10 Director Trademarks That You Can't Unsee

Kubrick's filmography is arguably the most coherent and consistent of any director on this list. The man was a certified genius and his work shows it, constantly tackling large themes with a precision and conciseness that was wholly unique.

Across his films, central themes remained relevant, but one of the most intriguing connective threads between his films is Kubrick's use of the bathroom as a setting for increasingly traumatic events. Whether it be Clockwork Orange, The Shining, Full Metal Jacket, or Eyes Wide Shut, this was a well that Kubrick consistently returned too.

What makes all of these sequences so special is the way in which he exploits the inherent vulnerability of the bathroom. Whether it be for the purposes of showering, using the toilet, or simply washing up, we humans tend to view the bathroom as a safe and sterile environment. It's not the type of place where traumatic events would generally occur, which is precisely why we are so vulnerable and feel so violated by these sequences.

Thus, a scene such as Jack Torrence's interaction with the undead and rotting woman in Room 237 is that much more unnerving precisely because it takes place in a bathroom, with Kubrick exploiting the settings' ramifications on our subconscious.