The Scariest Part Of The Shining Isn't What You Think

The Shining is without question one of the most beloved and best regarded horror movies of all time. For many people, the ghosts are the scariest part of the movie. For others steeped in horror movie criticism, it might be the strange Overlook Hotel itself. But the actual scariest part of The Shining might not be what you think.

A lot of horror movies seem to lose their impact over time. Very few people today above elementary school age would find much to be afraid of in the Universal chillers of the '30s and '40s, despite the reputations they have as groundbreaking classics today. There is no shortage of reasons for this, including the evolving broadening of what is seen as acceptable in popular culture, viewers being desensitized to things that were shocking in past eras, and so on. Regardless of what lies behind this phenomenon, the fact is that over the course of 40 years, The Shining has maintained its reputation as one of the scariest movies ever made, and it's arguable that this reputation has only grown over that time.

A big part of its success comes from the way the film plays up the physical space: an enormous, quiet, empty hotel that maybe isn't quite as empty as advertised. The fear that we all experience in a big, empty building that anything could be lurking around the corner is made very real when Danny turns a corner on his tricycle and encounters the ghostly Grady twins, possibly the most iconic moment in a movie full of iconic images. Soon the Overlook is full to bursting with ghosts: bartenders appearing from nowhere, revelers with bleeding scalps, parties filling what should be empty ballrooms, naked ladies who aren't what they seem, and, you know. That...guy in the costume. The lingering notion that anything could be anywhere at any time the way the hotel ghosts are is one that tends to stay with viewers way more than any jump scare.

Watch the video for more about why The Scariest Part Of The Shining Isn't What You Think!

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Spirits of the Overlook | 0:19
Flood of fan theories | 1:47
No ghosts? | 3:12
The king of hate | 4:06
Scary sue | 5:19
Jack in a box | 6:34
Which room was it? | 7:13
Mirror, mirror | 8:30
Everything old is new | 9:45
Breaking the cycle | 10:50

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