Written by Robert Scucci | Published
Here's another insight into how stupidly wired my mind is. I love John Cusack. Grosse Pointe Blank (1997) is one of my favorite comedies of all time, too Hot Tub Time Machine (2010) always surpasses its humor. I also love Stephen King, his philosophy on writing, and the many harmonies of his work. However, I never watched the 2007s 1408 probably for the dumbest reason you can think of: someone I trust said it wasn't very good. I didn't think about it. It was probably a five-second conversation about 20 years ago, and then poof, the thought of film screening left my head forever.
The moral of the story is to trust no one, because 1408 he is not only one of John Cusack's best singers (although I am partial to his collaboration with Nicolas Cage in 2013 Frozen Space), it's also up there with some of the best Stephen King adaptations of all time.
It is based on a 1999 short story of the same name, but takes on a life of its own. Visually, it makes a confusing choice, but the story itself is so confusing that it feels more like a feature than a bug. If you're looking for an escape room experience with one of the clearest clues of a career, John Cusack's performance 1408 it is worth your time, and not a single minute is wasted due to its continuous increase.
Classic Setup Goes Wild
1408 it has such a simple setup that the only thing it can do after establishing its characters is keep growing. John Cusack's Mike Enslin is a writer whose writing centers on solving supernatural phenomena. While promoting his latest book, he receives a tip about a supposedly haunted hotel in New York City known as the Dolphin. The note he receives says, “Do not enter 1408,” so naturally, he decides to do just that. He packed his bags, took his small tape recorder, and headed to the hotel to see the room.
He is met with resistance from the hotel manager, Gerald Olin (Samuel L. Jackson), who is overly cautious about the crowded room but seems like a reasonable man. At first Gerald refuses to let Mike into the room, but when he is threatened with indictment, the best he can do is warn him about the 56 previous guests who have stayed there, all of whom died within an hour of entering.
From this point on, the empty room just does room things with increasing intensity, pushing Mike to the edge of his mind as he comes to terms with the fact that he has finally found the real thing. Not only does he come face to face with the room's previous tenants, but he also sees visions of his dead daughter Katie (Jasmine Jessica Anthony) and his terminally ill father (Len Cariou).
While the clock on the bedside table slowly ticks down from 60 minutes, Mike must make a bold escape plan, not only from the room trying to swallow him by any means necessary, but also because of the pain of reliving his worst memories while navigating the real threats that are waiting behind every corner.
If One End Is Not Satisfying, You Have Options
Except for the theatrical cut of the film, 1408 has three other endings, all of which provide a different ending for Mike. I won't spoil it for you, but they're all pretty strong in their own right depending on how you feel and what kind of vibe you're going for. Although I prefer the theatrical ending to the others, they all provide satisfying endings.
You can be sure, though, that John Cusack is absolutely killing it 1408and I can't think of many movies that have been produced so well. His ability to go from boring to terrifyingly confused is unmatched, and as all hell breaks loose in his hotel room, he fully leans into the role as he deals with ghosts, disasters, and one of the most stressful situations you'll ever see someone try to solve.
As of this writing, 1408 it is not available with a regular streaming subscription, but can be rented or purchased on demand through Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Apple TV+, and Fandango Home.
