The Shining (1980)

Last updated:
May 22, 2025

Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining (1980), based on Stephen King’s novel, is more than just a horror film—it’s a psychological descent into madness, isolation, and the supernatural. With unforgettable imagery, cryptic symbolism, and a chilling atmosphere, it remains one of the most talked-about horror movies of all time.

Table of Contents

Detailed Summary

Opening: Arrival at the Overlook Hotel

Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson), a struggling writer and recovering alcoholic, accepts a job as the winter caretaker of the isolated Overlook Hotel in the Colorado Rockies. He brings along his wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall) and their young son Danny (Danny Lloyd), who possesses psychic abilities known as “the shining.” These powers allow Danny to perceive past and future events, as well as sense the evil that lurks within the hotel.

The Hotel Reveals Itself

As snow traps the family inside, Danny begins having terrifying visions: twin girls, blood flooding the hallways, and a mysterious room numbered 237. Jack, meanwhile, starts to experience strange occurrences. He becomes increasingly distant, slipping into erratic and violent behavior, influenced by the hotel’s malevolent forces. The hotel seems to come alive, especially through the ghostly bartender Lloyd and a ballroom full of phantoms.

Room 237 and the Spiral Into Madness

Danny is lured into Room 237, where he encounters a terrifying apparition. Wendy finds strange bruises on him and accuses Jack, further driving a wedge between them. Jack begins seeing visions of Delbert Grady, the previous caretaker who murdered his family. Grady tells Jack he must “correct” his own family, reinforcing the hotel’s grip on his mind.

The Shining Connection

Danny reaches out psychically to Dick Hallorann (Scatman Crothers), the hotel’s cook who shares his gift of the shining. Hallorann races back through the blizzard to help, having sensed the growing danger. Meanwhile, Jack fully succumbs to madness and attacks Wendy with an axe.

Movie Ending

In the final act, Jack chases Wendy and Danny through the hotel. Wendy fends him off and helps Danny escape through a bathroom window, though she can’t get out herself. Jack then turns his attention to Danny, who runs into the snowy hedge maze outside the hotel. Using his wits, Danny retraces his steps in the snow to confuse Jack and hides behind a snowbank. Jack, howling and freezing, becomes lost in the maze.

Danny reunites with Wendy, and together they escape in Hallorann’s snowcat vehicle—though tragically, Hallorann is killed by Jack shortly after arriving at the hotel.

The final scene is famously cryptic. We see a photograph dated July 4, 1921, in the Overlook’s hallway, showing Jack among a crowd of people. This suggests Jack has either always been part of the hotel’s haunted past or has been absorbed into its evil legacy, implying the cycle of madness and violence will continue.

Are There Post-Credits Scenes?

No, The Shining does not have a post-credits scene. The story ends on a chilling and ambiguous note, with the final image of the 1921 photo serving as the film’s haunting exclamation point.

Type of Movie

The Shining is a psychological horror film, with elements of supernatural thriller and psychodrama. It’s not driven by jump scares or gore but by an intense atmosphere, dread, and escalating insanity.

Cast

Jack Nicholson as Jack Torrance
Shelley Duvall as Wendy Torrance
Danny Lloyd as Danny Torrance
Scatman Crothers as Dick Hallorann
Philip Stone as Delbert Grady
Joe Turkel as Lloyd the Bartender

Film Music and Composer

The haunting score is a mix of original compositions and existing classical pieces. Wendy Carlos and Rachel Elkind composed the eerie main theme, based on Dies Irae. The film also features works by György Ligeti, Krzysztof Penderecki, and Béla Bartók, heightening the film’s dread-filled atmosphere.

Filming Locations

Elstree Studios, England – most of the interior sets (Overlook Hotel) were filmed here.
The Timberline Lodge, Oregon – used for exterior shots of the Overlook Hotel.
Going-to-the-Sun Road, Montana – featured in the opening aerial shots.

The choice of vast, open spaces contrasted with claustrophobic interiors was central to Kubrick’s vision, making the Overlook feel both majestic and deeply unsettling.

