The Shining
A family heads to an isolated hotel for the winter, where a sinister presence influences the father into violence. At the same time, his psychic son sees horrifying forebodings from both the past and the future.
Directed by Stanley Kubrick · Drama · Horror · 146 min · 1980
Trailer
Director
Stanley Kubrick
Studio
The Producer Circle Company / Peregrine Productions / Hawk Films
Release
13 Jun 1980
Runtime
146 min
Genres
Drama, Horror
Full Plot
Haunted by a persistent writer's block, the aspiring author and recovering alcoholic, Jack Torrance, drags his wife, Wendy, and his gifted son, Danny, up snow-capped Colorado's secluded Overlook Hotel after taking up a job as an off-season caretaker. As the cavernous hotel shuts down for the season, the manager gives Jack a grand tour, and the facility's chef, the ageing Mr Hallorann, has a fascinating chat with Danny about a rare psychic gift called "The Shining", making sure to warn him about the hotel's abandoned rooms, and, in particular, the off-limits Room 237. However, instead of overcoming the dismal creative rut, little by little, Jack starts losing his mind, trapped in an unforgiving environment of seemingly endless snowstorms, and a gargantuan silent prison riddled with strange occurrences and eerie visions. Now, the incessant voices inside Jack's head demand sacrifice. Is Jack capable of murder?
Cast & Characters
Jack Torrance
Jack Nicholson
Wendy Torrance, Jack's wife
Shelley Duvall
Danny "Doc" Torrance, Jack and Wendy's son
Danny Lloyd
Dick Hallorann
Scatman Crothers
Stuart Ullman
Barry Nelson
Delbert Grady
Philip Stone
Lloyd
Joe Turkel
Doctor
Anne Jackson
Larry Durkin
Tony Burton
young woman in bath
Lia Beldam
old woman in bath
Billie Gibson
Did You Know?
Made on an estimated budget of $19.0M, The Shining has grossed $44.8M worldwide — about 2.4x its budget.
Source: TMDb API · verified 2026-08-02
The Shining is part of TMDb's "The Shining Collection."
Source: TMDb API · verified 2026-08-02
Stanley Kubrick has directed 7 films in our catalog, including Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Source: theIReview.com catalog · verified 2026-08-02
Here's a summary of the article about Stanley Kubrick's film "The Shining":
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
*Technical Innovations**
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
The Steadicam was used to create smooth camera movements, allowing for more dynamic shots.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
A special mount resembling a wheelchair was designed to accommodate the operator and sound man.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
Critical Assessment
The Shining holds 8.4/10 on IMDb (1,216,349 votes), 84% on Rotten Tomatoes, 68/100 on Metacritic.
Not enough independent critic/audience score breakdown available.
Ratings as of July 30, 2026
Where to Watch
United States
United Kingdom
India
Streaming data from JustWatch via TMDb. Availability changes often — confirm on the provider before watching.
AI Verdict
AI-generatedBased on aggregated scores (8.4/10 on IMDb (1,216,349 votes), 84% on Rotten Tomatoes, 68/100 on Metacritic), this is a data-driven snapshot rather than an editorial take.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Shining's Rotten Tomatoes score?+
The Shining holds a 84% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes.
What is The Shining's IMDb rating?+
The Shining has a 8.4/10 rating on IMDb from 1,216,349 votes.
What is The Shining's Metacritic score?+
The Shining has a Metascore of 68/100 on Metacritic.
Is The Shining good? What are critics saying?+
The Shining holds 8.4/10 on IMDb (1,216,349 votes), 84% on Rotten Tomatoes, 68/100 on Metacritic.
How long is The Shining?+
The Shining has a runtime of 146 min.
Who directed The Shining?+
The Shining was directed by Stanley Kubrick.
Where can I watch The Shining?+
The Shining is available to stream, rent, or buy on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex, HBO Max Amazon Channel, Sky Go, Now TV Cinema, HBO Max, Rakuten TV, Sky Store.
