Movies
Stephen King’s The Shine Explained
Welcome back to Horror Press’s Horror 101, a series of articles where we explain horror movie legends and their lore. For beginners, the confused, or just those who need a refresher, these articles are for you. Today we’ll be reaching into The Dead Zone of our minds, making Firestarter from our brain matter, and taking a trip across Stephen King’s sprawling works. Or at least I am, I have to write the article. Of course, we’re talking about “the shine,” the versatile psychic power shared by many Stephen King characters but mastered by few. Who has it, why, and what exactly is it?
Spoilers ahead for: The Shining, Doctor Sleep, The Dark Tower Series, Black House, and the Mr. Mercedes trilogy.
What is The Shining in the Stephen King Universe?
Not to be pedantic, but technically it’s just called “shine” or “the shine.” Though Dick Halloran says his grandmother called it “the shining” in the book, he uses it interchangeably with shine, and most other sources like Doctor Sleep also call it shine.
Fine. What is The Shine?
Shine is a wide set of powers, mainly psychic abilities, possessed by a number of the characters in Stephen King’s novels and short stories. Despite their radically different manifestations of shine, the likes of Carrie White from Carrie, John Coffey from The Green Mile, and Ted Brautigan from the Hearts in Atlantis all share the ability. Called by different names like “the Touch” or given no name in certain cases, the interconnected nature of Stephen King’s writings means its all shine.
Rather than an energy field people tap into, shine is almost definitively a limited resource users are born with. We know that it’s finite, as Doctor Sleep details that people with the shine also have a certain amount of “steam,” a ghostly psychic vapor released when they die painful deaths. Steam is directly proportional to the strength of their shine and degrades over time (which is why the True Knot feeds on young shine users), implying shine is expendable.
Shine is not purely mental and is influenced by the physical body, placing it on the border between tangible and intangible. Steam and by extension shine can carry disease, which transfers to the people who inhale it like the psychic vampires of the True Knot.
What Can The Shine Do?
Practically anything if you put your mind to it.
Get it? Mind? Because they’re psychic powers.
…Anyways.
The versatility of shine is unbounded, with it manifesting in its users in a number of ways. Its telepathic applications can transcend time and space, as Danny Torrance is able to speak into the past to a younger version of himself under the guise of his imaginary friend Tony.
Its telekinetic applications are devastating on both a small and large scale, as shown in the book Carrie, in which the title character destroys buildings, spreads fire across town through her psychic rage, and summons meteorites localized entirely on the White residence.
Other abilities like pyrokinesis, precognition, and mind control were less common, but just the tip of the iceberg for what those who possessed them could do. Shine could even heal the sick and possibly resurrect the dead, as shown with John Coffey from The Green Mile.
Despite how dangerous some of these abilities are, the most devastating instance of using shine would have to be what it’s capable of in Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series: destroying the multiverse. The Dark Tower’s primary antagonist (and the overarching antagonist of almost all Stephen King stories), The Crimson King channels the powers of those with shine, whom he dubs “breakers”. Their purpose? To shatter the “beams” that hold up the anchor point of all realities, the eponymous Dark Tower.
Shine’s limitless potential means the infinite potential to destroy as well.
Where Does The Shine Come From?
There are very few straightforward explanations for the origin of the Shine, but we can assume it originated with the creator of the multiverse, Gan. I’m not going to explain The Dark Tower’s cosmology until the Mike Flanagan series comes around since it’s a lot of metaphysical stuff to go over, and we don’t have enough time. Just know, shine as an energy could have originated with him, or the primordial soup he formed out of.
Even if it isn’t that old, shine has likely existed for as long as humans have. Dick Halloran claims that the psychic vampires of the True Knot and other clans have existed since early human history as some of the first nomads. Grampa Flick, the oldest of the True Knot, claims to have been around since early humans in Europe were still “[worshipping] trees,” meaning shine was present from the outset.
Who Has The Shine in the Stephen King Books?
Any living being can have the shine, and based on what Dick Halloran says everybody might, just to differing degrees.
Dick mentions in The Shining that especially intuitive or lucky people are implied to subconsciously shine, as Dick says he knew about 50 or 60 people who used it and “[didn’t] even know it,” while he had met 12 who could shine on purpose. Dick also implied that Wendy Torrance and all mothers could shine slightly in the form of motherly instincts. Even if everyone has the shine, however, the amount of shine most people can access is negligible.
We even learn in The Shining that places can have the shine, as Dick Halloran observes that The Overlook Hotel does in its own right. The Overlook was considered “greedy” by Dick and craved Danny’s shine. With its abilities, it could make inanimate objects like the topiary animals move and manifest the spirits of its victims.
How Do You Get The Shine?
There’s no reliable way to awaken the shine in people, but there is a common theme among many who have it: trauma. Something about being exposed to it allows victims to tap into their shine.
The most obvious trauma comes through abuse. After all, Danny Torrance was abused by his father Jack. Carrie White’s shine is genetic, apparently, in so far as all the women in her family had it. Still, given what the book and film show us, the White family dynamic is unhealthy for the women. They might have all just had access to it as a result of being abused and put through the wringer constantly.
