“Here’s Johnny”
“The Shining” is a 1980 movie directed by Stanley Kubrick. It is based on a Stephen King novel and stars Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall and Danny Lloyd.
When it first came out, people had mixed opinions, but later it became very famous and the source of many memes. It is among the Internet Movie Data Base’s (IMDB) top 100 movies.
The story follows Jack Torrance, his wife Wendy and their son Danny. They move into a hotel in the country where they are the caretakers for the winter season. Danny has a special ability to see things that others cannot and was warned not to go near Room 237.
Jack is an author who struggles with his writing, alcoholism and isolation. He slowly loses his mind and starts to chase down the family as he becomes delusional. Strange events take place and ghosts appear during the scene.
“The Shining” is a psychological horror film. It’s scary, not because of jump scares or gore and blood, but because of the strange events that take place that make the viewer feel strange.
Kubrick uses unusual camera angles and wide-angle shots that make the rooms and faces look bigger. It makes the viewer feel uncomfortable. The actors’ nervous expressions also add to the fear as Jack slips further from reality.
The movie also makes reference to American history and culture. The hotel represents America. The wall designs and blood hint at the killing of Native Americans. Jack represents the dark side of America’s past and Danny represents young people and the future.
Kubrick’s camera work, use of mirrors and editing tricks make the hotel feel like a confusing maze. The unclear events keep the audience uneasy. “The Shining” is more than a horror movie, it is a masterpiece of psychological fear. It’s on HBO Max.
The Ring- Unleashes seven days of fear
“The Ring” (2002) is one of those horror films that manages to get under your skin without needing buckets of blood or scares that make you jump. Directed by Gore Verbinski and adapted from the Japanese film “Ringu,” it follows journalist Rachel Keller (Naomi Watts) as she investigates the sudden death of her niece. What she finds is a cursed videotape that promises death to anyone who watches it within seven days.
As Rachel digs deeper, she realizes that her own son has become entangled in the curse and the investigation quickly becomes a desperate race against time.
From the start, the movie establishes a tone of quiet dread. The gray skies, constant rain and muted blue-green color palette make every scene feel heavy and unsettling. Even the silences feel loud, as though something is waiting just offscreen.
“The Ring” uses atmosphere and disturbing imagery to build tension. The videotape itself is a perfect example it’s just a series of strange, fragmented images, yet it’s so disturbing that you can’t forget it.
Naomi Watts delivers a strong performance. She portrays Rachel with just the right mix of determination and fear, which made me connect with her struggle. David Dorfman, who plays her son Aidan, is equally memorable. His unsettling maturity makes his character stand out and adds to the movie’s creepy tone.
Each clue Rachel finds drags us further into the mystery and the infamous videotape itself is unforgettable. It’s bizarre and disturbing imagery, flashing scenes of a well, a ladder, insects and distorted faces haunts you long after the movie ends. I think this tape is one of the most effective horror devices ever created, because it feels so random yet deeply wrong.
I watched the film on Hulu, and even on my first viewing, I found myself so caught up in the seven-day countdown that I was holding my breath at certain points. The movie kept me on edge from start to finish and I couldn’t stop thinking about it afterward. What makes “The Ring” so strong is that it doesn’t just scare you. It speaks to bigger fears like running out of time, death and the unknown. The seven-day countdown gives every moment extra weight and I felt that pressure even in the quietest scenes.
For me, The Ring is more than just another scary movie. It’s a horror classic that combines mystery, atmosphere and psychological tension into an unforgettable experience.
“Do you want to play a game?”
“Saw” (2004) is a horror movie about two men who wake up chained in a bathroom with no idea of who each other are or why they are there. As the movie develops, they must figure out not only why they are there, but how to escape before the clock strikes 6:00. Morning or evening is not specified, which adds to the sense of disorientation.
While “Saw” is famed for starting the “torture porn” genre, the first film in the “Saw” franchise is not nearly as gory as one may think and is by far the least gory in the series. It’s an original concept, created with mostly unknown talent and a low budget. It’s truly one of the few movies I have seen where the technical flaws add to the heart and character of the story.
