Content & Trigger Warnings for The Shining (1980)
13 content warnings identified for this movie.
Quick Summary
Yes, The Shining (1980) contains 13 content warnings : Racial slurs / racism (depicted), Death of a child, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting / emotional manipulation, Blood / medical gore, Body horror, Confined spaces (claustrophobia), Drowning / underwater scenes, Jump scares, Alcohol abuse (depicted), Child abuse / harm to children, Domestic violence / intimate partner abuse, Gore / graphic violence.
The most severe warnings are for Blood / medical gore (severity 5/5), Jump scares (severity 4/5), Child abuse / harm to children (severity 4/5), Domestic violence / intimate partner abuse (severity 4/5), Gore / graphic violence (severity 4/5).
Check the full breakdown below before you watch.
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| Warning | Severity | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Identity & Discrimination | |||
| Racial slurs / racism (depicted) | 2/5 | Referenced | The hotel is built on a Native American burial ground; racial implications discussed in analysis |
| Mental Health & Emotional | |||
| Death of a child | 2/5 | Depicted | Ghostly murdered twin children appear; previous caretaker killed his daughters |
| Forced institutionalization | 3/5 | Depicted | The family becomes effectively trapped and isolated in the Overlook Hotel, unable to leave due to the snowstorm and Jack's increasing madness. |
| Other | |||
| Gaslighting / emotional manipulation | 3/5 | Depicted | Jack is manipulated by the hotel's ghosts; questions of reality vs. madness throughout |
| Phobias & Sensory | |||
| Blood / medical gore | 5/5 | Depicted | Iconic scene of blood flooding from elevator doors, plus bloody imagery of murdered twins and other horrifying visions. |
| Body horror | 3/5 | Depicted | Decomposing corpse in the bathtub; ghostly visions of mutilated twins |
| Confined spaces (claustrophobia) | 3/5 | Depicted | Isolated hotel setting creates claustrophobia; characters trapped in bathroom and maze |
| Drowning / underwater scenes | 1/5 | Depicted | Floods of blood in hallway visions |
| Jump scares | 4/5 | Depicted | Multiple effective jump scares throughout including the twin girls and Room 237 |
| Substance Use | |||
| Alcohol abuse (depicted) | 3/5 | Depicted | Alcoholism is central to the protagonist's character; drinking and bar scenes |
| Violence & Physical Harm | |||
| Child abuse / harm to children | 4/5 | Depicted | A father actively hunts and attempts to murder his young son with an axe |
| Domestic violence / intimate partner abuse | 4/5 | Depicted | A husband becomes increasingly violent and threatens his wife and child throughout |
| Gore / graphic violence | 4/5 | Depicted | Elevator full of blood; axe murder; bloody twin girls; decomposing woman in bathtub |
Identity & Discrimination
The hotel is built on a Native American burial ground; racial implications discussed in analysis
Mental Health & Emotional
Ghostly murdered twin children appear; previous caretaker killed his daughters
The family becomes effectively trapped and isolated in the Overlook Hotel, unable to leave due to the snowstorm and Jack's increasing madness.
Other
Jack is manipulated by the hotel's ghosts; questions of reality vs. madness throughout
Phobias & Sensory
Iconic scene of blood flooding from elevator doors, plus bloody imagery of murdered twins and other horrifying visions.
Isolated hotel setting creates claustrophobia; characters trapped in bathroom and maze
Multiple effective jump scares throughout including the twin girls and Room 237
Substance Use
Alcoholism is central to the protagonist's character; drinking and bar scenes
Violence & Physical Harm
A father actively hunts and attempts to murder his young son with an axe
A husband becomes increasingly violent and threatens his wife and child throughout
Elevator full of blood; axe murder; bloody twin girls; decomposing woman in bathtub
