlikely alliance, Dan and Abra engage in a brutal life-or-death battle with Rose. Abra’s innocence and fearless embrace of her shine compel Dan to call upon his own powers as never before –daring to go back and face his fears while reawakening the ghosts of the past.

Read more.

Black and Blue

A fast-paced action thriller about a rookie cop (Naomie Harris) who inadvertently captures the murder of a young drug dealer on her body cam. After realising that the murder was committed by corrupt cops, she teams up with the one person from her community who is willing to help her (Tyrese Gibson) as she tries to escape both the criminals out for revenge and the police who are desperate to destroy the incriminating footage.

“It speaks to a universal truth about how the world around us changes if we change. If we have the courage to stand for what’s right and honest. We need more stories like this now,” says Deon Taylor, who directed from a screenplay crafted by Peter A Dowling.

We Belong Together

A recovering alcoholic college professor trying to put his life back together meets a seductive new student. She offers him a sensual escape from reality until he realises she may be insane.

Directed by Christopher B Stokes, with Draya Michelle, Charles Malik Whitfield, Elise Neal and Cassidey Fralin.

Read more about the latest and upcoming film releases.

About Daniel Dercksen

Daniel Dercksen has been a contributor for Lifestyle since 2012. As the driving force behind the successful independent training initiative The Writing Studio and a published film and theatre journalist of 40 years, teaching workshops in creative writing, playwriting and screenwriting throughout South Africa and internationally the past 22 years. Visit www.writingstudio.co.za
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