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!
When I think of Gothic horror, I typically imagine haunted and decaying castles, ghosts from the past, and arguments of morality. The colors are usually dark, often cool-toned, and shadowy. Part of this might be due to German Impressionism bleeding into classic American Horror films. Many of the early horror films naturally incorporated gothic elements such as fighting supernatural forces, big old houses, and religion. According to the New York Public Library, gothic fiction was established after Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto was published in 1764. The subgenre was named after the gothic castles that were often featured in earlier gothic works, such as Frankenstein and Dracula.
The aesthetic of death and decay around Gothic horror is reinforced with retellings of the most impactful gothic tales. There are countless remakes and retellings of Dracula. We just saw a new adaptation of Frankenstein from Guillermo Del Toro within the last four months. Additionally, the Hammer films from the 50’s-70’s focused on Gothic stories and helped to bolster the box we tend to place the subgenre in.
Gothic Horror Turned Southern Black Gothic
It’s easy to associate the subgenre with dread and gloom inside a Victorian mansion. However, Gothic horror has evolved with the times. There might not be an old haunted castle, but there might be an abandoned school from the 80’s. The elements of dread and decay remain, but have spread to other eerie buildings or maybe a forest. The same themes of sanity (or losing one’s sanity), death, morality, and the supernatural are still being explored, but updated and expanded with time. Gothic horror has even branched off to have its own subgenres like Gothic romance, Southern Gothic, and Urban Gothic.
Being a southern girl, I am fascinated with the Southern Gothic flavor of the subgenre. Britannica characterizes Southern Gothic as stories set in the American South with elements of the macabre and grotesque. The stories frequently tie into American history, which is riddled with ghost stories and tragedy, especially in the South. Many of the classic Gothic stories are set in Europe and take place over 100 years ago, so they feel distant to me. I haven’t been to a single decaying castle, but I have been to plenty of plantations.
Southern Gothic horror brings gloom and doom, but the color palette feels warmer. The terrors feel close to home. Black Southern Gothic films take a step closer to my heart by shifting the subgenre to a Black lens. The movies can feel like warm hugs, although they often explore America’s very dark past and present. Here are some excellent Black Southern Gothic Films you should watch right now!
Southern Black Gothic Films and Where To Stream Them
Sinners (2025)
Where to Stream: HBO Max
The world is going to have to pry Sinners from my cold, dead hands! It follows two brothers who come back home to start a business. It takes place in Clarksdale, Mississippi. The movie is dripping in Blues and Black history while incorporating so many Gothic horror elements. Instead of a big haunted Victorian house, there’s a juke joint with an implied violent past. The building is foreboding and dark against the sunny sky. The inside is old and worn. Before anything supernatural plays out, the brothers mention how they will handle the very real threat of violence from the Klan. Sinners also displays how poverty affected people and what it could drive them to do.
Religion also plays a big part in the story. We start and end the movie at church. The discussion of music and the devil is very prevalent in Black churches. Christianity isn’t the only religion included. I love the use of folk magic and the idea of “the other side.” If Sinners didn’t have enough Gothic flavor, it adds a supernatural threat with Remmick. Sinners is a must-see film!
Read our review of Sinners here!
Sugar Hill (1974)
Where to Stream: Tubi & Pluto
A lot of people might not think about Sugar Hill (1974) when they’re thinking about Gothic horror. It’s one of the first movies that comes to mind when I think of Blaxploitation films, but it has plenty of Gothic elements. The story follows Diana “Sugar” Hill as she seeks revenge on the men who killed her man. Sugar Hill takes place in Texas, AND there is an old dark house. We don’t spend a lot of time in the house, but when Sugar walks through the webs and dust, it feels like it’s straight out of a classic Gothic horror movie. She ends up going through the woods, and eventually, the dead begin to rise from the ground. It is a scene full of death and decay, and the zombies slowly rise (and I mean slowly) for revenge.
