20 times cinema defined obsession and we couldn't look away

Modified Jan 20, 2025 03:10 ET

12) Jack Torrance in The Shining (1980)

Jack Torrance’s ambition to write his novel and prove himself as a provider drives his obsession. His isolation at the Overlook Hotel, combined with its sinister influence, pushes him into madness. As Jack becomes fixated on his work and increasingly violent toward his family, his descent into psychosis becomes inevitable. His obsession destroys him and nearly destroys his family. Jack’s unraveling remains one of cinema’s most chilling depictions of how ambition and isolation can lead to ruin.