Directed by:
Mikael HåfströmCinematography:
Benoît DelhommeComposer:
Gabriel YaredCast:
John Cusack, Samuel L. Jackson, Mary McCormack, Tony Shalhoub, Len Cariou, Andrew Lee Potts, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Benny Urquidez, Johann Urb, Angel Oquendo (more)VOD (4)
Plots(1)
Based on a short story by Stephen King, a man who specializes in debunking the paranormal checks into the infamous room 1408 in the Dolphin Hotel, only to discover the terror is real. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (10)
It’s no easy feat to bring Stephen King to the silver screen in a respectable form. While some have managed to successfully adapt several of his non-horror pieces, as for his scary stories, only one has been good. So it rather surprising that in the end it was a routineer like Håfström who managed to do something to even up this sorry imbalance. Because of limited space, 1408 relies solely on the central character. Luckily Cusak turned out to be an outstanding choice. His charisma supported by a good measure of cynicism, together with his unmistakable croaky voice holds the picture’s head above water even during the weaker moments. The fundamental problem here is that after the wonderful opening hour, the creators didn’t head straight for the finishing line, but needlessly and even unbecomingly drag it out. It begins with a wonderfully created atmosphere, lots of ideas and several borrowings from other stories by King (e.g. “The Ledge"). But in the second part, the tempo drops sharply, the story starts to get out of its depth and the atmosphere almost completely disappears. And there aren’t even any ideas anymore, just over and over variations of the same thing we have seen earlier on in the movie. As a result, 1408 ends up being the same as its literary counterpart is in comparison to other works by King. In other words, an example of above average filmmaking craft, but it definitely won’t stay lodged in your memory. P.S.: Of the three existing endings, by far the best is the not so happy one.
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I really like and seek out movie adaptations of Stephen King's horror stories, like The Shining and Misery, which is why I was quite disappointed after watching Room 1408. The film gradually builds up an eerie atmosphere and of course, as a horror film, there must be some scares here and there. The "monster" this time does not have a physical form, it is a room with a symbolic sum of numbers 13, which when it "devours" someone, it does not return them as they were before (if at all). As good as that sounds, I found the final few destructive sequences quite wild and kind of out of place. All in all, a kind of mediocre horror film (which is a shame with King) that, while it fits its genre, didn't do anything to significantly engage me as a viewer.
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A great film. From the horrifying "audio story" of my beloved SK came an above-average film in all respects, which brings back memories of the good old days when the word horror didn't just mean dozens of disgustingly slit throats, piles of disemboweled intestines and a poor atmosphere. I have no reservations about the way the filmmakers handled the subject matter. The short original text was obviously not enough for the whole film, so a lot of things had to be thought out. But even the added passages feel like they are straight out of Stephen King! I was staring... Admiration must go to the director, the special effects team and especially John Cusack, who simply excels in this film about one progressively mad author. And so I thought - if I gave five stars to Darabont's The Mist, why not give them to 1408? One of King's best adaptations.
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I was expecting a cynical hero locked in a scary room. And I got a cynical hero with past trauma locked in a treacherous room, which can scare you so much that unexpected visitors will not be welcome at that moment. Even in the horror genre, there is occasionally a surprise that won't easily leave your mind and that you would gladly experience again, despite the unpleasant dose of fear. This is an honor won also by John Cusack's The Raven.
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1408 is not exceptional either in terms of script quality or directorial approach, but at the same time, it is an honest genre film without unpleasant mistakes and pandering. In the flood of endless teenage massacres, inconspicuous vampire and zombie slasher films, and cheap thefts of famous films from the past, this psycho-horror feels honestly old-fashioned according to the rules of the old genre school. In addition, Cusack acts excellently and Samuel L. Jackson complements him very well in the smaller role of the hotel manager. The appropriate duration and several decent special effects scenes with a functioning atmosphere make this film an above-average work in its genre. Overall impression: 70%.
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