5 Horror Movie Characters Who Should Have Died (And 5 We Wish Hadn’t)

Stanley Kubrick's masterful adaptation of Stephen King's The Shining is generally lauded as one of the greatest horror movies ever. Charting Jack Torrance's (Jack Nicholson) descent into madness at spectacularly unsettling Overlook Hotel, this psychological fright-fest rarely puts a foot wrong.

However, there is one character who actually survives in King's novel, whose shocking and unexpected demise in the film is truly devastating.

Dick Hallorann, the head chef at the hotel, is a kindly man who shares telepathic abilities with the young Danny Torrance (Danny Lloyd), and consequently takes the gifted boy under his wing.

As the weeks continue, and Jack slowly becomes more and more deranged, Danny's life is jeopardized by the violent madness which befalls his father.

Sensing that Danny is in danger, Dick races back to the hotel in order to save the young boy's life. However, in a shocking twist, Jack attacks Dick with an axe, brutally murdering the chef and traumatizing Danny.

While this amazing character survives the novel, his tragic onscreen death is truly distressing, and we really wish he had lived.