Smart adaptation of Stephen King's short story.

Rating: 8/10 (30 November 2007)

John Cusack plays Mike Enslin,a gifted writer who has turned his talents to paranormal travel books.His stays in haunted hotels never shake him,but he's intrigued by New York's Dolphin Hotel.Room 1408 has been the site of dozens of deaths and this is a selling point for the skeptic in Mike.Despite the warnings of the hotel manager(Samuel L. Jackson),Mike resolves to stay in the haunted room.No one has lasted more than an hour in 1408 and Mike has his work cut out for him."1408" is a basically one actor's film.Cusack is very believable at making the audience share in his fear.The film offers some genuine tension and it certainly resembles "The Shining" in spots.The use of close-ups is impressive and finally there is fair debate as to whether what happens in 1408 is meant as a sort of fever dream of depressed writer on the edge of sanity or if this is in fact the evil of the room working its mojo.8 out of 10.