A very good thriller...

Rating: Null/10 (12 July 2007)

Good horrors are like good women (or men depending, on your point of view). They are damn hard to find, but I hit pay dirt today with 1408. Its the John Cusack Actors' Workshop, here. He still plays John Cusack, as he always does, but this is a challenging script to perform, not only because of the wide range of extreme emotions required, but also because he is usually acting alone. To make this work, Cusack has to sell us with his performance. Wrap it, bag it and ship it C.O.D., because I bought it. I am a Cusack fan, but this is the most challenging role of his career. There is a strong, suspenseful story that manages to change gears whenever it is in danger of becoming mired down in repeat material. Finish it off with a pretty good ending (always the most challenging part of any screenplay, particularly suspense features) and the result is a tense, clever thriller.
John Cusack is Mike Enslin, a cynical, but determined horror writer who gets wind of a particularly haunted suite at an exclusive NYC hotel. Hotel manager, Gerald Olin (Samuel L. Jackson), does his best to dissuade Enslin from staying in the room with tales of strange occurrences and the countless guests who really did 'check out', but to no avail. Enslin is determined to stay the night and debunk the supernatural reputation of room 1408. Sounds simple enough.
Imagine Castaway crossed with The Shining and you will have some idea of what to expect from this film. Horror fans will like it's shock-and-jump scenes and thriller fans will enjoy the persistent tension. Cusack fans will be glad to see him stretching himself. This is a quality feature that should please most of its genre fans.
(this work first appeared on realmoviereview.com)