Stephen King's Best Adaptation He Hates the Most Just Landed on Max

Many authors hate adaptations of their own work – and that's normal. The writers consider their stories to be their brainchild and are reluctant to entrust their books to filmmakers.

There is a famous case that every movie buff knows in detail: Stephen King was extremely unhappy with the film version of Stanley Kubrick's The Shining. Today, no one would hesitate to call the film a classic of the genre: the dark and icy hotel setting, Jack Torrance, played by Jack Nicholson, who has gone off the rails, as well as the visionary thinking of the master – Kubrick's version still excites.

Stephen King Hated The Shining Adaptation

However, Kubrick's talent did not soften the writer's heart: Stephen King felt that Jack Nicholson was simply broadcasting his cinematic archetype of the "evil biker," and Wendy, played by Shelley Duvall, was considered by him as one of the most misogynistic characters – King did not create such a character in his novel.

King apparently didn't like the way 2001: A Space Odyssey and A Clockwork Orange director locked the evil into Jack Torrance's psyche while sidestepping the supernatural nature of the Overlook Hotel.

Kubrick's horror was not appreciated at the time of its release, not only by King – it was also panned by numerous critics, and Stanley was even nominated for the Worst Director award at the Golden Razzies – it's a good thing they didn't give it to him, because that award could never wash away such a shame.

But time put everything in its place: people could appreciate both the cold, unhurried tone of the movie and its ability to create horror with minimal means – unnaturally perfect angles, sudden splashes of the irrational, the mad grin of Jack Nicholson in one of the most striking roles of his entire brilliant career.

The Shining Finale Still Raises Many Questions

The ending of the movie is just as ambiguous. It seems that evil has been defeated – Jack will definitely not harm his wife and son now that he is stuck in the ice forever. But the Overlook Hotel itself is still there.

And the photograph that the cameraman points the camera at in the final seconds of the movie is still there. It is dated 1921 and shows the main character, who was not yet born. Coincidence? Did he magically appear there after the events of the movie? Or was he there all along and the main character is a ghost/reincarnation/hallucination?

Whatever the answer, we will never know for sure what kind of ending was actually intended. And the fact that it is still being discussed in endless essays speaks for itself.

The Shining Is Now Available for Streaming

So if you haven't revisited The Shining in a while, or haven't seen it at all, you can ponder the mysteries of both the best and worst King adaptation – The Shining is now available to watch on Max.