1408 Reviews

"Even if you leave this room, you can never leave this room."

Released in 2007, 1408 was the first theatrical Stephen King adaptation in a number of years, and it serves as a shrewd reminder as to why so many of the horror maestro's works have been adapted for the screen. 1408 actually started life as a short story as opposed to a fully-fledged novel (or novella), hence screenwriters Matt Greenberg, Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski were compelled to beef up the source material, altering and adding various things to produce a feature-length product. Luckily, the resultant movie captures the chilling spirit of King's work, making for a predominantly effective thriller that also stands as one of the stronger adaptations of a Stephen King story. If you like being spooked out without having your intelligence insulted, then 1408 is for you.

A non-fiction writer, Mike Enslin (John Cusack) has made a career for himself by writing about his experiences in supposedly haunted attractions. He has never seen a ghost or experienced a paranormal phenomena, and is therefore sceptical about every locale he visits. For his latest novel, Enslin decides to spend the night at New York City's Dolphin Hotel, in room 1408. According to the hotel's manager, Gerald Olin (Samuel L. Jackson), it's a cursed room that has been the site of countless deaths. Although Olin vehemently objects to Enslin's desire to stay in 1408, Enslin pushes ahead nevertheless, determined to stay overnight in the dreaded room. However, Enslin begins to change his tune when unexplained visions occur. Before long, Enslin is stuck in a nightmarish predicament, fighting for his life to avoid becoming another victim of the room's supernatural power.

Unfortunately, the concept for 1408 is not entirely suited for a 100-minute feature film. It's based on a short story, after all, hence a shorter movie would probably be more appropriate. It takes about half an hour to get to the feared hotel room, and once we're in, there's not a great deal for director Mikael Håfström to do, as he desperately fills the narrative with as much creepy imagery, suspense, and character dimension as possible. A bulk of it does work, but some of it doesn't, most notably a prolonged third-act detour that goes on for far too long and does not entirely work. Furthermore, it's clear that Håfström and the writers weren't sure how best to wrap up the movie, thus there are a handful of alternate endings. The director's cut ending is perhaps the most satisfying due to how dark it is, but none of the conclusions work particularly well, which is a shame considering how strong most of the lead-up is. It's not a deal-killer, of course, but it doesn't leave you with much of a lingering impression.

Nevertheless, 1408 is bolstered by some real positives. Håfström's direction is slick and effective, building an eerie claustrophobic atmosphere and displaying a proclivity for Hitchcock-inspired compositions. Håfström is a terrific visual stylist, and he has created some arresting images here. When the room reveals its true evil nature, the shocks are unsettling and inventive, even if the film does begin to wear out its welcome by the third act. 1408 is a PG-13 thriller, yet it doesn't feel gutted by the rating, with brief glimpses of disturbing images and plenty of honest-to-goodness tension. The experience is especially unnerving since Håfström never explains the exact nature of what Enslin is dealing with. Is Enslin being toyed with by the hotel staff? Is he in Hell? Could his sanity be eroding? Is Enslin projecting his inner turmoils on the room itself? None of these possibilities are debunked throughout the movie, and nothing is conclusive by the end. And even if 1408 is actually supernatural, we don't know what the cause is. Olin provides the best explanation: "It's an evil fucking room."

For the most part, 1408 is a one-man show, spotlighting Cusack alone in the hotel room struggling to deal with whatever horrors befall him. It's the actor's finest performance in years, calling upon a wide range of emotions, and transforming from aloof sceptic to a terrified man who's utterly out of his depth. Enslin is forced to confront demons from his past, and these scenes have an emotional impact thanks to Cusack, who lends them the right amount of weight. Cusack is simply terrific, and the picture would be doomed without him. Meanwhile, the supporting cast is barely seen; the only notable performer is Jackson, who brings his usual vitality and coolness to the role of the hotel manager.

Although uneven, 1408 is well worth watching, as it really soars from time to time. Not since In the Mouth of Madness have The Carpenters been so creepy, and never has Cusack been this deranged. 1408 is not about to set the world on fire, but it's so refreshing when compared to the usual dull standard for Hollywood horror movies, especially all the soulless PG-13 endeavours. Torture porn enthusiasts will find the movie lacking, but fans of creepy mysteries in the vein of The Twilight Zone will likely enjoy it.

