1408

Year: 2007
Director: Mikael Hafstrom
Cast: John Cusack, Samuel L Jackson, Mary McCormack

If you lived in Malaysia, you'd have no idea how many times this film's release was delayed. For some reason the local film distributor kept putting it off, and as a result, us Malaysians only get to see it 4 months after the US. Well, patience does pay off, I guess.

1408 is based on the Stephen King short story, and focuses on Mike Enslin, a man that writes guidebooks on haunted places, and his latest research happens to be haunted hotels. He's searched high and low but has yet to find a truly haunted place to sleep in, all he gets are spooky but boring inns that have a history of deaths, yet no ghosts.

One day, he receives a postcard by The Dolphin Hotel in New York, with a message that says "Don't Enter 1408". Curious, he decides to give this hotel a shot. Once he arrives, he asks to stay in that very room, but is strongly dissuaded by the hotel manager, Gerald Olin. Olin tells him of all the grisly deaths that have occured in that room, and unlike the other faux experiences that Enslin's had, this room's evil is genuine. Enslin however, is adamant and persuades Olin to let him stay in 1408. After much persuasion, Olin agrees.

Once inside, Enslin finds it just like any other hotel room, and then gradually things start to take a turn for the worse. The clock radio turns itself on. The window slams itself shut on Enslin's hand at one point. He starts to get visions of apparitions walking across the room, some try to attack him. He continuously tries to explain it to himself how it's all possible, but it doesn't help him much. He tries to leave the room, but fails. Then the evil in the room deals him their trump card: his personal demons. The room shows him the moments he watched his young daughter die of a terminal illness. Enslin goes to the brink of insanity as he tries to survive.

For a horror flick, this one is quite different from the hack and slash films Hollywood is known for. When dealing with ghosts and things that go bump in the night, the result can be a fresh change of scenery. But only if it is executed well, and unfortunately director Mikael Hafstrom only gets it half right. He manages to pile on the scares good enough to incite terror, but it is unevenly done. He throws whatever he has at you left and right, up and down, back and front, but it doesn't make sense a lot of times. It feels as if he doesn't have a good reason to use a certain scare tactic, he just shoots and hopes it hits the mark. Perhaps if he had used a psychological angle in connecting the terror of the room to Enslin's past, he may have come up with something more interesting.

But at the very least, John Cusack doesn't falter in his performance as Mike Enslin. He is one of the most underrated actors of his generation, and he proves it again here. In fact, this film is all his, as the other cast members, including Samuel L Jackson, have minor roles. Cusack leads the way and carries the film by himself, and despite the uneven directing, makes it worth watching to a certain level.

It's a good horror flick, but it can be a lot better. I only wish Hafstrom could have made this as good as his last effort, Derailed. (3.5/5)