There’s also a taste of religion with Baron Samedi from Haitian Vodou. As Sugar gets her revenge, she encounters plenty of racism along the way, because is it really American without a little racism? If you’re in the mood for something fun, Sugar Hill is the way to go.
Spell (2020)
Where to Stream: Amazon Prime
Spell crept under the radar because it was released during the pandemic. The film follows Marquis (Omari Hardwick) after a plane crash in the Kentucky Appalachians, which lands him in the care of Ms. Eloise (Loretta Devine). Spell displays the use of folk magic for sinister reasons. In place of the decaying castle, there’s an isolated farmhouse creaking with age. Marquis quickly learns that his caretaker has sinister plans. He recognizes her magic, because he grew up in the area. He denounced parts of his culture that end up being integral to his salvation. As Marquis tries to escape, he tours all of the shadowy parts of the old dark house to keep the Gothic flavor intact. There are also some NASTY foot scenes that bring the grotesqueness to the screen.
Beloved (1998)
Where to Stream: VOD
Beloved is such a haunting movie. It follows Sethe, who lives with her daughter, after she takes in an old friend. A new stranger appears in the trio’s life, and strange things begin to happen. First of all, read Beloved by Toni Morrison! It is a great book, but a heavy story. While the story takes place in Ohio, which is above the Mason-Dixon line, the ghosts from the past have moved north with Sethe. Beloved demonstrates the dark decisions people will make to escape the circumstances of enslavement. The wailing ghosts are a classic staple. The dreadful atmosphere keeps you feeling uneasy. In many ways, Beloved feels like a classic Gothic horror film. It has an isolated haunted house, a ghost from the past, and discussions of morality.
Eve’s Bayou (1997)
Where to Stream: Peacock, AMC+, Shudder
I usually have to come out swinging in order to prove that Eve’s Bayou is a horror movie in the first place. There are ghosts, people die, and people use dark magic. That’s enough for me! Eve’s Bayou centers on the Baptiste family and their turmoil. The sound of the swamp and nature is woven throughout the film. This movie feels so much like home that it feels like a grandmother’s prayer. I can nearly smell the summer air. The brightness, humor, and youth in the film are contrasted by the constant fear of loss that drives many of the characters’ actions.
There’s an entire plot point that involves the mom, Roz, keeping her kids inside, because their clairvoyant auntie saw a deadly vision. One of the most haunting scenes is when Mozelle tells the story of her curse and the fate of her husbands. It feels surreal and sad, but it still has the warmth of a southern summer. You can see her telling the story while it plays out in the mirror. Her voice is doubled with the voices of her past lovers, making the monologue more eerie. This movie is Black horror homework.
Wake (2010)
Where to Stream: YouTube
If you don’t have much time, Wake is only 20 minutes long, and it’s free on YouTube! The story follows a woman, after the death of her father, who uses rootwork to get what she wants, and she wants a man. The use of folk magic and the consequences of practicing but not understanding the magic almost plays out like a warning. Wake touches on repression and how far one would go to be free themselves. It also shows how societal standards can be a prison that people put themselves in. There’s a supernatural force, and an old house, two of the primary ingredients of Gothic horror. It is an underseen, but readily available, Southern Gothic film.
If you already enjoy Gothic horror, now is a great time to explore Black Southern Gothic films. The dark themes blend well with the warm hues. Although the dive into American history can feel heavy, it’s worth the weight. These are stories that need to be told.
‘Tis February, and because of 2025’s Heart Eyes, we now celebrate Valentine’s Day. While many outlets are going to list romantic horror movies featuring the ultimate horror couples, we’re doing something different at Horror Press. We’re highlighting horror movie red flags. That way, you don’t waste your time this Hallmark season with duds who watch crap. These movies are grounds for automatic swipes to the left and leaving messages on read. Read this list to see the ultimate film filter to help you focus on more sustainable hookups, dates, and cuffing season partners.
