A sentence in my first column piqued the interest of a fellow co-worker of mine. This led into a long conversation about horror movies and one question that is still racking my brain and needs to be settled.
What is the greatest horror movie of all time?
Yes, I have seen “The Conjuring 2” 16 times in the last year and a half, but I have to admit something, it is not the greatest horror movie of all time. Every time I watch it, I get the fear factor. Valak, the nun, and the Crooked Man makes my skin crawl each time I watch it, but that isn’t what makes a movie the greatest of all time, and not to an entire population.
To clarify a few things, there is a difference between a horror movie and a scary thriller, such as a slasher. This might be a controversial take, but it's crucial to my argument. Now, to answer the question, it is not “The Exorcist."
I just don’t think there is a horror movie more disturbing than “The Shining.” A classic for any generation, this is one of the most memorable movies that I have watched. There are scenes that I can picture in my head now, scenes that make me a little nervous to turn a corner.
Even watching the trailer of this movie can make the hairs on your arm stand up. There aren’t many movies that are as culturally prominent as this one. You can look at anyone of any age and say “redrum,” or “here’s Johnny,” and they will know exactly what you are talking about.
In 2023, one of my friends dressed up as one of the Grady twins with someone for Halloween. We are still idolizing this movie over 40 years later, and we should.
The horror genre typically comes in waves. We will have a wave of demon, possession and evil spirit movies, then suddenly there is a wave of psychological horror, which will be followed up by another form of horror, such as comedy horror. Things start trending and movies get released due to the desires of the viewers. This movie, however, went to the beat of its own drum and set a precedent for the evil spirit and possession category.
There are other movies that set the tone for this specific genre, such as “The Amityville Horror” “The Conjuring” and even “The Exorcist”, but nothing compares to the impact “The Shining” had. This is a five star movie in my book, and it will be in yours, too, if you haven’t seen this movie yet. It’s simply the greatest horror movie to be made, even down to the directing, acting and editing.
