Recently, I rewatched one of the most iconic films ever made; The Shining. I had never seen the movie in full before, so I was completely engrossed in it. I’m a big movie fanatic, and even more so a horror movie fanatic, so I felt like it was time to cross it off my list.
I quickly realized that I wasn’t watching just any horror movie. It was clear that this was an iconic piece of media, and I felt enamored watching everything play out. I thought The Shining would be some cheesy, silly flick about a haunted hotel… but I was wrong on many levels.
In short, The Shining is a movie about a man (Jack Torrence) who is hired for a job as a caretaker for the Outlook Hotel. The hotel closes in the winter months, so Jack and his family are allowed to live there while he watches over things and performs maintenance on the building. During these chilling months, both Jack and his family notice some… strange things about the hotel. Although, that’s not what we’re here to talk about and if you haven’t seen it, I don’t want to spoil it too much!
It’s been overlooked for too long: The Shining is a Christmas movie! It’s subtle, sure, but the nods are there. The film takes place over the winter months, which obviously makes it a little more festive than your typical horror film. The finale is even set outdoors, during the biggest snowstorm of the season!
Not only that, Jack and his son, Danny, are often seen wearing cozy sweaters; it really brings the whole wintery vibe of the film together. Even if we disregard the supernatural, dark parts of the plot, the movie can still be seen as a Christmas-time cliche. A father cooped up with his family during a winter storm, slowly getting more and more agitated. That’s the basic plot of countless Christmas movies!
So, when you’re trying to pick out the perfect film to watch for Christmas, don’t forget to include The Shining in your possible picks!
(Unless you aren’t into creepy, unsettling movies… then definitely don’t include it.)
The Shining is available to stream on Max.