The Shining

Ah, nice. Palpable dread for 2.5 hours. I hate to keep handing out 5 stars because it is messing with a good ratings curve, but this is a masterpiece, a classic, all of the above. Kubrick is a master, and I think this juuuuust beats out Paths of Glory for my favorite of his through four watches. It's really special when you watch a movie and you can sense you are witnessing one of the best ever for this genre and medium. I really like how Kubrick doesn't rely on jumpscares or gore to execute horror here. My body probably would have liked the flash in the pan scares more than the tightness in my chest for 2.5 hours. But still. Haha. Also, really quick -- something about a horror movie based around a hotel is absolutely scratching my brain right. We all have been scared about hotels and what are behind the doors of the hundreds of rooms, or the stories hotels can tell, and good god this is done well. How hotels entrap spirits to turn around and torment. It's probably not re-inventing the wheel, but it's something I bet AHS Hotel took a lot of inspo from.