The Shining is a haunting exploration of isolation, madness, and the supernatural. At its core, the story follows Jack Torrance, a struggling writer and recovering alcoholic, who takes a job as the winter caretaker of the Overlook Hotel, an isolated mountain resort. He brings along his wife Wendy and his son Danny, who possesses the psychic ability known as "the shining." As winter settles in and the hotel becomes cut off from the outside world, Jack slowly descends into madness, driven by the hotel’s dark forces and his internal demons.
The story’s tension comes not just from the supernatural events that unfold, but from the mental collapse of Jack and the psychological strain the isolation places on the family. Both Stephen King’s novel and Stanley Kubrick’s film adaptation delve into these themes, but they do so in different ways. While the novel focuses more on Jack’s internal struggles and his battle with personal demons, Kubrick’s film is a more abstract and psychological horror experience.
At its heart, The Shining is about the destructive potential of isolation and the horrors of losing control over oneself. The Overlook Hotel serves as a metaphor for the inner darkness we all carry, which is unleashed when we are cut off from society and left alone with our thoughts. For Jack, the hotel amplifies his deepest fears, insecurities, and violent tendencies, turning him into a monster.
In Stephen King’s novel, Jack’s alcoholism and past mistakes loom large. He is a man seeking redemption, hoping to rebuild his life, but the hotel exploits his weaknesses and pushes him back toward his destructive tendencies. The horror of the novel is deeply personal—it's about Jack losing his battle with his demons and the tragic consequences for his family.
Kubrick’s film, however, takes a more ambiguous approach. While the supernatural elements are present, they are often portrayed in a way that makes the viewer question whether they are real or figments of Jack’s fractured mind. The Overlook becomes a space where reality and hallucination blur, and Jack’s descent into madness feels inevitable from the start. Kubrick’s The Shining doesn’t just explore Jack’s internal struggles but uses the environment itself—the disorienting layout of the hotel, the eerie silence, and the oppressive isolation—to create a sense of dread.
The hidden meaning behind The Shining is open to interpretation, but it often centers on themes of violence, control, and psychological disintegration. Kubrick’s film, in particular, invites multiple readings. Some believe it is a commentary on the cycle of abuse—Jack, a product of an abusive father, becomes abusive himself. Others see it as a reflection on toxic masculinity or even a metaphor for the genocide of Native Americans, as suggested by the frequent references to the hotel being built on an "Indian burial ground."
In both the book and the movie, the Overlook Hotel serves as a symbol of power—an ancient, malevolent force that corrupts and consumes those who fall under its influence. Jack’s ultimate fate in the film, where he becomes a permanent part of the hotel, trapped in a never-ending cycle of violence, underscores the idea that some forces are inescapable.
Yes, The Shining is often considered one of the scariest films ever made. However, the nature of its horror is very different from the jump scares and gore that define many horror movies today. Kubrick's The Shining builds a sense of dread through its atmosphere, the isolation of the characters, and the psychological breakdown of Jack. The hotel itself feels like a malevolent entity, and its oppressive silence adds to the feeling that something is terribly wrong, even when nothing overtly terrifying is happening on screen.
One of the film’s most effective techniques is its use of long, unbroken tracking shots that follow the characters through the hotel’s labyrinthine corridors. These shots make the viewer feel as though they are stalking the characters, adding to the sense of being watched. The Steadicam shots, often from a low angle, create a disorienting, dreamlike quality that makes the viewer feel as though they are floating through the hotel alongside the characters.
The novel, while still deeply unsettling, relies more on psychological horror. King’s depiction of Jack’s slow descent into madness, coupled with Danny’s psychic visions, creates a sense of impending doom. The supernatural elements in the book—such as the ghostly guests of the Overlook—are more explicit, but the real horror lies in watching a man lose his grip on reality and turn against the people he loves.
