Review of The Shining (1980) by Eero V — 25 May 2014

Kubrick's greatest achievement alongside 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Shining is a magnificent horror film that remains as creepy and chilling as it was more than three decades ago. The film has an extraordinarily ominous atmosphere, reinforced by fantastic sound design, precise editing and a stunning score by Wendy Carlos and Rachel Elkind.

Jack Nicholson's mannered and ridiculously hammy, but still ferocious and effective performance is perfectly matched by those of Shelley Duvall (whose eyes remain the scariest part of the film) and Danny Lloyd.

And no other image in any film sticks in your mind better and send more shivers than that of a frozen Jack Torrance. But this wouldn't be a Kubrick film without his trademark ambiguity; like 2001, The Shining could be and has been talked about for years, but there will never be a definitive explanation to what is happening on the screen.

The film's production process is infamous, and Stephen King, the author of the novel the film is partly based on, still hates the film, but please do yourself a favor and don't mind that; this film is an absolutely triumphant masterpiece.