A struggling writer lands a winter caretaker position at the remote Overlook Hotel in the scenic Rocky Mountains. Due to the remote location and heavy winter storms Jack Torrance and his family, wife Wendy and son Danny must relocate to the Overlook Hotel for the winter season. Before Jack returns from the job interview it is revealed by Wendy to Danny’s doctor that during a drunken rage Jack dislocated Danny’s shoulder. Since the incident, Jack has been sober. Upon arrival manager Stuart Ullman gives the Torrance family a tour around the hotel where Danny meets head chef Dick Hallorann who informs Danny about a telepathic power called the Shining, Hallorann tells Danny that they both possess the strange power and advised Danny that the Overlook possesses a similar trait due to the terrible things that occurred at the hotel. Once the tour is finished the staff promptly heads home leaving the Torrance family isolated in the vast empty Overlook Hotel. As the Overlook begins to use its sinister influence to prey on the family, Danny begins to see horrific visions and Jack begins to lose touch with reality. The Torrance family finds themselves snared in the web laid out by the malevolent presence lurking in the halls of the Overlook Hotel.
The now classic film was originally met with some mixed reviews, The Shining was the only film of Kubrick’s last eleven films to receive no nominations from the Oscars or Golden Globes, receiving instead nominations at the Razzie Awards for Worst Director and Worst Actress. The film currently sits at an 82% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an average of 8.5 out of 10 and is squarely seated as a cornerstone of the horror genre. I believe the quote by Kubrick himself sums up the gut feeling of the movie the best “there’s something inherently wrong with the human personality. There’s an evil side to it. One of the things that horror stories can do is to show us the archetypes of the unconscious; we can see the dark side without having to confront it directly”.
As always, if you’ve seen the listed film, dislike the film, or just don’t believe you would like it we have provided a list of alternative choices for you to pick from: alternative-films-for-this-spooky-season
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