3/5 stars

Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining is regarded as one of the most ferociously terrifying horror films ever made; it is the prototypical modern horror film, constantly contested. As a celebrated perfectionist with a genius IQ, nothing enters Kubrick’s frame without reason, and it’s precisely this understanding that has lead to the creation of Rodney Ascher’s feature length documentary Room 237.

Room 237 centres on five fanatics of Kubrick’s masterpiece who illustrate their theories on the subtext of the film, along with using an array of clips to further demonstrate their ideas. Each theorist details a very different perceptual interpretation to varying degrees of plausibility and rationality. From the explicit theory relating to the genocide of Native Americans to the more absurd notion that the film acts as Kubrick’s confession of faking the Apollo 11 moon landing, it’s apparent that The Shining is not merely a disposable horror film, but something unimaginably greater. But which is the ‘true’ meaning?

The film is more entertaining than it is convincing, therefore at times you’ll be nodding your head in agreement, just as many times as you’ll be shaking your head in disbelief. There are some very interesting notions, which are in a way undermined by other remarks made. However, whether the film’s intended to be interpreted in a particular way, we shall never know. Content aside, clips used from The Shining and other films and media texts are used effectively. Then again it isn’t the most creative or inventive documentary around and as a result appears somewhat amateurish. It would have been valuable to see the contributors who make such striking and controversial remarks, appearing as just voiceovers seems unsatisfactory.

In a nutshell, Room 237 remains an insightful documentary, which will appeal to fans of Kubrick and critical theory. Whether you believe in any of the theories is to some extent irrelevant; the film’s ability to confirm the amount of scope there is for interpretation is paramount.

Tomas Badger