How & Where to Watch The Shining in 2026: Movies & Miniseries
The classic horror movie 'The Shining' is available on multiple streaming platforms, including MAX and Amazon Prime Video, and with a VPN, you can watch the films from anywhere. Read on to learn more.
Written by Kit Copson (Writer, Briefing Editor)
Facts checked by Alison Spedale (Fact-checking editor)
Last Updated:
All our content is written fully by humans; we do not publish AI writing. Learn more here.
Key Takeaways: How to Watch the Shining
- Download and install a reliable VPN, such as NordVPN. Create a NordVPN account with a 76% discount on the first two years.
- Connect to a VPN server in Denmark.
- Fire up Amazon Prime Video and enjoy streaming ‘The Shining.’
The Best VPNs to Unblock Prime Video Denmark:
- NordVPN — Best-in-class VPN for all use-cases. NordVPN’s two-year plan offers 76% off on the first two years with three months free.
- Surfshark — Best value VPN for multi-device households. New Surfshark subscribers get up to 87% reduced rates on long-term commitments.
- ExpressVPN — Easy-to-use VPN that doesn’t skimp on quality. Sign up now to get 73% off the first two years.
What to Know About The Shining:
- The cult classic horror flick stars Jack Nicholson in one of his most iconic roles as Jack Torrance, as well as Shelley Duvall as Wendy Torrance, his on-screen wife.
- You can watch ‘The Shining’ on Amazon Prime Video in Denmark and Finland, as well as a number of other streaming services.
- If you’re not in the correct country to access ‘The Shining’ on a specific service, you can connect to a VPN server to gain access.
Horror film ‘The Shining’ (1980), based on Stephen King’s 1977 novel, is one of the most influential titles in its genre and the perfect addition to Halloween watchlists. Have a gander at this guide to learn where to watch ‘The Shining’ and how to unblock streaming services with a VPN if they’re geoblocked in your location.
We’ll give you the lowdown on which streaming services have ‘The Shining’ and which VPN providers are secure (like NordVPN) and work smoothly with streaming platforms, should you need to use one. For example, you may need to use a VPN if you’re traveling abroad and the service you have an account with is geoblocked in the new location.
Not available in your country?
Watch The Shining now on Netflix and other streaming platforms.
Status checked 2026/01/14:
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10/02/2024 Facts checked
We improved this how-to guide and adjusted the VPN order based on recent advancements.
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03/01/2025 Facts checked
We checked and updated the streaming options.
How Can I Watch The Shining From Anywhere?
You can watch ‘The Shining’ from anywhere by finding the right streaming platform for your location or using a VPN to access geo-blocked content. Each country has its own platforms or content libraries on major streaming services (like Netflix), so you won’t find the movies on just one platform.
If you need to access a service that’s blocked in your country, scroll down to our VPN tutorial to get clued up. If you’re not sure which services have ‘The Shining’ and ‘Doctor Sleep,’ check out the table below.
Which Streaming Services Have The Shining?
The streaming services that have ‘The Shining’ include Max, Amazon Prime Video and more, but availability varies by country. Outside their respective countries, the services mentioned may not be available or the content library may be different (our section on Netflix below explains more about this).
If you have an account with one of these services, though, you can use a VPN to gain access to them when you’re overseas (we’ll show you how to do this in our tutorial further down). For now, here’s a roundup of where we found the ‘The Shining’ movies.
Unfortunately, we couldn’t find the 1997 miniseries ‘The Shining’ on any platforms.
Where Can I Watch ‘The Shining’ 1980?
| Streaming Service | Country | Notes |
| Amazon Prime Video | 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇫🇮 Finland | Free trial available |
| AMC+ add-on on Amazon Prime Video or The Roku Channel | 🇺🇸 U.S. | Free trial available with each |
| Crave and Crave with STARZ | 🇨🇦 Canada | N/A |
| Max | 🇧🇪 Belgium 🇨🇱 Chile 🇦🇷 Argentina 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇫🇷 France 🇪🇸 Spain and more | N/A |
Where Can I Watch ‘Doctor Sleep’ (2019)?
| Streaming Service | Country | Notes |
| Netflix | 🇧🇪 Belgium 🇦🇺 Australia 🇳🇿 New Zealand | N/A |
| Amazon Prime Video | 🇫🇷 France | Free trial available |
| Max | 🇩🇰 Denmark 🇫🇮 Finland 🇳🇴 Norway | N/A |
Is The Shining on Netflix?
