Jack Torrence (Jack Nicholson) gets the job as winter caretaker at the Overlook Hotel and settles in there with his wife Wendy (Shelly Duvall) and son Danny (Danny Lloyd) for the season. Whilst snowed in Jack plans to write but the Hotel has other ideas.

Based on Stephen King’s book, this is firmly a Stanley Kubrick film. Tales from the set are legendary and this is a meticulous and precise film. Every shot feels symmetrical and smooth and the hotel feels vast. Jack’s descent into madness is played out brilliantly by Nicholson whilst Duvall’s fear is tangible. Danny Lloyd has a difficult job as a child actor to convey his “Shine” but does well. What this and the Hotel’s personality really mean is never fully explained, but that seems to add to the impending fear building.

Recently declared the greatest horror film of all time by Empire magazine I was very glad to get to see this on the big screen for Halloween.