A true psychological horror

Rating: 7/10 (3 January 2009)

The movie is set staring a washed up writer, Mike Enslin played by John Cusack, whose books on the paranormal sell on bargain book racks in every bookstore. For the mans chosen path he believes in nothing, good nor evil, it seems because of the loss of his daughter. The movie really gets going after he receives a post card in the mail telling him not to go in room 1408. Apparently this was one of many and he finally decided to check it out.
The room is set in the Dolphin Hotel in New York City. After a small but well played role by Samuel Jackson as the hotel manager who tries to dissuade him from staying in the room, the inevitable happens and Enslin checks in. The room is rather dull, nothing out of the ordinary or special. The occurrences start off slow but the pace quickly builds.
The room is not the traditional haunted house where things leap out from the darkness. The room is darkness itself. The room manifests real to life images of the darkest times in Enslin's life.
The movie is wonderful because it never deviates from a central theme. The entire movie is held up by Cusack who plays the role very convincingly displaying his versatility as an actor. Although he has to play a man who is slipping into insanity he is still able to keep the personality of his character. How he does this is quite mesmerizing.
1408 is not a typical horror of walking zombies, ghosts, or monsters. This horror explores the darkness of an individuals past and brings it forth in the most evil way imaginable. King outdid himself with this fantastic horror.