One of the best horrors ever

Rating: 10/10 (4 December 2011)

The Shining truly is an incredible film and is one of my favorite Kubrick films (it is hard to pick just one). Having watched it several times, I can say with great confidence that it is my favorite horror film ever made.
With a thousand other reviews on here, I am not going to talk much about the plot, but I will give a brief summary. Basically, Jack Torrance is a writer who takes a job to look over the Overlook Hotel (pun not intended) for the winter when it is closed. He brings his wife and son with him to live there. However, not all goes as plans and he essentially goes crazy.
I love this film for reasons I could talk about all day, but I will try to keep it short. I think the film is quite different from most horror films I have ever seen. It is filled with foreshadowing, symbolism, black comedy, and has an actual exciting story, as opposed to most horror movies that are clichéd, predictable, and just meant to scare you. Now the first time I watched it, I found the movie to be a bit on the boring side, especially the first half. I think many people might also feel this way. But after a second viewing, I definitely changed my opinion. This is for sure one of those movies that can be viewed on various levels.
I believe that above all, this film works because of the actors. Jack Nicholson was perfect for the lead role and could not have done a better job. His intensity and emotion is incomparable. Wendy Torrance, played by Shelley Duvall, received a lot of criticism for her acting, but I thought that she did a fine job. Jack Nicholson once said that the role of Wendy Torrance was "the hardest role anyone has ever had to play." Finally, Danny Lloyd, who played the son, pulled off an incredible performance.
Above all, I would highly recommend this brilliant film to anyone and everyone. This movie is definitely a contributing factor to why I consider Stanley Kubrick to be one of the greatest directors of all time.