"Well, hi there"
Doctor Sleep is a bold, audacious and beautiful Stephen King adaptation directed by the incredible Mike Flanagan, who not only took the risk to make a sequel of Kubrick’s cult classic The Shining but also created his own style and version out of this iconic universe, including one of the most wonderful villains.
The film introduces the True Knot, a nomadic cult that tortures children to feast on their steam. “Eat well, stay young, live long” is the motto of Doctor Sleep’s antagonist Rose the Hat played devilishly by Rebecca Ferguson. Rose and her followers are known to seek out children with special abilities and feed off their shine. By feeding off of this, they are able to stay young and live for a very long time.
“Darkness find those who shine”
Rose the Hat is obviously an evil character with no limits, but we can see her “human” side when she worries for her people’s well being. She deeply loves the True Knot and is willing to protect them at all costs just like a mother. The brutality of her actions is necessary to feed the people she loves. This does not justify her terrible actions though.
As Ferguson says: “She's a lover. She's a carer. She feeds, she hunts. She does everything that you and I do to protect the people we love. It's just that the outcome and the consequences of what she does are a little bit darker”. She is one of the most incredible villains. Despite the fact that her actions are completely evil and brutal, she represents an ideal that’s dreamt of by many. She shows her evil in such a peaceful and pleasant way that it would make any of us join the True Knot.
Ferguson is absolutely phenomenal. With her style - that can perfectly be described as a bohemian rocker chill mix - she brings magic, wickedness, and beauty, all on her own, as the devilishly seductive Rose The Hat. Rebecca's performance shows her incredible talent and elevates every scene she is in, delivering flawlessly. It is mesmerizing and easily one of the 2019's best performances; she definitely steals the show.
It is relevant to mention one particular scene with Jacob Tremblay. It is one of the most memorable and challenging scenes in Ferguson’s career and left her completely speechless. This particular scene was very difficult for the actress to film, but she managed to get it through:
“Someone said to me because I have a 12-year-old son, he said, 'is this going to be difficult for you?’ And I remember thinking — so stupid — ‘I’m an actor, for God’s sake. No, it’s not going to be bloody hard,'” Ferguson told TheWrap at the film’s junket. “I’ve never gone into a character in a way that has been difficult or hard. I’ve wanted to, it’s been sort of what I’m searching towards. [Then I heard] Action!… And I hear the scream. And I’m not kidding you, I just freeze, and I start crying…. It was so horrendous and I was so shocked.”
Rebecca Ferguson is, without a doubt, a fierce actress with immense talent and deserves all the praise she is getting for this outstanding performance. To conclude, an honorable mention to her monologue in the film about 'the Gladiators and the fall of the Roman Empire', which is an experience to witness. The Swedish actress is truly one of the modern greats.
“Yes, you run, dear. And then I will find you, and you will scream for years until you die”
