The mother of all horror films

Rating: 10/10 (10 January 2006)

Stanley Kubrick was probably the most most consistently brilliant director in film history. Despite having made films in a variety of genres, there has rarely been one made that is short of classic status, and his foray into horror is quite possibly the best of it's kind.
In 'The Shining', we are basically told a small story about writer's block, in which a writer and his family look after a hotel during the winter. With no one staying there, they are completely isolated, and writer Jack, (Jack Nicholson), finds himself slowly going mad, eventually resulting in his attempted murder of his wife and child.
Kubrick was always about phychology, and he expertly creates a deeply disturbing atmosphere which slowly builds. the camera-work helps to show the vast space the family are stuck in, and the haunting soundtrack compliments this extremely well, creating plenty of tension. The acting is also about as good as it gets from everyone, though it has to be said that Jack Nicholson steals the show as the lunatic star. Overall, this is my favourite horror flick, a film that manages to grip you to the very end, and it has to be said that even the most hardened movie goers will get some chills from this masterpiece.