No, ‘The Shining’ 1980 is not available on Netflix, but the 2019 film ‘Doctor Sleep’ is on Netflix in Belgium, Australia and New Zealand. If you’re not in those countries, you can change your Netflix library by connecting to a VPN, which gives you a new IP address.
How Can I Access Other Netflix Libraries?
Since Netflix content varies by country, you may not find what you want to watch in the country you’re in. However, if a movie you want to watch is on Netflix in another country and not yours, you can enter that country’s Netflix library by connecting to a VPN server in that country.
For example, let’s say you want to watch ‘Doctor Sleep’ but you’re not in Australia. To make this work, download a VPN (recommendations further down), connect to an Australian server and log in to Netflix.
Where Can I Watch The Shining for Free?
You can watch ‘The Shining’ for free through streaming platforms that offer free trials, though you may need a payment method from an eligible country to sign up. Here’s a rundown of which of the services we listed further up have free trials.
Which Free Streaming Platforms Have The Shining?
- Amazon Prime Video (various locations)
- AMC+ add-on on Amazon Prime Video or The Roku Channel 🇺🇸 U.S.
If you need to use a VPN, you can find plenty with 30-day money-back guarantees, including our number-one recommendation, NordVPN.
How Can I Watch The Shining With a VPN?
You can watch ‘The Shining’ with a VPN by following this guide that shows how to access Amazon Prime Video Denmark from outside the country. You can use similar steps if you want to watch the film on a different service.
You must have an Amazon Prime Video account for this to work.
- Choose and Subscribe to a VPN
First, head over to NordVPN’s website and choose a plan. You can get up to a 76% discount, risk-free because it’s covered by the 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Download and Install the VPN
Either download the VPN from the provider’s website or head to Google Play or the App store to download it on mobile.
- Connect to a Server in Denmark
Go to the server list in the VPN app and choose a Danish server. Alternatively, locate the server on the world map and click on it.
- Launch Amazon Prime Video and Stream ‘The Shining’
Open Amazon Prime Video, search for ‘The Shining’ and press “play” to start streaming.
What Are The Best VPNs for Watching The Shining?
The best VPNs for watching ‘The Shining’ include NordVPN as our top recommendation, but there are other excellent options as well. Here, you can learn more about our favorite VPNs and why we think they’re among the best for streaming ‘The Shining.’
1. NordVPN — The Best VPN for Streaming The Shining
Very Fast
NordVPN is the most well-rounded of all VPNs we’ve tested. It streaks ahead of the pack in two very important areas: pricing and speed. Its speeds edge just in front of ExpressVPN’s, which makes NordVPN one of the fastest VPN options, on average. As for pricing, there are some very attractive long-term plans to check out.
Additionally, it offers numerous security features, including a built-in malware and ad blocker. Plus, NordVPN’s latest NordWhisper protocol allows you to bypass network restrictions that typically block VPNs, making it easier to access streaming services even on networks that actively try to prevent VPN use.
You can learn more in our NordVPN review and try this service with its 30-day money-back guarantee.
- **VAT may apply
- Unlimited GB
- 10
- Yes
2. Surfshark — Best Budget VPN for Australian Netflix
Very Fast
Surfshark is a reputable and secure provider with a strong security and streaming performance record. It’s one of the fastest VPNs in terms of upload and download speeds, which is great for streaming. That said, its latency on near-distance connections is higher than that of the providers we pitted it against in our speed tests.
You can learn more about speed, pricing and other features in our Surfshark review. Surfshark has a 30-day money-back guarantee if you’d like to give it a whirl.
- Unlimited GB bandwidth, Unlimited devices, Secure VPN, Ad blocker, Cookie pop-up blocker. Pricing for the annual and biennial plans only apply for the first payment. Renewal fees vary.