8 Horror Movies That Are Dating Red Flags
A Serbian Film (2010)
An old pornstar agrees to do an art film only to discover it’s a snuff film. A Serbian Film is possibly the reddest of the red flags. The pedophilia and necrophilia make it a hard watch, so anyone who revisits it often should probably raise all your alarms. We try not to judge people, but this is definitely a title that will get you some bombastic side eye if you try to bring it to movie night. Would definitely not recommend spending the night after being shown this hellish title.
Any Eli Roth Movie
They’re all the same, and that’s why Eli Roth movies are the free space on this red flag bingo board. Whether it’s taking place in a cabin, a hostel, or during Thanksgiving, there is something inherently gross about a Roth film. I need a shower whenever some guy tries to convince me Roth has made any movies of note. Only people who want to be ghosted are suggesting these movies, and you should respect their wishes this February.
Alone in the Dark (2005)
A paranormal investigator looks into mysterious events that connect to his past. There is nothing nice to say about this Uwe Boll movie. It’s actually one of the few movies where I can’t even count on the design team when searching for compliments. While Christian Slater, Tara Reid, and Stephen Dorff have the misfortune of being the faces we associate with this shit fest, I’m not even letting the colorist and craft service off for their parts in this dud. When we talk about how we all love an occasional bad movie, no one means this one. This makes Alone in the Dark a red flag and alerts you that someone might not have taste.
Fear Street: Prom Queen (2025)
A 1988 prom queen race turns deadly when a killer begins slaying the candidates. Fear Street: Prom Queen is another huge red flag because it has no redeeming qualities. People who like this movie are being contrarians and should immediately lose the right to recommend movies. From the lack of energy to the unserious kills, there is no reason to swipe right on anyone pretending this movie is good. Save yourself some time and probably more ridiculously bad watches and shut it down immediately.
I’ll Always Know What You Did Last Summer (2006)
When a Fourth of July Prank goes wrong, someone dies, and their friend circle finds themselves stalked by a mysterious figure. No matter what we think of any other installment/iteration of this story, this one is the worst. This is not my franchise, but this steep decline in quality is not like the others. Anyone who likes this movie is a walking red flag and possibly the most chaotic individual you have ever met.
Men (2022)
A woman heads to the English countryside to work through trauma and discovers more horrors are awaiting her. Men should have been my last straw with Alex Garland. However, I am a damn fool and suffered through Civil War, too. Which is why I can confidently say most Garland films are a red flag for me, but Men specifically underscores all of my problems with his work. If someone likes this movie, I will need them to explain it to me like I am five years old.
Skinamarink (2022)
Two kids wake up in the middle of the night and find that all of their doors and windows are gone. Skinamarink is the embodiment of “Girl, What?” The grainy footage gives many people headaches, and too much time is dedicated to the ceiling. Listening to people suggest watching it in closets, under blankets, with headphones to fully “get it” is weird and extremely unsexy. Which is why the movie and the people forcing the mood onto it are all red flags. I don’t want to kink shame but if someone is that into ceilings then maybe we’re not a good match.
Red Christmas (2016)
A family Christmas Eve gathering is interrupted by a killer seeking revenge. I cannot think of a bigger red flag than an anti-choice Christmas movie. I like my horror to be on the correct side of feminism, and this mess feels gross from a distance. That’s why this Dee Wallace title is a huge red flag and a festive horror mood killer. I know people like to talk about the great kills in this movie, but I insist on not hooking up with guys who like this one. If for no other reason, it probably tells you where they land on Roe v. Wade and we do not have time for that.
So these are some horror red flags from our team to your group chats. Now you can’t say no one warned you about the Eli Roth filmbros, or A Serbian Film fanatics.
Happy hookups and potential dating now that you know what to be on the lookout for! Never forget that it’s okay to swipe left, force close the app, and watch better horror movies than the ones listed above.
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