Probably the best made film to scare me

Rating: Null/10 (8 June 2002)

"The Shining" is not the most frightening film ever made. For me, that honour belongs to the underrated cult film "Angel Heart." It is not the best horror film ever made, for me that is "The Exorcist." But "The Exorcist" cannot match this film for sheer psychological chills, and "Angel Heart" cannot match this film for sheer technical brilliance.

Stanley Kubrick is my favourite director (He should be everyone's favourite director) and his detatched, dehumanising style creates a kind of horror that is uniquely disturbing. For Kubrick, humanity is merciless and without compassion and, denied this for shelter, the audience has nowhere to hide. Most horror films spend time allowing us to bond with the characters, allow for comic relief, or create moments of human passion that remind us that no matter what happens we will always find comfort and protection somewhere in the human heart. That is not for Kubrick. Even before he goes insane, Nicholson's Jack Torrence is an isolated, cold and distant man, while his wife seems too preoccupied with controlling her own hysteria to demonstrate any compassion for her son. Danny's only friend is a spirit child named Tommy who talks to him through his little finger. The only man to show him a warm smile dies as soon as he returns to the hotel. The spare, clinical emptiness of the Overlook is a metaphor for Kubrick's style. Watching this film is like being trapped in a plain white room with a killer; there is nothing for us to dwell on but our fear.
Evil is never more terrifying than when conveyed by a cynic, and Kubrick is possibly the most cynical artist in human history. That is what makes "The Shining" so good.