The Shining is a 2019 American supernatural psychological miniseries inspired by Stephen King's 1977 novel of the same name, which premiered on HBO on October 13th, 2019. The miniseries is directed by Ari Aster and features Casey Affleck as Jack Torrance, a writer struggling with alcoholism, while Kate Bosworth portrays Wendy, Jack's wife, and Jacob Tremblay plays their young son, Danny, a boy who possesses phenomenal psychic abilities, known as shining. Additionally, Danny Glover portrays Dick Halloran, a cook at the Overlook Hotel who also possesses the ability to shine. The miniseries is composed of three episodes, each 91 minutes long. The miniseries is known for taking more from Stephen King's novel, rather than focusing solely on Stanley Kubrick's vision of the novel.
Plot Synopsis[]
The story begins as Jack Torrance, a struggling author and alcoholic, takes a job as a caretaker for the isolated and historic Overlook Hotel in Colorado. He hopes the time at the hotel will allow him to improve his strained relationship with his wife and son, Wendy and Danny. Unbeknownst to Jack or Wendy, Danny possesses phenomenal psychic powers; upon meeting the Overlook's head chef, Dick Halloran, Danny discovers he also possesses the same psychic abilities, which Halloran calls shining. Halloran uses his power to warn Danny away from Room 217, and to call upon him using his powers should anything happen. The family are given a tour of the hotel, before being left to their own devices.
As the family of three attempts to get used to the isolation of the large hotel, they are stalked by a sinister supernatural presence which seems to be attracted to Danny's psychic abilities. The presence manifests itself in numerous forms and entities, taking on the appearance of past owners, caretakers, and even guests, who have died in the hotel. Eventually, Jack becomes swayed by the hotel's influence and begins drinking again, becoming more and more unhinged as time wears on.
Danny is eventually attacked by the spirit of a woman who committed suicide in the infamous Room 217. Wendy blames Jack for the incident, believing he had tried to hurt their child. The spirits, led by former caretaker, Delbert Grady, convince Jack that Wendy and Danny have turned on him and are planning to hurt him. This leads Jack to ambush Wendy, who knocks him unconscious with a bottle of alcohol and locks him in a pantry with help from Danny.
Wendy and Danny attempt to escape the hotel, but discover that the CB radio and snowmobile have been destroyed by a possessed Jack. Wendy instructs Danny to hide somewhere, while Jack is released from the pantry by Grady, who instructs him to murder Wendy and bring him Danny. Jack attacks Wendy with a roque mallet, but she manages to escape by to the manager's suite with him in hot pursuit. She locks herself inside the bathroom; Jack attempts to break the door down with the roque mallet, but Wendy slashes his hand with a razor, causing him to flee.
Eventually, Danny is found by Jack, who pursues him through the hotel. Unbeknownst to Jack or Wendy, Danny had used his shining powers to call upon Halloran, who rushes back to the Overlook, where he is ambushed by the topiary animals and Jack, who strikes him over the head with the mallet. Jack chases Danny to the top floor of the Overlook, where he briefly regains control of his senses and encourages Danny to escape with Wendy and Halloran. The entity of the hotel possesses Jack once more, heavily disfiguring him and chasing after Danny. Danny remembers that the pressure in the boiler in the basement has not been tended to and the hotel is likely to explode soon. The entity, possessing Jack, rushes to the basement to vent the pressure, but the boiler explodes, destroying the hotel and killing Jack in the process. Halloran guides Wendy and Danny to safety.
The following summer, Wendy and Danny are living in Florida with Halloran, and Wendy is attempting to recuperate from the injuries inflicted on her by Jack, while Danny grieves the loss of his father with help from Halloran.
Cast[]
- Casey Affleck as Jack Daniel Torrance
- Kate Bosworth as Wendy Torrance
- Jacob Tremblay as Danny Torrance
- Danny Glover as Dick Halloran
- Denis O'Hare as Stuart Ullman
- Ed Harris as Al Shockley
- John Carroll Lynch as Delbert Grady
- Pruitt Taylor Vince as Bill Watson/Roger
- Jill Larson as Lorraine Massey
- Laura Linney as Wendy's mother
- Ann Dowd as Unnamed psychologist