Room 237

Room 237 presents a mosaic of theories about hidden meanings in Stanley Kubrick's The Shining. The film doesn't pretend to be a sober analysis but collects diverse takes from five contributors whose readings differ wildly. Viewers are guided through a trail of clues: visual motifs, symbolic details, and snippets of the original film, all layered with voice over, animation, and dramatic reenactments. The documentary treats interpretation as a collaborative puzzle, inviting the audience to weigh each argument while questioning how cinema creates meaning. It stays focused on possibilities rather than delivering a single agreed upon truth, keeping the conversation lively and provocative.

Rodney Ascher directs this crowd sourced meditation on The Shining, assembling five separate viewpoints into a single mosaic. Released in 2012, the film blends voice over narration with clips, animation and staged reenactments.

Room 237 has become a touchstone for cinephiles who treat films as encoded texts. It helped popularize the idea that Kubrick hid political and historical references in The Shining, sparking ongoing debates online and in classrooms about how films invite interpretation.

Critics were divided on Room 237, with many praising its feverish curiosity while others saw it as an exercise in obsessive theorizing. The film foregrounds how interpretation thrives on ambiguity, inviting viewers to doubt certainty and to consider cinema as a collaborative act of meaning making.

Box office earnings were modest, with Room 237 grossing about 259 thousand dollars worldwide. The limited release found an avid, cult audience rather than broad commercial appeal.