This 1980 Movie Was Hated and Now It Is Considered One of the Best Films of All Time

When this 1980 movie hit theaters, it was widely panned by critics, underperformed at the box office, and was even infamously nominated for two insulting awards. That is stunning since The Shining now routinely lands on lists of the greatest films ever made.

'The Shining' Was Hated and Flopped in 1980

As of March 2026, Empire Magazine's reader-voted list of the best movies of all time placed The Shining at number 34. Similarly, Variety's 2022 expert-formulated ranking of the greatest films ever has it listed at number 90, while The Guardian named it the fifth-best horror movie of all time. These are only three of many examples of times The Shining has been singled out as one of cinema's greatest titles.

It would be an understatement to say that The Shining got an extremely different reception after it opened on May 23, 1980. For example, a May 2020 The Independent article noted that the movie wasn't embraced by filmgoers after it was released. It highlighted that despite ultimately grossing roughly $45 million domestically, it wasn't even a top 10 hit in the U.S. Considering it was based on a book from a famous writer, Stephen King, was helmed by the acclaimed director Stanley Kubrick, and was headlined by a major movie star, Jack Nicholson, that is stunning.

Many movie critics were unimpressed with The Shining when it first came out. The Hollywood Reporter's 1980 review of the film is a clear example of that, as Arthur Knight wrote that the movie lacked the artistic significance he hoped for. "I tried to penetrate that significance in this outing, but I kept drawing a blank." The critic went on to write that the film failed as a horror movie. "I don’t think it works too well as an experiment in Gothic horror either." He saved his harshest criticism for the film's script, noting that the supernatural elements of the story felt unexplained. "Alas, it isn’t there! The screenplay, as written by Kubrick and Diane Johnson, never lets us in on what motivated these events."

Perhaps the most striking example of how The Shining was lambasted at the time of its release is the two dubious awards it was nominated for. In 1981, Kubrick was nominated at the Golden Raspberry Awards for Worst Director, and Shelley Duvall was given the nod for Worst Actress. Amazingly enough, Duvall's nomination was seen as so egregious that it was rescinded decades later, in 2022.

Looking back at all the criticism that The Shining received in 1980, the harsh reaction almost feels like a work of fiction today. After all, it is hard to fathom how one of the most celebrated movies that has ever been produced was ripped apart by contemporary viewers.