The last half-decade has had a substantial amount of works done by author Stephen King created either into Netflix adaptions or brought to the big screen. Of course, The Shining will always be the major book that King will base his reputation as an author on, but for those more familiar with his works, there are several books and short stories that were made into adaptions that eclipsed The Shining in almost every way.
The Netflix film 1922 is based on one of King's short stories that have gained little to no attention over the years. Yet, in its own right, it is a more captivating and rewarding experience than The Shining.
The Shining: Kubrick's Film Was Unique From The Book
For those that have never read Stephen King's The Shining novel, might be surprised that the film adaption was quite different than the book it was based on. It turns out, Stanley Kubrick, the director of the film, wasn't a fan of King's writings.
When King delivered him a screenplay of the film, Kubrick declined, instead, preferring his own take on the book to film adaptation. Kubrick wanted the main antagonist's motivation to be left to the viewer to decide, while King's version presented it as clearly due to supernatural intervention.
1922: Better Lead Role
It might come as a shock to most fans of the film adaptation of The Shining but the author of the book, Stephen King, was not a fan of who the director, Stanley Kubrick chose as his main antagonist. King felt Jack Nicholson's version gave it away that he was capable of a mental breakdown.
Instead of the slow burn that King had envisioned. Thomas Jane, in 1922 portrays a character that fits the narrative of someone who, over time, because of guilt falls into a state of pure insanity, unable to differentiate guilt from ghosts.
The Shining: More Twists
If there is one thing that Stephen King appreciates, it is a good twist. This usually translates to the big screen adaptions of his books. The Shining was brilliant in how it captivated audiences by keeping them on the edge of their seat. There are some twists to this day still debated on what exactly happened in the film.
Unfortunately, 1922 is a more linear film, that at times, just feels slow and monotonous as the main character loses his grip on sanity. It doesn't have the shock value that The Shining is known for.
1922: Psychological Aspects More Apparent
When it comes to Stanley Kubrick's The Shining, the main character Jack is a down on his luck writer, but while he is a little depressed about his situation, he, at first, doesn't appear to have homicidal tendencies. However, as the movie progresses, he becomes more manic because of the hotel's grip on his psyche.
In 1922, the main character is shown from the beginning exhibiting signs of mental decay and as the movie continues, cracks in his psyche become all the more apparent as the mental decay spreads into his mind, body, and soul.
The Shining: Better Ending
It doesn't matter how good a film is. If the ending is terrible, it can ruin the whole experience of the entire movie. The Netflix movie 1922 tries to leave a little ambiguity of whether the events that took place were of a supernatural or psychological origin, but it always leaned psychologically, so in the end, it left little to debate.
However, The Shining fulfilled the main character's story arc in a satisfying way, resulting in an expected but fulfilling ending that still managed to leave fans wondering the origin of his breakdown.
1922: Inevitability Factor Creates Dread
The Shining's main character, Jack, from the beginning, is holding on to his sanity by a thread. So, his introduction didn't create this looming impression of a psychological collapse from beginning to end as 1922 does. From the start, Wilf, the main character, takes drastic measures to preserve his way of life.
From the moment of his unforgivable sin, there was this inevitability factor that his mind was slowly deteriorating, resulting in something having to give. His descent into madness was thoroughly documented throughout the film, leaving moviegoers with a sense of dread throughout.
The Shining: Fans Cared More About The Family
Stephen King is a man who understands how to create lasting characters that strike a chord with book readers and moviegoers. Sadly, in the film 1922, it is just hard to care about any of the main characters. So, when a specific character meets their demise, it doesn't bring tears to viewers' eyes.
In The Shining, Jack's wife and son were people that fans cheered for and hoped that they would somehow find a way to escape the hotel in one piece. It is the connection with the characters that has made the movie so iconic.
1922: Conscience Or Ghosts
When it comes to The Shining novel, the supernatural clearly played a definite role in Jack going over the deep end. However, in the movie, the root cause of his madness was left open for interpretation as to whether this was a psychological or supernatural breach.
The same can't be said for 1922, who goes out of its way to let viewers know that their main character's conscience is working in overdrive, giving the whole ordeal a certain Edgar Allen Poe feel that makes the ending all the more ominous.
The Shining: Tension Is More Gripping
In 1922, there isn't a brewing tension between the main characters throughout the film since the murder and initial sin was committed early on. However, in The Shining, there was this growing strain between husband and wife from the beginning.
Tension filled the air around them, as Jack succumbed to madness. For fans that believe it a psychological thriller, the primary message of the film is everyone has a breaking point, that if pushed too far, they could snap without warning. Making Jack's fall, a fall of circumstance rather than psychological trauma.
1922: Plays Off Of Suffering Not Scare Tactics
One thing that The Shining has in common with many other horror films or psychological thrillers is the suspenseful scare tactic that something terrible is about to go down. Whether it involves the music changing in a scene or the typical jump-scare, this form of storytelling relies on action rather than acting.
Unlike The Shining, Zak Hilditch's 1922 doesn't play off of scare tactics; instead, it focuses on the suffering of the main character. Viewers watch with anticipation and dread as Wilf's conscience murders what sanity he has left.