I was expecting the film 1408 to be a constant fright-fest, with plenty of jump scenes and terrifying sequences. What I discovered was that the film is relatively tame, which makes me believe that the movie should be re-labeled as “thriller” rather than “horror.” However, what impressed me most about 1408 was the fact that the story haunted me long after the closing credits faded away. I found myself wanting to know more, as I tried to put the pieces of the plot together.
1408 is based on a short story by Stephen King and immediately introduces us to Mike Enslin (John Cusack), a cynical author only known for his books on the paranormal. He travels the country, investigating so-called haunted hotels, and writes about them in his compilation books. However, he himself is a skeptic with a troubled past - a past that has left him a shell of his former self. But when he receives a postcard from the Dolphin Hotel in New York, he’s intrigued by the warnings about room number 1408. When he calls to inquire about the room, he finds hotel management less than accommodating. Hotel manager Olin (Samuel L. Jackson) gives Enslin the gruesome history of 1408, adding that no one who stays in the room lasts for more than one hour.
In the end, the story becomes more about Enslin’s life than the room itself, although the room has some weird things up its sleeve. But there’s nothing in the story that can really be called “scary.” The plot seems more like an episode of The X-Files or Twilight Zone - a collection of bizarre occurances that leave behind more questions than answers. The ending is frightfully convenient and the writers fail to follow established plot rules about the room, leaving virtually everything about this movie up to personal interpretation.
Cusack’s performace is good, not great, as he finds himself on screen by himself for a majority of the film. The challenge for a film where one character is alone is finding ways to communicate his thoughts to the audience. The writer’s decide to give Enslin a mini tape recorder, allowing him to speak what’s on his mind without sounding too expository.
Although the ambiguous nature of the room itself intrigued me, 1408 failed to live up to my expectations and is a pretty forgettable film.
Bottom Line: 2 out of 5 stars
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