7.0/10

I watched this movie a week before the mid-term examinations in senior two, and to finish this breath-taking, addictive movie, I gave up my precious time revising lessons and went to bed very late for two consecutive nights (had to finish homework first, you know).
Two days later, which was also the final day at school before the examinations, when the examinee number came out, I shockingly found out that my number was-------

"1408"

I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this flick but since the ratings were pretty decent, I thought I might as well check it out. To be honest, I'm not a big fan of those supernatural Stephen King stories but, I have to admit it, this movie was actually rather well made. Personally, I find it difficult to take such a prespoterous story really seriously but even though there was nothing remotely extraordinary happening in this movie, I thought it was still pretty entertaining. Indeed, the whole thing looked pretty good and John Cusack gave a solid performance. That’s the issue with this kind of movies, you have to stop your brain for the whole duration and enjoy the mood and the weird stuff going on on the screen (not really my strongest point, to be honest) and then it is actually a fun ride but like most of the fantastical works coming from Stephen King, I find it rather shallow and I would rather have something more substancial like ‘Stand by Me’ ot ‘The Shawshank Redemption’. Still, to conclude, even though I’m not a huge fan, I have to admit that it is actually a decent flick and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.

Wondefully weird with top actors. Typical Stephen King storyline but very enjoyable. Got a little too dragged out towards the end but would watch again.

kinda of captures that unease of films like the shining - I feel on of the best horror for a while. Cusack is not my fav actor but is convincing in 1408 - great story and some bizarre events transpire to a great horror movie. No gore just mind bending....."its only just began"......

Even if you leave this room, you can never leave this room!

I have always been a fan of subtle horror (I recall mentioning this in a few of my previous reviews, so if you truly read my thoughts, then you'll know this), and this is THE best film which exhibits this feature of horror films. There may be blood involved, but the film relies more on the viewers' imagination as to how the true horror unravels in the film. Other moviegoers may feel that Samuel L. Jackson's presence may be lacking, but I say that it's just right. He has had precedence in a number of other films; let Cusack take centre stage this time around.
Mike Enslin (Cusack) is an expert on the paranormal, and when he receives a note about the notorious 1408 room in the Dolphin Hotel, he decides to go there and see for himself if the rumours surrounding the different occurrences are true. Is the terror truth or myth? The reluctant manager of the hotel. Gerard Olin (Jackson), isn't too keen on handing over the keys to the room, even citing a number of horrific instances of people who had encounters with the room; some of which ended in death and insanity. Mike scoffs off these tales, and he fervently insists that he should be given access to the room. Once inside, he begins dictating notes in his tape recorder, but it isn't long before the room begins to work its mysterious effects on Mike.
The film may seem dragging to some, but I found that the scenes where Mike was slowly being caught in the mental trap the room seemed to exert over the people who were brave and/or foolish enough to stay there for more than ten seconds. You might not be a fan of horror film, but this one definitely takes the cake.

1408 was a movie that I had set high expectations for, and found that only some aspects of this film were satisfactory for me. Others were just disappointing and substandard compared to other films I have seen in the same genre. As far as these types of movies go, 1408 wasn't quite as disappointing as others I have seen.. but still not quite satisfactory in every level.

I am by no means saying that this film was not entertaining for me, in fact it was quite an entertaining film to watch, and I don't by any means feel as if I have wasted my time seeing it. But my expectations were set high and it's as if my standard for thrillers has gone higher as I see more and broaden what I have seen. Comparing this to something of a much lower standard makes 1408 seem not quite so bad, but compared to some extraordinary thrillers that I have seen, 1408 comes low on the list.

John Cusack was probably the best thing about this film. His performance was astonishing and truly amazing in every way. He gave a unique and brilliant performance, expressing every emotion extremely well and making me; the viewer, connected with the character. Samuel L. Jackson had a significantly smaller part than I would have expected, but was still a key character. He was well above average, but nothing amazing.

Overall I think that 1408 is a decent thriller that is certainly worth a look, but it doesn't come close to a masterpiece.

I enjoy the whole lot of the movie. The plot, the effect, the thrill I get from watching it and of course, the selection of cast had made a lot of difference. It's about a room known as 1408 at Dolphin Hotel in New York City that has a long history of guest who died in gruesome ways in less than 1 hour. Cusack who plays Mike Enslin is sort of a ghost writer/critic wants to experience it and of course prove that it's just bogus while Jackson who plays Mr Olin is the hotel manager that tries to talk Enslin out of it. This tug-of-war film is very interesting and dense. It does not divert your attention away from the screen because if you do, you'll miss out of the little details and also the message it's trying to bring across to the audience. So, I have to watch The Shining (1980) since it was also a writer and a haunted hotel.

John Cusack's character has lost his daughter and can't be scared any more. But since he writes about the scariest places in his books, he is excited to hear from the Room 1408 in a New York Hotel...

John Cusack's performance was great(as expected) and the movie wasn't just a shocker-movie, it certainly had some depth.

I was really excited to finally sit down and watch this film, especially following John Cusak's performance Identity. Unfortanely this one fell far short of my expectations and had I realized it was Stephen King, I would have never bothered.