| Overall Grade: |
A |
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| Story: |
A+ |
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| Acting: |
A |
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| Direction: |
B |
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| Visuals: |
B |
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A must for fans of psychological thrillers.
by katiew (movies profile)
Apr 21, 2008
240
of
254 people found this review helpful
1408- Extremely Cathartic. If I was stuck on an island with 10 movies, this might be one of them.
In a word: Excellent. Now, for an in-depth explanation: I am a die-hard fan of horror and psychological thrillers. Have I been more scared by a movie before? Yes. More disturbed? Yes. But in 1408, I felt more personally involved in the movie and moved by the story than any thriller I've seen before.
1408 has several levels. On the surface, Mike Enslin is a cynical author who makes his living debunking stories of the paranormal. Through his experience in room 1408 his eyes are opened and he once again becomes a believer. On a deeper level, he is an emotionally scarred man who never completely dealt with the death of his daughter. Through 1408 he achieves absolution, reconciling the pain of the loss of his daughter with his present existence.
However, there is a third, deeper level, and this is the one I found shocking and deeply personal. Room 1408 is not just evil or haunted, it is Mike's personal hell. It houses HIS demons. The pain of his past, the guilt of his sins, the emotional numbness that he clings to. Room 1408 symbolizes what every person in life must deal with. All the wrong choices we've made, things we've done, people we've hurt, must all be paid for. In the end, the universe evens the score. We have the luxury of working these things out over a lifetime. Mike Enslin faces them all in one horrific hour in a hotel room.
Now, addressing the "scare factor." The situations and events themselves are not that terrifying. You won't jump often and probably won't scream once, but you will cringe, A LOT. The thing about Stephen King that no one seems to understand is that his stories don't go "BOO!" They are scary on a much deeper, psychological level. King opens doors that don't have monsters behind them, but instead profound understandings of the way life works (or doesn't work.)
When the clock starts counting down 1 hour for Mike Enslin and the horror begins, you realize that the most terrifying thing is not facing 1408, but facing it ALONE. For that is what we all must do. Our burdens are ours alone to bear. |
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