This Unorthodox Shudder Documentary Unpacks Horror Genius

Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining (ranked #4 on Creepy Catalog’s Scariest Movies Ever list) is one of horror’s most iconic films, infamous for Jack Nicholson’s unhinged performance, Kubrick’s alleged mistreatment of Shelley Duvall, and Stephen King’s well-documented hatred of the adaptation. But for some fans, it’s more than just a movie—it’s an obsession.

Room 237, a 2012 documentary now streaming on Shudder, follows five Shining superfans as they break down the film’s hidden meanings. They praise Kubrick’s genius, his high IQ, and his technical mastery, then launch into wild, intricate theories. Some ideas are fascinating. Others are fascinatingly bizarre. But as the film goes on, one thing becomes clear: Room 237 isn’t about The Shining. It’s about the people who can’t stop analyzing it.

Whether you see The Shining as a horror masterpiece or an overlong bore, one thing is undeniable—it refuses to be forgotten. Kubrick packed in enough Easter eggs to keep fans theorizing for decades, and Room 237 captures that obsessive energy perfectly. Watching it feels like falling down a rabbit hole of cinematic obsession, where every carpet pattern, costume, and background prop has a secret meaning.

More than a documentary about The Shining, Room 237 is a love letter to film itself—the way we watch, interpret, and sometimes lose ourselves in the movies we love.

Click here to stream Room 237 free with a Shudder subscription!