Jack Black Reveals His All-Time Favorite Movie
Jack Black once declared Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining as his all-time favorite movie, explaining that he loves the thrill of being scared.
In an interview with AV Club, the actor said, “I’m going to go with The Shining. Because I really love The Shining.”
He elaborated on why fear fascinates him, adding, “There’s just something great about being scared. I don’t know the scientific reasons for it, but there’s an exhilaration, an exploration of what it is to be alive. It’s very heavy, it’s very deep, being scared, and I see it in my kids.”
The Shining, released in 1980, initially received mixed reviews. While Jack Nicholson’s performance and the eerie setting of the Overlook Hotel were praised, some critics found the film confusing or slow-paced.
Janet Maslin of The New York Times described the story as knowing “frustratingly little rhyme or reason,” while Variety suggested that Kubrick and Nicholson had “destroyed all that was so terrifying about Stephen King’s bestseller.”
Other critics, including Pauline Kael and Gary Arnold, also felt the film didn’t deliver traditional thrills, and it was even nominated for several Razzie Awards, including Worst Actress for Shelley Duvall, a nomination that was later rescinded in 2022 due to the extreme pressures she faced during filming.
Despite this rocky start, The Shining has undergone a massive critical reappraisal over the years. Today, Rotten Tomatoes reports that 84% of 110 critics gave it a positive review, noting its “chilling, often baroque journey into madness — exemplified by an unforgettable turn from Jack Nicholson.”
Metacritic shows generally favorable reviews with a score of 68 out of 100. Many now regard it as one of the greatest horror films ever made, praised for its psychological depth, cinematography, and Nicholson’s iconic performance.
The film has influenced generations of filmmakers and is frequently cited in lists of the best horror movies. It ranks as the fifth-best horror film according to The Guardian, number one on Empire’s 50 Best Horror Movies, and appears on AFI’s 100 Years…100 Thrills list. Jack Torrance, Nicholson’s character, is also recognized as one of the top 25 greatest villains by AFI.
Critics like Roger Ebert have praised the film’s complex themes, saying that Kubrick “challenges us to decide: Who is the reliable observer? Whose idea of events can we trust? … It is this elusive open-endedness that makes Kubrick’s film so strangely disturbing.”
Shelley Duvall’s performance as Wendy Torrance is also widely celebrated. Tim Grierson of RogerEbert.com described it as “grippingly, movingly real,” noting that she captures both fear and determination while protecting her son. Critics often highlight the careful design of the Overlook Hotel, which combines grandeur with claustrophobia, creating a space that is both captivating and terrifying.
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