A pioneer in the Horror movie, which has achieved the ability to scare with a perfect balance of gore and anticipation

Rating: 10/10 (20 November 2006)

This is undoubtedly the greatest Horror Film of all time. This film does not fail to thrill, excite and entertain with every aspect of the action and buildup. It has always been a true pioneer of the horror industry, seen somewhat as a marker for what all horror films should aspire to. The film stills are iconic, with shots of the darkly atmospheric corridors and of the twin girls, having many homages paid to them in films since then. I am not usually the biggest fan of the horror genre, as I often dismiss them as being overly cheesy, predictable and never quite scaring me enough. I believe for a film to be scary and successful you mustn't ignore all the finer qualities of a film, the misé en scene, lighting, sound and acting must all be spot on, as fear is a difficult human emotion to capture within an audience in a horror screening. Many films have recently tried to recapture some essence of fear in the modern cinema goer as films no longer provoke the controversy they once did. Films such as Cabin Fever and Hostel are excellent examples of the overexposure audiences are being subjected to. What I think these horror directors mistake, is that it is not fear their audiences are feeling, but disgust. People will often leave the cinemas feeling ill, rather than feeling like they got out of a chilling tale they felt akin to, and enjoyed the after movie buzz. The Shining has found the balance perfectly, and has the ability to really chill its audience with its compelling tapestry of horrors. Which are best achieved within the film as they do not oversaturate the blood and the gore, but it has all been thoroughly thought through and considered with the build up giving the gory bits maximum bite. A masterpiece by one of the greatest directors of all time.