In some cases, it’s physical trauma, as with Johnny Smith from The Dead Zone whose car accident subsequently unlocks his psychic abilities. Similarly, Brady Hartsfield from the Mr. Mercedes trilogy receives head trauma and is put into a similar state and accesses his own latent powers while hospitalized.
Many groups have tried to harness the power of shine and failed. Beyond the Crimson King’s forces, the clandestine government project The Shop from Firestarter and The Tommyknockers experiment with a drug named Lot-6 to force Charlie McGee’s parents to manifest their shine, which succeeds only in the short term.
In the book “The Institute”, the researchers studied the presence of the real-life BDNF protein, a high rate of which was apparently a common trait in those who possessed shine. Despite them trying to codify shine as science, it’s pretty evident that all attempts to reproduce and control it are borderline impossible.
It’s brain magic. What can you do?
Who Has The Strongest Shine?
This is obviously up for debate, but my personal answer? It’s a tie between Abra Stone from Doctor Sleep and Tyler Marshall from Black House.
Though Carrie’s telekinetic rampage and telepathic broadcast are powerful, and Charlie McGee’s explosive pyrokinesis is just as devastating, Tyler Marshall from the novel “Black House” is indicated multiple times to be the strongest breaker ever, with the potential to shatter the Dark Tower (the heart of the multiverse) by himself.
While this is impressive, it isn’t an endless supply of power impressive. Abra shines from an even younger age at considerable distances and with exceptional strength. We know her shine has to be among, if not the strongest shine ever, as Rose the Hat’s plan involves keeping Abra alive to bottle enough steam to feed the group indefinitely. At one point, she even dubs her the “Everest [of steam].” I wouldn’t be surprised if Abra’s upper limits of power are revealed to be nonexistent in a future Stephen King novel.
Is The Shine Good or Evil?
Technically, neither. It’s a neutral force that doesn’t have a sense of morality. It’s up to the user to decide what they do with it…
And that will be it for today’s Horror History 101 lesson. See you in the next class, and stay tuned to Horror Press’s social media feeds for more content concerning horror movies, television, and everything in between!
My New Year’s resolution is to spend more time watching my favorite app. Luckily, Shudder is not taking it easy on us this holiday season, so I may meet my quota this January. The streamer is bringing in the new year with quite a few bangers. We have classics from icons, a new title from the first family of indie horror, and a couple of lesser-known films that have finally found a home. So, I am obviously living for this month’s programming and think most of you will too. I have picked the five films that I believe deserve our collective attention the most. Get into each of them and start your 2026 off on the right foot.
The Best Movies to Stream on Shudder This Month
Carrie (1976)
A sheltered teen finally unleashes her telekinetic powers after being humiliated for the last time. Carrie is the reason I thought proms might be cool when I was a kid. This Brian De Palma adaptation is one of my favorite Stephen King adaptations. It is also an important title in the good-for-her subgenre. I cannot help rooting for Carrie White (Sissy Spacek) when I watch her snap at this prom and then head home to accidentally deal with her mom. The only tragedy of this evening is that Carrie had to die, too. I said what I said, and I will be hitting play again while it is on Shudder. This recommendation goes out to the other recovering sheltered girls who would be the problem if they had powers. I see you because I am you.
You can watch Carrie on January 1st.
Marshmallow (2025)
A shy 12-year-old gets sent to summer camp and finds himself in a living nightmare. While Marshmallow did not land for me, I know plenty of people who love it. Which makes this the perfect addition to the Shudder catalogue. I am actually excited to see more folks fall in love with this movie when it hits the streamer. If nothing else, it will help a few folks cross off another 2025 title if they are still playing catch-up with last year’s movies. It also gets cool points from me for not taking the easy route with the mystery it built. I hope you all dig it more than I did, and tell your friends about it. Perhaps you could even encourage them to sign up for the app.
You can watch Marshmallow on January 1st.
Chain Reactions (2024)
Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre cemented his horror legacy over fifty years ago. So, it is long overdue for a documentary where horror royalty can discuss its impact on them and their careers. I have been waiting for a couple of years to hear Karyn Kusama and Takashi Miike talk about Hooper’s work and how he inspired them. So, I am super geeked that Shudder is finally giving me the chance to see this film. The streamer is also helping the nerds out by adding The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre 2 (1986) this month. If you are also an overachieving couch potato, I will see you at the finish line next week.
You can watch Chain Reactions on January 9th.
In the Mouth of Madness (1994)
An insurance investigator discovers the impact a horror writer’s books have on people. I love chaos, and John Carpenter chaos happens to be one of my favorite kinds of chaos. While we talk about The Thing and Halloween all the time, this maestro has given us plenty of horror to celebrate. In the Mouth of Madness is very much one of those titles vying for a top spot among the best of his filmography. To sweeten the batshit pot, this movie features Sam Neill. You know that he only shows up in our genre if the movie is going to be legendary. You cannot tell me this is not a Shudder priority this month.
