John Cusack (Con Air) plays the role of skeptical writer Mike Enslin who over the years, has carved out a career investigating and debunking paranormal events. His latest case, is to visit the Dolphin Hotel and against the advice of Hotel Manager Gerald Olin (Samuel L. Jackson) he insists on staying in the infamous Room 1408, looking to again disprove the theory and dismiss the evidence suggesting, that no one can survive more than an hour in the room without meting their demise.
I love these atmospheric, psychological movies and when you have someone like John Cusack in the lead role, you know it is going to a worthwhile watch. Cusack basically carries this movie on his own and that is simply because for the majority of its 104 minute running time, it is basically just him in a hotel room with nothing but the eerily off key tones of Karen Carpenter aptly belting out ‘We’ve Only Just Begun’ keeping him company. I immediately took a liking to his character and from the off was rooting for him to survive the night but at the same time, wanted to see him scared out of his wits – and this movie delivered with a combination of jump scares, freakish imagery and Stephen Kingesque surreality.
I have always been more afraid of the surreal then the outright gore-fests that we see these days and this is firmly in the category of the former. Now I have already touched on the repeated Karen Carpenter track, but when it slows down and as the radio melts due to the temperature in the room getting close to being unbearable, it really makes the hairs on my neck stand on end and that is when I know I have connected with the movie – and it won’t be the only time you experience this sensation while viewing.
I have always been a Stephen King fan and if you are of a like mind, then you will love this movie. I also suggest that you pick up the short story of Room 1408 as this adaptation fully captures its essence, something we can;t always say of Stephen King books on their motion picture guise.
So my final word has to be simply….hallelujah, finally a decent Stephen King book to movie adaptation. This is a really well structured movie that personally had me gripped from start to finish and I highly recommend it, especially if you are a King fan who has had to sit through so many poorly presented adaptations of what are brilliant stories.