A rare occurrence when P.G horror shines (MAJOR SPOILERS!)

Rating: 8/10 (16 November 2013)

This review is for the Director's cut
Mike Enslin is a depressed atheist, who has lost his daughter due to illness. He's separated from his wife, and is bored of debunking paranormal occurrences in haunted places, and wants to find something that is real. He gets interested in the infamous room at the Dolphin Hotel, room 1408. The manager (Samuel L. Jackson) gives Cusack a caveat to not go into the room. He offers him fancy booze, private files from the room, and all the accommodations you could think of, New York Knicks tickets included. Mike Enslin ignores him, and goes into the room anyway. Not only does the hotel end up frightening him, but it toys with him as well.
I'm a rated R guy. I don't like P.G horror films. It's not that I always want a gore drenched movie, but when you are Rated R, you're not so limited. 1408 surprised the hell out of me, not only with the high amount of competence, but how creative and sinister it was. It's also been a really long time where I have squirmed wherever I was sitting. Despite the P.G limitations, this was oozing style, and there were many times I felt trapped and highly uncomfortable from that room, due to its undeniable mystique. They put a lot of emphasis on the room, and the effort paid off. You wouldn't catch me in there for all the money in the world. This hotel is a mean bastard! There is no line it won't cross to intimidate you in the most sadistic ways imaginable. Mikael Håfström is masterful at raising tension levels. There were many neat tricks that were thrown my way. The scene where Cusack tries to climb out the window, onto the ledge to get into another room was terrific. The way they made the building look much bigger gave me the willies. I'm sort of afraid of heights, so that was pretty creepy. I found the family storyline to be absolutely riveting. The flashback scenes of Cusack, his daughter & his wife chilled me to the bone. Even though John Cusack's character is a bit bigoted in the first half, I couldn't help but feel for him, because he was in despair. His showcase was fantastic, and I feel it's one of the best performances of his illustrious career. He goes through so many emotions, and conveys them all to near perfection. This is his movie, and we are embarking on his harrowing journey. Cusack has to be one of Hollywood's most unheralded actors. It was pretty powerful stuff. Samuel L. Jackson doesn't have a ton of screen time, but his intensity knows no bounds. He was great. Mary McCormack adds solid support as Cusack's separated wife. It's one of the most thought provoking horror films you will find. It makes you realize life is so short, and that living your life in such a selfish way, benefits nobody. I couldn't stop thinking about it for a while.
These are my thoughts on the two endings I saw. The director's cut & the theatrical cut. If you don't want to know, stop reading this instant. Don't say I didn't warn you
Director's Cut ending
Cusack burning the room and dying so he can get out of the hotel was very depressing. He passes away, and the hotel manager approaches Lilly to offer Cusack's belongings. Lilly denies it, and Jackson winds up seeing Cusack's burned body in the car in the backseat. They also show Mike Enslin & his daughter reunited, going up to heaven. The ending was rather deflating. After everything Mike went through, this crushed me. At least it has some semblance of happiness, but it was rather morbid
Theatrical Ending
I honestly prefer the theatrical ending. It's more upbeat, and more satisfying, and it also lets you interpret as to what happened. Does the wife hearing their daughter's voice on the tape recorder mean she now believes Cusack saw their deceased daughter, or does it simply mean they are both trapped in the hotel? I like to believe Cusack got out. Either one is possible, though. That's what makes it so great, because it's left to your imagination
Final Thoughts: I can't begin to tell you how impressed I was with this movie. It's scary, disturbing, and provocative. If you want an intelligent horror film that is recent, this one is a perfect choice.
8.7/10