We've Only Just Begun

Rating: 7/10 (24 June 2007)

Greetings again from the darkness. Leave it to Stephen King to provide the source material for a quality horror/thriller that is set apart from the masses by a multi-level story that is actually interesting and entertaining. Director Mikael Hafstrom ("Derailed") handles the tension pretty well.
John Cusack, at his most cynical, is on screen nearly every moment of the movie. He definitely brought his A game with him, probably thankful that his character is a bit beaten down rather than his usual overly-energetic and cutesy. As a researcher and writer of spiritual phenomenon, he long ago gave up hope of reaching the afterworld.
Welcome to hotel manager Samuel L. Jackson's worst weekend getaway ... Room 1408 at the Dolphin. In what would be the worst hour for any of us, Room 1408 systematically proceeds to drive Cusack to insanity and suicide. What really makes this one click is the mental side of the story ... a King specialty. Most horror writers forget, or are not talented enough, to write stories that stimulate the brain ... they only goes for the visuals.
Even though Cusack hogs the screen time, some support work is provided by a creepy Samuel L. Jackson, Mary McCormack (Russell Crowe's wife in "Mystery, Alaska"), Tony Shalhoub ("Monk") and Jasmine Jessica Anthony as Cusack's dead daughter. Oh yeah, and a supporting nod must go to Karen and Richard Carpenter's "We've Only Just Begun" which will stick in your brain for the rest of the day.