The Shining (1980)
A masterpiece of modern horror.
Jack Torrance accepts a caretaker job at the Overlook Hotel, where he, along with his wife Wendy and their son Danny, must live isolated from the rest of the world for the winter. But they aren't prepared for the madness that lurks within.
| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Released | 23 May 1980 |
| Genre | Horror, Thriller |
| Director | Stanley Kubrick |
| Starring | Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall and Danny Lloyd |
| Runtime | 144 min |
| Rated | R |
| Scores | Rotten Tomatoes (average) 8.5/10 · Metacritic 68/100 · Rotten Tomatoes 84% · TMDB users 8.2/10 |
| Budget | $19 million |
| Box office | $47 million worldwide |
Where to watch The Shining
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What kind of watch this is
Stanley Kubrick directs Jack Nicholson into a slow, suffocating descent at the Overlook Hotel. The film runs 144 minutes, a duration that feels less like a runtime and more like a trap closing. It is a horror thriller built on the quiet dread of isolation, where the building itself seems to feed on the occupants' sanity. The tension does not rely on sudden shocks but on the creeping realization that the winter will not end as planned. It is a masterpiece of modern horror, as the tagline insists, though the true horror is simply watching Nicholson’s face go blank.
What the critics said
Rotten Tomatoes sits at 84% as of January 2026. That is a solid number, though perhaps lower than the film’s cult status suggests. Metacritic lands on 68 out of 100 in the same period, a score that signals mixed feelings rather than universal acclaim. The gap between the two platforms is wide enough to raise eyebrows. One might argue the house was more haunted than the reviews.
What came next for the cast
Jack Nicholson moved from Chinatown and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest to The Departed and Mars Attacks! Scatman Crothers left The Shootist behind for Twilight Zone: The Movie. Shelley Duvall transitioned from Nashville to Time Bandits and Frankenweenie. The credits list what followed, not what the film caused.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched The Shining.
Sources
- The Shining on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q186341 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “The Shining (film)” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
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