This film gives film analysis a terrible name! The only thing the “documentary” (or visual essay or whatever you’d like to call it) does well—maybe inadvertently— is show how a piece of art can elicit not only different reactions but also a myriad of different interpretations. In this piece, however, the people giving their personal interpretations are so incredibly pompous and off target. They seem to start with a predetermined conclusion and then work backwards trying to shoehorn tiny seconds of film or tiny, obscure set props into what they seem to think is hidden subtext left for them by Kubrick, the man with “an IQ of 300”, as they mention. Could any of the things they point out be something else: like editing mistakes, continuity errors, etc.? No!! Not in these peoples minds. But when the insanity reaches its apex midway through when a “film analyst” tells us that the clouds in the sky are air brushed to look like Stanley Kubrick and they OBVIOUSLY are not, that is when I feel as if the film starts to play as a parody that is mocking film analysts and critics. If you think I’m exaggerating, just listen to the man who blathers on about how “The Shining” is actually all about the Holocaust…I kid you not! Or another egghead that talks about how it’s actually about the killing of Native Americans….and those are a few of the more “well thought out” ones. Thankfully, several people actually involved with the making of “The Shining” and Stephen King as well (who’s own feelings about Kibricks film are well known) dismissed this mess as the ramblings of a very small group of film “scholars” who have spent too much time in their ivory towers. The only thing I feel the film did well was to show us what happens when people spend too much time reading their own personal beliefs into everything they see and being concerned about what they feel and think rather than what is.

Some bits of this are really insightful and show how amazingly The Shining was constructed. Other bits are the ramblings of lunatics. Worth a watch if you don’t mind the latter.

It's all an illusion...

Absolutely ridiculous, pretentious garbage. Some people like to lay claim to a perspective because it defines them as insightful. Or so they believe. The opening narrative about being ‘terrified’ at the innocuous opening shots of scenery in The Shining turned me off immediately. Don’t waste your time on this.

This film is ridiculous, trying to link far fetched connections that just aren’t there and making statements that are pure ignorance. So much that I couldn’t make it past the first 20 minutes. A few gleaming examples stood out. First is the comments that the Torrance family brought too much luggage…they were moving there with all of their belongings, did they even read the book on which the film was loosely based? Second is the fact that the creators of this atrocity didn’t even do minimal research on where Timberline Lodge is located…hint it’s not Fort Hood, it’s on Mt. Hood just outside of Government Camp, OR. The third and final straw was the utter lack of any professionalism by having one whackos kid in the background. What a horrible bag of ridiculous conspiracy theories.

I was really invested in this doc until they went on a 15 mine rambling rant about the moon landing being fake. Disgusting conspiracy theorists.

REVIEW: I was not a fan of THE SHINING, but there was enough interest there for me to check out this documentary which came out 32 years after Kubrick's adaptation of Stephen King's horror novel. There were many changes made from book to silver screen, which is probably why King has been vocally critical of the movie. Based on this documentary, there are some out there who believe Kubrick made these changes for myriad reasons - from the genocide of the American Indian to the Holocaust to the 1969 moon landing. And these theorists have painstakingly watched frame by frame of this movie to prove their points. It's often fascinating to hear what they've come up with, but it also gets a bit tiring. I admit to rolling my eyes on more than one occasion. The Kubrick fan boys insist errors in continuity are actually symbolic of the decay of human existence. It gets to be a bit much, even when I admire their passion. Fans of the film will probably find even more here to appreciate than I did. Truth be told, I had more enjoyment with this documentary than the film itself.

I'm hoping to give the souls reading this an hour and thirty minutes of their lives back. I can't think of a more ridiculous documentary. Poorly conceived, poorly constructed and almost nothing about The Shining that is even interesting or intriguing. Basically a bunch of people ruminating with embarrassingly little evidence, about the hidden (most so hidden you never actually see them) clues inside the movie.

What a bunch of clowns. Spending all that time looking for something that isn't there. They should go outside and stare at the clouds and see what they find; which by the way one of them actually kinda did LOL. Give me a break.

Would have been much more interesting without the input of the lunkhead who repeatedly insisted that this movie was about Native Americans. It wasn't.

I feel pretty duped. It's funny because it just proves that you can say anything and visually allure anyone without any kind of trust or truth. It's all relative to the art and the lie…

Room 237 is a great documentary where various people explore the true meaning of the movie The Shinning, it's good but not outstading. Also I have no idea why Rotten Tomatoes added it to their list of the best 100 horror movies...

Absolute drivel. Did get a laugh here and there by the absurdity of it though so it gets the 1 star.

This is not a horror, but a very bad documentary about a great movie. Crackpot theory are aplenty in this movie which be better labeled a mockumentary

A few interesting theories and conspiracies with good points brought up can't help this movie from sinking into complete absurdity within the first 20 minutes of an 1 hour 40 minutes of ranting and raving. It provides interesting concepts while failing to deliver because it feels more like these people are just picking the tiniest details to connect a big picture, when they aren't looking at would could be A BIG picture. It's less good theories and more like picking out little easter eggs that don't have much merit. I'm glad that they open up with the opinions expressed are theirs and not associated with Kubrick at all, because I think he would be pissed. But if people talking about how somehow you could see a face in the clouds or a minotaur from a skier pic sounds entertaining, this "documentary" is for you.

Love The Shining, hate this documentary. Utter tosh.

This films an English teacher x conspiracy theorist wet dream. It's the very definition of "the curtains were blue so clearly the characters depressed" or maybe the curtains are just blue? What a joke haha

‘Room 237' A Gift For ‘Shining' Obsessives!

A bunch of whackadoodle conspiracy theorists and their crazy conclusions.

A fascinating introduction on how Stanley Kubrick's art can leave a profound impact on his audience.