10 Horror Movie Scenes You Didn’t Realise Were Tricking You

We all know that iconic bit of The Shining where we follow Danny around on his trike, so telling you that the trick in question here is to do with the floor plan of the hotel might make you roll your eyes - nobody would notice such a small thing, right?

In fact, the way that the set and shots were constructed so as to make the Overlook Hotel an impossible structure plays perfectly into the film’s ever-present feeling of claustrophobia and unease.

Over the years a few people have mapped out the floorplan to reveal an abundance of impossible rooms, doors that lead to nowhere and windows where windows simply shouldn’t be. The effect this creates is shown most clearly as we follow little Danny around. The winding halls and imposing door frames create a nonsensical, claustrophobic space. It appears to audiences like a labyrinth, making us feel trapped, lost and fearful.

When other more overt horrors are in store for Danny, we’re expected not to notice that the layout of the set isn’t physically possible - instead it’s something that our brain is subconsciously aware of before we are, making this the perfect trick to build fear in the background.