Everybody knows Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining . Hailed as probably one of the greatest horror films of all time, it still stands the test of time even forty years since its release. One aspect of this is its familiarity: it dominates pop culture. Every American comedy has spoofed parts of The Shining for their Halloween episodes. And these parts slot so well into other media because they have been integral to horror for hundreds of years — clichés, if you will. Perhaps the most important cliche used by Kubrick, is Isolation. The Overlook Hotel is cut off from the world. There’s no other staff, it sits at the top of a bleak and lonely mountain, and it is far too large for three people. The hotel can be seen as a twist on the classic Gothic haunted castle. Emptiness and solitude are integral fears for all of us: loneliness goes against the human condition. No wonder this film has such a profound impact on almost all who watch it. Is everyone at risk of losing our minds, if we are just l...