Review of The Shining (1980) by Ben T — 29 Oct 2016

SPOILERS.

A masterpiece of horror cinema and one of the best horror movies of all time. While this film follows the original Stephen King book very loosely I think that's a good thing as this movie is about a million times more scary than the mediocre King novel. Stanley Kubrick brilliantly directs this film as it's never boring and from the very start there is this building sense of unease and dread. Jack Nicholson is amazing. I know King was not a big fan with the choice of Nicholson for Jack Torrance but it is one of the best casting choices ever. Right from the start you can tell there is something off about the character so when he eventually does go mad it doesn't feel like it came out of nowhere. Shelley Duvall is also very good. While Kubrick's treatment of her during production is infamous and towards the last act of the film she looks like she's been pulled through a hedge backwards she's still very good. Kubrick's goal seems to have been to put Nicholson and Duvall at odds which is conveyed brilliantly. Danny Lloyd who plays Danny while being very young during filming and not actually knowing he was in a proper horror film he's brilliant. He starts out a bit wooden but by the end of the film he's great. The Shining is an infamous horror movie and while it isn't consistently scary from the start to the end it's still has its fair share of terrifying moments. The scene with the twin girls has become a part of pop culture and it's a super creepy moment. Without a doubt though the scary moment in the film is the whole room 237 sequence. It's a fantastic and completely nerve wracking and terrifying scene. The whole third act is also incredibly intense. The 'Here's Jonny' scene is a very tense scene and yet again it's become a part of pop culture. The Shining is an amazing movie and it's almost perfect except for one flaw. My only flaw is that we get a lot of scenes of Dick Halloran traveling to the Overlook Hotel that when he finally gets there and is killed instantly it's a big letdown and feels like a lot of build up for little payoff. However The Shining is a fantastic movie. The cinematography and very creepy score enhances every scene and does a great job of putting the viewer on edge. The film has amazing directing, fantastic acting and is technically near perfect. The open ending also means that you won't soon be forgetting this gem. A+.