I do not say this from an unbiased standpoint. “Saw” is not only my favorite horror movie, but also one of my all-time favorite films. I fell in love with it as a teenager and I cannot tell you the number of hours I spent watching the “Saw” franchise films when I was in high school. This movie set the precedent for horror films in the “Post-9/11” era and quickly became a staple of the horror film community.
I also love the story behind the production of “Saw.” It was co-written by James Wan and Leigh Whannell. The pair met in film school and quickly became friends. They eventually got their script funded by Evolution Entertainment with the guarantee that they would be directly involved in the making of the films. James Wan made his feature directorial debut with “Saw” and Leigh Whannell played one of the main characters, Adam.
“Saw” was filmed in 18 days with a budget of about $1 million. Retakes were done by the duo themselves and any holes in the film’s storyline were filled with interesting edits and still photography. The result was a completely original, unforgettable movie that completely shifted the horror genre at the time.
Despite the struggles, the film was a huge success, making its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival and working its way to widespread theatrical release in the U.S. and abroad. It was an unexpected accomplishment for a feature film, much less a horror feature.
As much as I enjoy the film, I was also inspired by the story behind it: Two friends making their dreams come true together using an original concept, all while doing something they deeply love. As someone who has studied video technology, I know the amount of blood (sometimes literally), sweat and tears it takes to make even a small production happen. To see two men only five years out of film school create their own film entirely from scratch is an inspiration that encourages me to not give up on my dreams.
“Saw” is a movie I would recommend for all horror fans and for anyone who can handle the sight of blood. It is an incredible movie that delivers unexpected twists and turns, both on and off the screen. Watch it on Tubi.
‘Midsommar’ Mystifies
“Midsommar” is a film about a couple and a group of students working on a thesis, traveling to a rural hometown in Sweden for the annual Midsommar Festival. Although charming at first, strange events begin transpiring and a once mystical town is revealed to have sinister intent.
Christian (Jack Reynor) is invited, with his friends Mark (Will Poulter) and Josh (Wiliam Jackson Harper), to attend the festival by their Swedish friend Pelle (Vilhelm Blongren).
The main protagonist, Dani (Florence Pugh), is grieving from the loss of her parents. She is easily upset and haunted by her past. Christian wants to end the relationship and manipulates Dani into going to the festival after being told he was not going. Dani’s grief makes her the perfect prey for the Harga, the tribe of the village she would come to visit.
The Midsommar Festival is described as a pagan tradition that happens every 90 years. It’s a celebration of the summer solstice that takes place in the rural Halsingland region of Sweden.
“Midsommar” is one of my favorite horror films, not for the blood and horror, but for the mystery, the meaning and the way movie twists the viewer’s mind into thinking this movie will have a happy ending.
Although the movie begins with a scene of shear horror, it doesn’t use dark colors or easy jump scares to make the viewer feel uneasy. It’s just the opposite. There are bright colors, smiles on the actors’ faces and comforting moments that catch the viewer off guard. What’s revealed is disturbing imagery, unhinged practices and the terrifying idea that a group of people can twist another’s mind and cause them to believe things that are not true and are accepted by the group as normal.
One of the frightening aspects of the movie is the idea that such manipulation can really happen. There are no monsters, magic or demons in the film, just a community of people who are wrapped in religion and unable to see their wrong doings as anything but necessary.
The film exposes Dani to suicide in a real and jarring way. Dani is first exposed to her sister killing her parents and herself. Then she is exposed to Attestupa, a ritual preformed suicide by two elderly villagers. Both scenes left the viewers watching in an eerie silence.
The attention to detail in “Midsommar” is brilliant with the hint of a sinister plot unveiled early in the movie. Disgusting images in tapestries are treated normally causing the audience to turn a blind eye. The manipulation of the protagonist is disguised as comfort, tricking Dani and the viewer into thinking everything is fine.
This movie is inexpiably a beautiful representation of grief over the loss of family. Although the film received positive recognition, I still feel it is greatly underrated. It’s an artful take on a beautiful community with horrifying events. It is available on HBO Max.
