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Based on a short story by famed horror writer Stephen King, 1408 is centered around a rather pedestrian concept: an evil room. This isn't exactly new ground (and wasn't in 1999, when the story was published), but King's stories rely on execution as much as concept, and this adaptation takes the same tack.
Inhabiting the room in question is Mike Enslin (John Cusack), an author who visits allegedly haunted locales, debunks their alleged supernatural qualities, and then writes about it. Cusack is completely believable both as a writer, and as a cynic. He is equal parts witty and sardonic, and delivers authentic stream-of-conciousness diatribes both at people, and into his tape recorder.
One of those people is Mr. Olin (Samuel L. Jackson), owner of the Dolphin Hotel where the infamous room resides. He tries to persuade (and even bribe) Enslin not to enter the room, even going so far as to suggest ways in which he might fake having done so. Enslin assumes that he's being given a performance to enhance the room's mystique and, presumably, his write-up of it. He doesn't buy it, and checks in anyway.
At this point, the film enters the standard "is it or isn't it?" mode, wherein strange things happen, but nothing so overtly bizarre that the audience is yet convinced the room is haunted. This doesn't last long. Choosing to quickly discard the usual tension as to whether or not there are any actual supernatural elements at play, the film instead zeroes in on the room's manipulation of Enslin's psyche. It does this with considerable skill; the room is, indeed, one of the film's major characters. It is creative, and even appears to have a sense of humor (albeit a warped one). This apparent sentience is one of the movie's more interesting subplots, and it's a shame it wasn't explored further.
One of my only complaints with the film is its rating. I have nothing but praise for a horror film which achieves a PG-13 classification by trading mindless gore for psychological intrigue. However, such a rating puts a cap on the amount of peril the characters can be subjected to. It creates a safe-zone from a certain degree of violence, and dulls the edge on several of the film's thrills.
Despite all this, the build-up to Enslin's entry into the room is very effective. By the time he turns the handle and opens the door, we care about him, and genuinely don't want to see him harmed. That such a thing can be said about a modern-day horror film is marvelous.
There was a point roughly 85 minutes into 1408 where my mind was racing to catalogue the film's possible outcomes, several of which were extremely intriguing. That it ultimately doesn't conclude with any of them is somewhat disappointing, but that it can set your mind racing through such possibilities is admirable.
Inhabiting the room in question is Mike Enslin (John Cusack), an author who visits allegedly haunted locales, debunks their alleged supernatural qualities, and then writes about it. Cusack is completely believable both as a writer, and as a cynic. He is equal parts witty and sardonic, and delivers authentic stream-of-conciousness diatribes both at people, and into his tape recorder.
One of those people is Mr. Olin (Samuel L. Jackson), owner of the Dolphin Hotel where the infamous room resides. He tries to persuade (and even bribe) Enslin not to enter the room, even going so far as to suggest ways in which he might fake having done so. Enslin assumes that he's being given a performance to enhance the room's mystique and, presumably, his write-up of it. He doesn't buy it, and checks in anyway.
At this point, the film enters the standard "is it or isn't it?" mode, wherein strange things happen, but nothing so overtly bizarre that the audience is yet convinced the room is haunted. This doesn't last long. Choosing to quickly discard the usual tension as to whether or not there are any actual supernatural elements at play, the film instead zeroes in on the room's manipulation of Enslin's psyche. It does this with considerable skill; the room is, indeed, one of the film's major characters. It is creative, and even appears to have a sense of humor (albeit a warped one). This apparent sentience is one of the movie's more interesting subplots, and it's a shame it wasn't explored further.
One of my only complaints with the film is its rating. I have nothing but praise for a horror film which achieves a PG-13 classification by trading mindless gore for psychological intrigue. However, such a rating puts a cap on the amount of peril the characters can be subjected to. It creates a safe-zone from a certain degree of violence, and dulls the edge on several of the film's thrills.
Despite all this, the build-up to Enslin's entry into the room is very effective. By the time he turns the handle and opens the door, we care about him, and genuinely don't want to see him harmed. That such a thing can be said about a modern-day horror film is marvelous.
There was a point roughly 85 minutes into 1408 where my mind was racing to catalogue the film's possible outcomes, several of which were extremely intriguing. That it ultimately doesn't conclude with any of them is somewhat disappointing, but that it can set your mind racing through such possibilities is admirable.