Fan & Critic Buzz
The public reaction to "The Shining" has been overwhelmingly positive, with many praising the film's atmospheric tension and Kubrick's direction. Reviewers have noted that the cast, including Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, and Danny Lloyd, deliver strong performances. The film's enduring influence can be seen in its being cited as one of the greatest horror movies of all time, even by Stephen King himself.
Viewer Reviews (TMDb)
A masterpiece. Kubrick chose a perfect cast and uses the timing and music to create a greatly opressing atmosphere. Nicholson is superb, but Duval and the kid are not less good.
Andres Gomez · 10/10This rum is red, man! In spite of author Stephen King not being happy with Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of his novel, The Shining (1980) has proved to be a critical and commercial darling. It may not be in the spirit that King wanted, but it's undeniably a skillful piece of film…
John Chard · 8/10Probably my favorite of the Stephen King adaptations (though not much for many of the others save for a one or two) but not amongst Stanley Kubrick's, watched this one for the first time in many years (maybe a decade) and while I did immensely enjoyed it, and really liked Nichols…
JPV852 · 8/10If you enjoy reading my Spoiler-Free reviews, please follow my blog :) With Doctor Sleep, an almost 40-year sequel to The Shining, being released this week, now it’s the perfect time to revisit one of the greatest horror movies of all-time, as well as one of the most influential…
Manuel São Bento · 10/10"Darling, I'm not gonna hurt you. I'm just gonna bash your brains in." <i>The Shining</i> is a great example of how musical score and cinematography can elevate a movie to the best-of-the-best. I tend to agree with Stephen King that Jack Nicholson looked like a crazy loon from th…
Repo Jack · 9/10"Darling, I'm not gonna hurt you. I'm just gonna bash your brains in." The Shining is a great example of how musical score and cinematography can elevate a movie to the best-of-the-best. I tend to agree with Stephen King that Jack Nicholson looked like a crazy loon from the begin…
Repo Jack · 9/10"Jack Torrance" is a writer who suffers from a chronic lack of inspiration. To help overcome his block, he takes a job as a winter caretaker and relocates his family to the remote, huge, "Overlook Hotel" where he hopes he can focus! Gradually, the bleak Arctic conditions outside…
CinemaSerf · 7/10
From the trailer's comments
What makes this movie so scary is the fact that it's from the perspective of someone having a psychological nightmare. The thought of someone from our own family having the capacity to kill us is something we all should fear. That's what makes this horror movie so unique.
@joshuabrooks4907 · 991 likesBecause Danny Lloyd was so young, and since it was his first acting job, Stanley Kubrick was highly protective of the child. During the shooting of the movie, Lloyd was under the impression that the film he was making was a drama, not a horror movie. In fact, when Wendy carries D…
@Amber_xo_133 · 1583 likes40 years later Indian cinema is still trying to match this level of intensity
@cecilmessi6972 · 374 likesIts incredible to me that this is genuinely one of the best horror movies ever made and yet it barely scratches the surface of the also excellent novel.
@lio1788 · 339 likesI'm finally going to the Overlook Hotel. I can't wait for next month
@THECARS7879 · 533 likesPeople often ask me why I believe The Shining is the best horror movie of all time. They always want me to cite a specific scene or moment. Unfortunately, theres no way to explain it without watching it from beginning to end. It builds a feeling throughout. What a masterpiece!
@therivergiveth · 153 likesThe movie was released in 1980 and this trailer was uploaded 32 years later on YouTube. And this upload was eleven years ago. It's unreal how time flies and people fades but the memories of the people long gone are stored here in this electronic server which will continue to exis…
@articulate_monkey · 88 likesThe Shining is one of the greatest and scariest psychological horror movies of all time. The story, performance's, music, images, astomphere, tension, and cinematography was so suspenseful, frightening, haunting, mysterious, thrilling, intense, eerie, creepy, and spooky 😰😱 whic…
@dejaalston8672 · 139 likes
