“The Shining,” a horror film based on the novel written by Stephen King, is an outstanding movie. Between the astonishing acting and the high fear factor, viewers were on the edge of their seats. So when trying to pick a good horror film on Halloween night, this movie should be #1 on your list. 

“The Shining” took the horror genre and made it a psychological thriller, leading me to rate it a fear factor of 7/10. I was never jumping out of my seat and paralyzed with fear but there were scenes that made me gasp. As you watch the movie the characters’ fears become your fears. Even though the writers took a more psychological road, I still wanted to shout at the characters “DON’T GO IN THERE.” That’s one of the best things about watching a horror movie, wanting to scream at the character to turn around and the frustration of still watching the character walk into their own grave. But, none of this would have been possible if it weren’t for the astounding actors that played the characters.

“The Shining’s” main actors each brought different aspects of the movie to life. Watching Jack Torrance, played by Jack Nicholson, slowly build the anger and insanity to kill his family was outstanding. The tension building up between him and his wife was some of the most ingenious acting performances brought to screen. Shelley Duval, who plays Wendy Torrance, was one of the best actors in the movie. Though her acting may have seemed un-exciting, she played the role perfectly. She is supposed to be a light, airy, dim-witted “housewife”, and she executed her role flawlessly. However, the acting of Danny Lloyd, who played Danny Torrance, was pure genius. At just six years old, he was able to transfer his fear through a screen, by the way he widens his eyes, or shakes when he’s having a seizure. His acting along with the others made this movie excellent.

Overall, “The Shining” is an incredible movie in terms of acting and fear factor. And even when looking at the aspects I didn’t mention such as, cinematography, music, and foreshadowing, the movie is still outstanding. This movie should definitely be on your list of movies to watch this year.