From reunion to survival, friends struggle to survive in ‘The World’s End’
Part of Edgar Wright’s “Three Flavours Cornetto” trilogy, “The World’s End” may look like just another pub-crawl comedy at first, but it blends friendship, nostalgia and apocalyptic sci-fi horror into something much deeper.
The story follows Gary King (Simon Pegg), a middle-aged man stuck in his wild teenage years, who convinces his old friends to reunite and finish their failed pub crawl, “The Golden Mile.” What starts as a night of beer and banter soon takes a strange turn when they discover that their hometown has been invaded by alien “Blanks.”
What makes this film memorable is how it balances comedy and suspense. Wright’s fast edits, sharp dialogue and clever callbacks keep the humor flowing, while the unsettling townspeople and spooky blue-blooded aliens add a real sense of unease.
Unlike many horror comedies, the tension doesn’t disappear under the jokes. In fact, the laughs make the creepy moments land even harder. For instance, the bathroom fight, where the group first realizes the truth, is a perfect example: it’s hilarious, shocking and a little disturbing all at once.
At its heart though, this isn’t just a story about surviving aliens. It’s a film about growing up, regret and the fear of change. Simon Pegg gives one of his best performances as Gary, a character who is both irritating and strangely sympathetic.
His obsession with finishing the pub crawl, even as chaos breaks out around him, shows how hard it is for him to let go of the past. This builds up to Gary’s fiery speech to the aliens, where he explains that the beauty of humanity lies in its flaws–our messiness, our ability to love and fail, and, above all, our freedom to choose.
That idea reflects Gary’s own struggle as he must decide whether to keep clinging to old memories or finally move forward.
The final act may feel a bit chaotic, and the alien showdown runs long, but the film still leaves a lasting impression with its mix of humour, tension and bittersweet nostalgia. “The World’s End” might not be the scariest movie for Halloween, but it’s a darkly funny and thoughtful story that goes beyond its genre.
For me, it stands as a hidden classic, delivering laughs, chills, and surprising emotional depth. It’s a film that deserves far more recognition than it has received. It’s available on Prime Video.
‘Cobweb’ contrasts light and dark
“Cobweb” is a 2023 American horror movie about mystery, family secrets and a liar. The film highlights the daily life of a nuclear family consisting of Carol, the mother, Mark, the father and Peter, the son. Although isolated, the family seems to live in harmony, where respect and obedience are encouraged. The film contrasts happiness and sadness, friendship and detachment, light and darkness.
Peter is a shy boy who is bullied by his schoolmate Brian, but he catches the attention of his teacher, Miss Devine. Peter has no close friends among his classmates and is forbidden by his parents to participate in the annual trick-or-treat celebration because of a girl who disappeared years ago on Halloween.
Peter is disturbed by Sarah, the name he has given to the mysterious noise coming from the wall of his bedroom, asking for help. He draws a picture about it, which concerns his teacher. Miss Devine comes to his house to talk with his mother about the strange drawing. His mother qualifies it as a figment of his imagination.
Under Sarah’s instruction, Peter takes revenge on his classmate Brian, who broke Peter’s pumpkin decoration. Peter pushes him down the stairs and Brian breaks his leg, resulting in Peter being expelled from school. The situation leads Peter’s father to lock him in the basement.
As the relationship develops, Sarah introduces herself to Peter as his older sister. She warns him about the evil nature of their parents, which caused her to run away and hide from them. She reveals a secret about a buried body in the garden.
Peter has a difficult night filled with nightmares. “Don’t let her out” was his mother’s expression of love and protection toward Peter because Sarah was a threat. As the story develops, Sarah gains power over Peter as ghastly events unfold.
“Cobweb” might be an ideal starting point for someone who wants to explore horror films. What makes it great for newcomers is its tone. The film plays more on curiosity than on jump scares or gore.
“Cobweb” shows how the horror genre can be more about storytelling and emotion than special effects. Watch it on Netflix.
