This Is Why Stephen King Hates Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining

Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining is one of the most acclaimed horror films in Hollywood history. The cult film, based on the book by Stephen King, is still considered the best work of Kubrick’s career. And Jack Nicholson’s role completely defined the actor’s career for decades to come.

By 2024, The Shining is considered a legitimate film classic, but that wasn’t always the case. When the film was first released in 1980, critics openly derided its psychological horror, and Kubrick and actress Shelley Duvall received Golden Raspberry nominations.

Among the film’s critics was the author of the original book. Stephen King has often stated that he dislikes the film adaptation of the book, and fans have only recently been able to figure out why.

It turns out that the writer didn’t like Kubrick’s approach to Jack Torrance’s storyline. King decided that the director had failed to develop the character in his film, changing all of the original plot twists.

“I don’t like the movie because there is no development in the character of Jack Torrance. When we first see Jack Nicholson, we immediately understand that his character is insane. All he does in the movie is get crazier. In the book, he is a man who struggles with his sanity and eventually loses it. That is a tragedy to me.” – King noticed it.

And indeed, in the book you could empathize with Torrence, which certainly cannot be said of Nicholson’s hero, who haunts the nightmares of many horror fans.

This doesn’t mean The Shining is a bad movie, though. Kubrick decided to change the plot of the book and had every right to do so. Yes, King’s Torrence and Kubrick’s Torrence are different people, but they both turned out to be great characters.