This essay by Parker Finn on his favorite horror movie of all time is one of several contributed as part of Variety’s 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time package.
Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining” is not only my favorite horror film — it’s quite possibly my favorite film of all time.
Cinephiles and scholars alike have discussed and dissected “The Shining” to the point of exhaustion, which only reinforces how endlessly effective and affective Kubrick’s masterpiece remains. From its incredibly dreadful, icy, misanthropic tone to the iconic performances from Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall to the precision-crafted sets and eerie camerawork designed to burrow under the audience’s skin — “The Shining” continues to be an unforgettable experience that just exists in a category all its own.
Who can hear the opening notes of Wendy Carlos’ score and not immediately picture the speck of a yellow Volkswagen winding around a mountain road far below? Too, the idea of recalling the pattern of a carpet from a 45-year-old film sounds absurd — and yet the red-orange-brown hexagons lining the halls of the Overlook Hotel remain indelibly burnt into one’s mind.
It’s as if Kubrick set out to make a haunted house film that is in and of itself haunted — a guileful cinematic experience designed to grab ahold of the viewer and never (ever) let go.
Parker Finn is the writer and director of the horror film “Smile.” His follow-up, “Smile 2” starring Naomi Scott as a cursed pop star, releases to theaters on Oct. 18 from Paramount Pictures.
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