The G.O.A.T. | 31 Nights of Horror Challenge

For this year’s 31 Nights of Horror Challenge, the Day 25 prompt was The G.O.A.T. Of course, there are some truly iconic horror movies that I could have picked. One that comes to mind is The Exorcist and The Thing, but both are already on this list. It stands to reason that my favorite horror movie of all time is also the greatest of all time and least in my opinion. It is none other than Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining (1980).

#31nightsofhorrorchallenge The G.O.A.T. The Shining (1980)

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Storyline

Haunted by a persistent writer’s block, the aspiring author and recovering alcoholic, Jack Torrance, drags his wife, Wendy, and his gifted son, Danny, up snow-capped Colorado’s secluded Overlook Hotel after taking up a job as an off-season caretaker. As the cavernous hotel shuts down for the season, the manager gives Jack a grand tour, and the facility’s chef, the ageing Mr Hallorann, has a fascinating chat with Danny about a rare psychic gift called “The Shining”, making sure to warn him about the hotel’s abandoned rooms, and, in particular, the off-limits Room 237.

However, instead of overcoming the dismal creative rut, little by little, Jack starts losing his mind, trapped in an unforgiving environment of seemingly endless snowstorms and a gargantuan silent prison riddled with strange occurrences and eerie visions. Now, the incessant voices inside Jack’s head demand sacrifice. Is Jack capable of murder?

Our Thoughts on The Shining

So many shots and scenes burrow their way into the viewer’s mind and never leave them. The filmmaking is perfect; in my opinion, this remains as Stanley Kubrick’s best film. Every frame, every scene, and every line of dialogue is masterfully helmed. Jack Nicholson’s performance here is not only his best but, without a doubt, one of the greatest of all time and Danny Loyd gives one of the greatest child performances of all time.

9.5 out of 10

Trivia

The color red is visible, either overtly or subtly, in nearly every shot of the film. This is presumably because Colorado was so named because it is another Spanish word for “red”.