Midnight Mass reveals a massive twist via a secret reference to The Shining, but what is the significance of the King/Kubrick classic in this scene?
Netflix’s new horror hit Midnight Mass features plenty of nods to genre icon Stephen King, including an explicit reference Stanley Kubrick’s adaption of The Shining. The show’s creator Mike Flanagan delivers another horror miniseries that combines chills with inter-generational drama and big existential questions. The thoughtful show addresses issues of faith, zealotry, and community with its story of a mysterious priest arriving on a small island and beginning to perform mysterious miracles.
Flanagan himself is a huge Stephen King devotee, and many elements of the critically-acclaimed Midnight Mass reference the horror author’s substantial body of work. In fact, Flanagan has a close connection with King, having directed the 2019 follow-up to The Shining – Doctor Sleep. There are nods to King dotted throughout the seven episodes of the series, but while some are merely cute Easter eggs, some serve pretty pivotal thematic importance. One example is the shot that reveals Paul Hill’s origins at the close of episode 3.
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