Awards and Nominations

Though now considered a masterpiece, the film received mixed reviews upon release. It was notably snubbed by major awards and was even nominated for two Golden Raspberry Awards: Worst Director and Worst Actress. History, however, has redeemed the film—it’s now a staple of “best horror films” lists and preserved in the National Film Registry.

Behind the Scenes Insights

Stanley Kubrick was notorious for his perfectionism. He forced Shelley Duvall to do over 100 takes of the baseball bat scene, leading to her emotional and physical exhaustion.
The “Here’s Johnny!” line was improvised by Jack Nicholson and became instantly iconic.
Danny Lloyd wasn’t told he was in a horror movie. He believed it was a family drama during filming.
The typewriter used by Jack actually changes color between scenes—a subtle detail Kubrick never explained.
The elevator blood scene took 9 days to set up and 3 takes to perfect, each one requiring a full day of cleanup.

Inspirations and References

The movie is based on Stephen King’s 1977 novel, though Kubrick made major changes. While King focused more on alcoholism and the supernatural, Kubrick turned the story into a meditation on madness and fate. Kubrick also referenced Sigmund Freud, Greek tragedy, and silent film horror tropes.

Alternate Endings and Deleted Scenes

Kubrick removed an epilogue after the film’s premiere. In this deleted scene, Wendy is seen recovering in a hospital and learns from the hotel manager that Jack’s body wasn’t found. This scene was cut at the last minute, and Kubrick ordered all prints to be physically edited.

Other deleted material includes extended scenes of Danny’s visions and more background on the Overlook Hotel’s dark past.

Book Adaptations and Differences

Stephen King was famously unhappy with the film adaptation. Key differences include:

In the book, the Overlook is destroyed when the boiler explodes. In the film, it remains intact.
Jack in the book is more sympathetic, portrayed as a man battling inner demons. In the film, he’s much more unhinged from the start.
Hallorann survives in the book but is killed in the film.
The infamous hedge maze was created for the film; in the book, there are hedge animals that come to life.

Memorable Scenes and Quotes

Key Scenes

The “Here’s Johnny!” bathroom door scene.
Danny riding his tricycle through the hotel halls and encountering the Grady twins.
The elevator spilling blood.
The typewriter reveal: “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”
Wendy discovering Jack’s manuscript.

Iconic Quotes

Jack: “Here’s Johnny!”
Grady Twins: “Come play with us, Danny. Forever… and ever… and ever.”
Jack: “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”
Hallorann: “Some places are like people: some shine and some don’t.”

Easter Eggs and Hidden Details

The typewriter changes color throughout the film (from white to light grey).
The carpet pattern has become an iconic horror symbol, referenced in Toy Story 3 and Doctor Sleep.
Room 237 doesn’t exist in the real Timberline Lodge; they requested Kubrick not to use a real room number.
The photo at the end is dated July 4, 1921—suggesting Jack was always part of the hotel’s history.
Some believe the film contains subliminal messages about the Holocaust and the genocide of Native Americans—though Kubrick never confirmed this.

Trivia

Jack Nicholson ate only cheese sandwiches for two weeks before shooting to put himself in a bad mood.
The famous tricycle tracking shots were achieved using a custom-built Steadicam rig, a pioneering technique at the time.
Danny Lloyd (Danny) never acted in another major film again.
Kubrick made Nicholson write out the “All work and no play” manuscript himself—for authenticity.

Why Watch?

If you’re into slow-burning psychological horror that trades gore for dread, The Shining is essential viewing. It’s a masterpiece of atmosphere and ambiguity, with performances, direction, and imagery that continue to influence cinema decades later. It’s a movie that leaves you thinking—and unsettled—long after the credits roll.

Director’s Other Movies

Recommended Films for Fans

Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
Hereditary (2018)
Doctor Sleep (2019)
The Witch (2015)
It Follows (2014)
The Babadook (2014)
Jacob’s Ladder (1990)

The Shining (1980)