You can watch In the Mouth of Madness on January 10th.
Mother of Flies (2025)
A terminally ill young woman and her dad head to the woods to seek out a recluse who claims she can cure her cancer. The Adams Family has been holding court on Shudder for years, so it feels right that Mother of Flies is a Shudder Original. More importantly, this fest favorite has one of the best performances of 2025. Which makes it a great time for people to finally get to see it and get in line to give Toby Poser her flowers. Whatever you think your favorite Poser role is, it is about to change when you see her as Solveig. I am being serious when I say that this movie might be the first family of indie horror at their best.
You can watch Mother of Flies on January 23rd.
New year, but same Shudder. I would not want to go into 2026 any other way, personally. I hope these horrific recommendations bring you the good kind of anxiety. Or at least distract you from the state of the world for a bit.
I’m happy Netflix knew I would be back on my bull shit. Now that we’re in January, and the end-of-year lists are done, I’m trying to cram as many 2025 titles into my eyeballs as I possibly can. I know it sounds backwards, but it’s sadly a yearly tradition now. No matter how many titles you cram into a year, there are always a ton more you missed. Because I am broken, I need to know if I missed anything that should have been on my lists ASAP. Then I can drag myself for not getting my eyeballs on things sooner. Or worse, seeing titles that came out after my deadline and would have definitely been on there. I need to feel resentment for their schedules not letting me be great.
Luckily for me, the streamer has dropped quite a bit of new stuff recently. This includes movies and shows that I put off, or that legitimately premiered a couple of weeks ago. So, now I can spiral in the comfort of my own home as I binge all of these titles like a maniac. If you are also trying to walk into the new year stressed out, then maybe this streaming guide is for you, too.
City of Shadows (2025)
When a burned body is put on display on the facade of an iconic building, two inspectors must work together to solve the crime. I don’t know much about this Spanish thriller, but I know winter is the time for an unsettling mystery. The show is based on the first book of the Milo Malart tetralogy written by Aro Sáinz de la Maza. So, if it’s as good as I hope it is, there is a whole world with this inspector awaiting us in print. I’m ready to take all six of these episodes in one setting if the streaming Gods allow.
Frankenstein (2025)
Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, and Christoph Waltz are among the names in this newest adaptation of the beloved Gothic horror classic. Guillermo del Toro’s take on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is clearly one of the top priorities this month. While I skipped it in festivals because of the runtime, I knew I would have a date with it on Netflix this winter. While it has been on the streamer for a minute, I wasn’t able to dedicate two and a half hours to it. I also had watched my friends’ mixed reviews come in, and couldn’t take another disappointment last year. So, I saved this treat for the holiday. Fingers crossed, it is better than people are saying it is.
I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025)
A new group of friends is tormented by a new stalker in this sequel to Kevin Williamson’s other ’90s slasher. I’m indifferent to the I Know What You Did Last Summer movies. Some are less awful than others, and I think this one was fine, but I know the original source material. Which means I know just how far they stray from what the original author, Lois Duncan, was about. So, I look at these movies and the flimsy premise they repeat differently than a lot of my friends. I think it’s an interesting look at how IP gets handled in Hollywood, but I don’t usually get much out of these. Which is another reason I’m kinder to this Jennifer Kaytin Robinson film than some people. While I won’t be rewatching it this January, I think a lot of people who missed it in theaters are going to have fun with some of these kills now that it’s on Netflix.
Stranger Things: Season 5 (2025)
The long-awaited conclusion to Stranger Things is finally upon us! Will Vecna take out some of this ridiculously large cast on the way out? I hope so. Will we pretend to be surprised when Eddie Munson gets a few seconds of screentime? I refuse to play this game. However, are we all going to tune in to see how this epic ride ends? You betcha! I hate that they’re breaking this final season up into three chunks, but I will be sitting for all of them.
The first four episodes hit in November. The next three landed on Netflix on December 25, and the finale premiered on December 31. I don’t know what to expect, but I know I am so ready to close this chapter of my relationship with Netflix and the Duffer Brothers. If it is even half as good as season four, then I will be a very happy nerd.
Troll 2 (2025)
A new troll awakens, causing Nora, Andreas, and Captain Kris to find new allies to take it down. This Norwegian monster flick almost got by me, so I’m happy Netflix dropped the trailer for this one. I’m using this as an excuse to finally watch the first one. I’m thinking a double feature is in order, so I can spend a whole day with these trolls. This is not my usual type of party, but after Troll Hunter won me over, I figure anything can happen. So, I will not judge you if you’re not feeling this out of left field pick. Just know that I’m running at it with an open mind and hoping to see some carnage as a reward.
These are just the Netflix titles I’m prioritizing. This is in no way a complete overview of all of the new shows and movies they’ve added this winter. We also know that they usually have a ton of international bangers that they refuse to advertise. So, I end up stumbling over Korean titles every January and then trying to tell people we missed some really excellent stuff. So, pick up your remote and turn your phone off. It’s time to Netflix and Chill in the less sexy and more nerdy way.
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