Opened: May 23, 1980

Directed by: Stanley Kubrick

Starring: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd & Scatman Crothers

Though it came out long before the CGI frights of today’s horror films, The Shining still holds strong with its chilling story to give you some scares.

Aspiring writer Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) takes a job as a caretaker at the Overlook Hotel while it’s closed for the winter. His wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall) and son Danny (Danny Lloyd) accompany him. Soon, the isolation takes over them and Jack spirals into madness while Danny can see the hotel’s dark past.

Unlike the Stephen King novel, the film moves fast into the horrors. It’s more visual, which help keep the intensity up.

The downside is that Jack descends too quickly into his madness. There’s very little that would redeem his character and Nicholson is sometimes too over the top.

Final say: It’s got its good and bad points. ★★★☆☆