- Unlimited GB
- Unlimited
- Yes
3. ExpressVPN — Beginner-Friendly VPN for The Shining
Very Fast
We’ve been using ExpressVPN for years, and have always found it to be consistent, fast and easy to use. We’re big fans of the intuitive user experience and how it is optimized for beginners, its watertight security and its server diversity. In all areas of performance and usability, we consider ExpressVPN to be one of the most well-rounded providers.
One area it lacks in, however, is pricing: It is one of the most expensive VPNs out there, even on longer plans. There is a 30-day money-back guarantee, though, which should take some of the sting out of the cost, and it does provide great value. Click over to our ExpressVPN review for the full details.
- Pricing for the annual and biennial plans applies only on the first year.
- Unlimited GB
- 10
- Yes
- Advanced Protection, ExpressVPN Keys, 3 days unlimited eSIM data, Identity Monitoring, IDP Insurance, Credit Monitoring, 25-50% off on Aircove Router Pricing for the annual and biennial plans applies only on the first year.
- Unlimited GB
- 12
- Everything on the Advanced Plan, Credit Monthly Report, Data Removal, 50-75% off on Aircove Router Pricing for the annual and biennial plans applies only on the first year.
- Unlimited GB
- 14
What Are The Shining’s Cast, Characters & Plot?
The cast of ‘The Shining’ includes Jack Nicholson as writer Jack Torrance, and the plot follows this former alcoholic who accepts a caretaking job at Overlook Hotel. He takes with him his wife, Wendy, and their young son, Danny (“Doc”), who experiences premonitions.
When he takes the post, Jack (played by Jack Nicholson) is warned about the hotel’s dark past, but he shrugs this off. However, over time, his demons start to get the better of him, turning him volatile and unpredictable, much to the horror of his wife and son.
The iconic ‘Here’s Johnny’ scene, where Jack Nicholson breaks through a bathroom door with an axe, has become one of the most recognizable moments in cinema history, showcasing Nicholson’s terrifying performance at its peak.
Stanley Kubrick’s masterful direction in ‘The Shining’ created a visual style that has influenced horror filmmaking for decades, using innovative camera techniques like Steadicam shots to enhance the disorienting atmosphere of the Overlook Hotel.
The Overlook Hotel serves as more than just a setting—it’s essentially a character in the film, with its imposing architecture, labyrinthine hallways, and haunted history creating the perfect backdrop for Jack’s descent into madness. The main casting for the family is as follows.
| Character | Performer |
|---|---|
| ‘Jack Torrance’ | Jack Nicholson |
| ‘Wendy Torrance’ | Shelley Duvall |
| ‘Danny “Doc” Torrence’ | Danny Lloyd |
Final Thoughts
Stanley Kubrick’s ‘The Shining’ is a must-see, and it’s not hard to watch it from most countries, as long as you’ve got a VPN. Once you’ve downloaded your VPN, you can experiment with different streaming services and libraries to see all the content on offer.
We recommend using NordVPN for all streaming purposes, thanks to its incredible speeds and affordable price. Trying NordVPN for a month is completely risk-free, as you can use the 30-day money-back guarantee if you end up not liking it. Surfshark is another decent choice with excellent download speeds.
We hope you’ve found our guide helpful. Will this be your first time watching ‘The Shining’ or are you planning a rewatch? Do you need a VPN to stream it from your location? Leave us a comment below, and thanks for reading.
FAQ: Watch The Shining From Anywhere
It’s not a channel, but you can watch ‘The Shining’ for free by getting an Amazon Prime Video free trial. The movie is on Amazon Prime Video in Denmark and Finland. If you’re not in those countries, connect to a Danish or Finnish VPN server to access it.
Yes, ‘The Shining’ isn’t available on Netflix any more — at least at the moment.
There are two movies (released in 1980 and 2019) and one 1997 miniseries.
No, but Stephen King gained inspiration for the original novel from his experience staying at an isolated Colorado hotel that’s said to be haunted.