10 Most Exhausted Horror Movie Protagonists

The Shining is one of Stephen King's most well known book-to-film adaptations, mainly thanks to Stanley Kubrick's terrifying directing style paired with the immaculate and unforgettable acting of Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall.

For anyone unfamiliar with this absolute cult classic that simply should be seen by everyone, the film follows couple Jack and Wendy Torrence (played by Nicholson and Duvall respectively) who move with their young son to the Overlook Hotel so that Jack can take up a job as a caretaker. A strange past shrouds the hotel, and this becomes increasingly more apparent the longer the film elapses. Wendy faces so many emotional hardships upon moving to the hotel with her husband, and this comes to a precipice in the final act of the film where Jack turns murderous and Wendy has to fight for the life of both herself and her son.

Not only is Wendy an exhausted protagonist, but those familiar with this film will be aware of the emotional and physical torment Duvall was put through by Kubrick in order to create a 'realistic' performance, which only makes watching Duvall's character even more difficult.