This is both terrifying and surreal, but not too much to make it unwatchable...

Rating: 9/10 (3 June 2014)

I generally tend to steer clear of the 'horror' genre, because it's not really something that appeals to me. The concept of the "Saw" films is something that disgusts me, and I don't quite understand the appeal. The only foray I've made into the genre is probably "Psycho", which still has scary moments but is not overly terrifying. It was with some apprehension, therefore, that I purchased a copy of "The Shining" and decided to sit down to watch it, not really knowing what to expect. Thankfully, I enjoyed it immensely, finding it both terrifying and surreal, but not too much to make it unwatchable.
The film stars Jack Nicholson as Jack Torrance, a man hired as caretaker in a strange and isolated hotel during the winter months. A previous caretaker of the hotel went mad and murdered his family, but this does not affect Torrance, and he comes to the hotel with his wife and son, played by Shelley Duvall and Danny Lloyd. His son has supernatural powers which give him visions and premonitions, and some of these visions provide for thrilling viewing, including the iconic image of the two girls in the corridor. Over the course of the film, Torrance goes steadily madder and ends up trying to murder his family. The film gets more bizarre as it progresses, with imagery becoming more surreal and events getting scarier. Among these interesting and bizarre things are the strangely crowded hotel bar, the blood pouring from the lift, and the final shot of the film.
The film's overall pacing is quite steady, and Kubrick allows for a lot of build up until Jack actually goes 'axe-murderer' mad. However it is not uninteresting, and a lot of focus is put on the eerie hotel and how it affects the characters. Nicholson's performance is fantastic and incredibly creepy. We aren't too sure what to make of Torrance from the outset, and Nicholson makes him a fascinating person to watch. Duvall is occasionally quite annoying as the constantly crying victim of her husband's rampage, but it doesn't jar too much. Kubrick has a fantastic visual eye for the film, helping the pacing to be slow and subtle. The moving shots which follow the tricycle, the symmetrical corridors or vivid colours used all help to give the hotel an unearthly quality, making the eventual actions scarier. It's occasionally hard to follow, because some things don't make any sense, but it doesn't feel too confusing because the world of the film doesn't make much sense in nature.
And yes, it is a scary movie. There are a lot of really creepy scenes, such as one shared between Nicholson and a lady in a bathtub, and a lot of outright terrifying moments. The chase scenes and Nicholson's now famous axing down of the bathroom door put your heart right in your mouth, and are completely gripping. There are also a few jumps, but these don't feel gratuitous, and simply help to add to the excitement of the film. With "The Shining", Stanley Kubrick created a deep-thinking horror film which manages both to creep out its viewers, and give them an enjoyable time watching it.