10 Movie Mysteries With Annoyingly Simple Answers

10. How Was Jack Pictured At The Overlook In 1921? - The Shining

One of the weirdest and most ambiguous movie endings ever has to be that of The Shining. There are plenty of iconic and memorable moments throughout Stanley Kubrick's effort, but few more so than the final shot in which the camera pans into a picture of the Overlook from 1921, with Jack Nicholson's Jack Torrance front and center.

This has been interpreted in many different ways over the years, with audiences trying to explain how a character from the present can show up in a picture from decades earlier.

The movie itself never gives a definitive answer, which is what has made it such a deliciously infuriating ending, but one of the most compelling explanations has been that this was confirmation of the hotel absorbing Jack, almost taking over his soul. The actual explanation however, when compared to this is a little disappointing.

Stanley Kubrick himself has reportedly spoken previously about how the picture points to Jack being a reincarnation of a previous caretaker. It almost feels that the ambiguity is what makes this ending so compelling, and that such a simple answer as reincarnation detracts from the moment somewhat.