For years, the rumor that Stanley Kubrick secretly filmed NASA’s purportedly fake moon landings has intrigued cinephiles and conspiracy theorists alike. Among the evidence cited most often are Kubrick’s films The Shining and 2001: A Space Odyssey. The late filmmaker’s complex visual storytelling has led some to suggest that coded signs throughout these movies reveal his confession to this grand deception. Film analyst Rob Ager takes an in-depth look into these claims, seeking to separate fact from fiction and shed light on what Kubrick might really have been communicating.

The Origin of the Moon Landing Conspiracy Theory

The moon landing fakery theory holds that Kubrick was enlisted by NASA to film the staged Apollo moon landings in the late 1960s, utilizing advanced cinematic techniques for the time, such as front-screen projections—similar to effects used in 2001: A Space Odyssey. Advocates of this theory point to peculiar details in The Shining, such as the Apollo 11 sweater worn by young Danny Torrance, as veiled confessions.

Ager explains that while the Apollo sweater is perhaps the only clear allusion to the moon landings in The Shining, it should not be automatically interpreted as Kubrick’s admission of fakery. After all, if Kubrick were embedding a hidden confession about faking the moon landings, arguably, there would be multiple, unmistakable references throughout the film: moon imagery in exterior shots, astronaut toys, discussions of lunar exploration, or at least Backdrops of space or NASA in the sets. None of this is present.

Debunking Popular “Moon Landing” Interpretations in The Shining

Danny’s Apollo Sweater

Danny’s sweater, emblazoned with “Apollo 11 USA” and adorned with stars, is often taken as the linchpin for the conspiracy claims. Ager acknowledges that this is a starting point for such theories but stresses that a single prop cannot bear the entire weight of a thematic claim. The sweater’s cartoonish, childlike design could simply emphasize Danny’s imaginative and innocent world rather than allude to any secret message.

Room 237: The Fabled “Moon Room”

One of the most persistent theories revolves around Room 237, where paranormal horrors unfold. Conspiracy theorists assert that Kubrick switched the room number from 217 (in Stephen King’s novel) to 237 to signify the moon’s average distance from Earth—allegedly 237,000 miles—making the room a supposed symbol for the “moon landing stage.”

Ager, however, thoroughly debunks this. He provides evidence that:

The Timberline Lodge, used for exterior shots, does have a Room 217, but not 237.
The number was reportedly changed due to guest superstitions about room 217.
The Earth’s average moon distance is closer to 239,000 miles, not 237,000.
Historical astronomy books rarely mention the figure 237,000 miles; values vary.
No moon-related symbolism appears inside Room 237 itself.

Thus, the connection between room number and moon landing is tenuous at best, if not entirely fabricated.

The “Moon Room” Key Anagram

The claim that the letters on the key to Room 237 form an anagram for “moon room” is dismissed as a weak interpretation. Ager points out that the letters can be rearranged into numerous other nonsensical or irrelevant words, showing the ambiguity and subjective nature of such decoding attempts.

The Gemini Twins and Other Symbolisms

Another loosely cited clue is the presence of the twins in The Shining, purportedly evoking the Gemini space program. While the twins do appear prominently, Ager reasons there are countless symbolic reasons for their inclusion—psychological duality, mirrored personalities, or metaphors for innocence lost. Their costumes and the sparse Native American sand paintings behind them relate more convincingly to themes of Native American heritage and suffering rather than space exploration.

Ager warns that trying to link every ambiguous or symbolic image to the space race risks falling into confirmation bias.

The True Overarching Themes of The Shining

In contrast to the moon landing claims, Ager highlights that The Shining‘s themes of Native American genocide, psychological trauma, and child sexual abuse are abundantly supported throughout the film. He finds numerous, verifiable images and dialogue referencing Native American culture and motifs—paintings, architectural designs, and allusions to burial grounds on the hotel site.

The character Jack Torrance’s scrapbook, often cited by moon landing proponents as evidence of documentary confessions, in fact rarely includes anything about space—the scrapbook predominantly contains historical clippings about US bankers, politicians, and socio-political topics Kubrick cared about.

Further, some scenes and imagery strongly imply Danny Torrance’s trauma, including possible sexual abuse by Jack, undermining the simplistic moon landing theory with deeper psychological horror and family dysfunction themes.

Kubrick’s Possible Views on the Moon Landings

Though The Shining likely does not serve as a hidden confession about staging moon landings, Ager speculates that Kubrick might have held skepticism about the Apollo missions themselves. Other Kubrick films appear to imply doubts or critiques of official narratives, but not outright admissions of complicity in fakery.

Rather than a simple conspiracy confession, Kubrick’s references may be metaphorical—using the Apollo sweater, for example, as a symbol of innocence confronting large, possibly fabricated national fantasies, akin to child’s play rather than grand deception.

Conclusion

Rob Ager’s meticulous analysis dismantles the moon landing conspiracy theory centered around The Shining. While the Apollo 11 sweater remains a curious and notable detail, the supporting “evidence” for Kubrick’s involvement in faking the moon landings largely does not withstand scrutiny. Instead, Kubrick’s film richly explores themes of Native American genocide, psychological trauma, and the dark undercurrents of American history.

This nuanced perspective suggests that the truth about Kubrick, moon landings, and The Shining resides neither in straightforward debunking nor blind belief but in the complex, layered storytelling Kubrick was famous for. Ultimately, The Shining remains a masterwork of psychological horror rather than a cryptic confession about one of history’s most famous alleged conspiracies.