The Shining is terrifying in a way that lingers long after the credits roll. While some viewers may not find the film "scary" in the traditional sense—there are few jump scares, and the gore is minimal—it is the pervasive sense of dread and psychological tension that makes the movie so unsettling. Kubrick’s deliberate pacing, the eerie quiet of the Overlook, and the disturbing imagery (like the blood pouring from the elevator or the ghostly twins) combine to create a horror experience that feels more cerebral than visceral.
The novel is similarly haunting but in a different way. King’s focus on Jack’s internal struggles makes the horror more personal and tragic. While the book’s supernatural elements are more pronounced than in the film, the true terror comes from watching Jack succumb to his own worst impulses. The novel’s exploration of themes like addiction and self-destruction makes it a deeply emotional and disturbing read.
While The Shining is widely regarded as a masterpiece, both the book and the movie have their detractors. Some critics argue that Kubrick’s film, while visually stunning and atmospheric, sacrifices much of the emotional depth of King’s novel. In the book, Jack is a more sympathetic character—he’s a man trying to redeem himself but ultimately failing. In the film, Jack seems unhinged from the start, which makes his descent into madness feel less like a tragic fall and more like an inevitable outcome.
For those who prefer character-driven horror, the film’s cold, detached portrayal of Jack can be a disappointment. The novel allows readers to get inside Jack’s head, making his transformation all the more heartbreaking. Kubrick’s film, by contrast, keeps the viewer at a distance, focusing more on the atmosphere and visuals than on the characters’ inner lives.
On the flip side, some might argue that King’s novel is too explicit in its supernatural elements. The ghosts and dark forces in the Overlook are more clearly defined, which can make the horror feel less ambiguous. Kubrick’s decision to leave much of the supernatural activity open to interpretation adds a layer of psychological complexity to the film, making it scarier for some viewers.
Personally, I find both the book and the movie to be compelling in their own ways, but each has strengths and weaknesses that affect how the horror is experienced.
One of the things I appreciate most about Stephen King’s novel is the way it dives deep into Jack Torrance’s character. The novel provides a more nuanced portrayal of Jack’s internal struggles—his battle with alcoholism, his desire for redemption, and the way the Overlook preys on his weaknesses. As a reader, I felt more emotionally invested in Jack’s journey, and the tragic nature of his downfall hit harder because I understood his motivations.
On the other hand, Kubrick’s film excels in creating an eerie, unsettling atmosphere. The Overlook Hotel feels more like a living, breathing entity in the movie, and the use of disorienting camera angles and long tracking shots makes the viewer feel trapped in the hotel alongside the characters. The visuals are stunning, and the ambiguity of the supernatural elements adds to the film’s sense of psychological unease.
However, I do have some dislikes. In the movie, Jack’s descent into madness feels too sudden. From the moment Jack Nicholson appears on screen, there’s an intensity to his performance that suggests he’s already on the edge, which takes away from the slow-burn horror of the novel. I would have preferred to see a more gradual unraveling of Jack’s psyche, as in the book, where his descent feels more tragic and inevitable.
In terms of improvements, I think Kubrick’s film could have benefited from a deeper exploration of Jack’s character, while King’s novel could have toned down some of the overt supernatural elements to maintain a sense of ambiguity. If the two could somehow merge—the emotional depth of the novel with the visual and atmospheric mastery of the film—it could have created a more well-rounded horror experience.
One of the key reasons The Shining remains so scary is its ability to tap into universal fears—fear of isolation, fear of losing control, and fear of the unknown. Kubrick’s film amplifies these fears by creating a world that feels slightly "off" in every way. The hotel’s layout defies logic, the camera movements make the viewer feel like they’re being watched, and the unsettling quiet makes every sound feel ominous. Even without the overt supernatural elements, the Overlook Hotel feels like a malevolent force, slowly driving the characters—and the audience—mad.
In Stephen King’s novel, the horror is more personal. Jack’s descent into madness is both terrifying and heartbreaking because it feels so real. His battle with addiction and his desire for redemption are struggles that many readers can relate to, and watching him lose that battle is a deeply emotional experience. The supernatural elements of the Overlook serve to amplify Jack’s internal struggles, turning his personal demons into