Wrong Room.

Rating: 7/10 (30 June 2015)

1408 (2007): Dir: Mikael Safstrom / Cast: John Cusack, Samuel L. Jackson, Mary McCormack, Tony Shalhoub, Lee Cariou: Based on the Stephen King short story about a hotel room of forbidden nature. John Cusack plays a washed up horror novelist who visits places of strange happenings then writes about it. He visits the Dolphin Hotel but the manager forbids his entry. This was suggested to him as a challenge but once inside he sees ghostly images that urge him to kill himself. He attempts contact with his wife via his laptop but any attempt to escape is met with tragedy. What is truly interesting is how Cusack solves his dilemma and proves himself. Director Mikael Safstrom creates endless happenings and Cusack plays out the sarcasm of disbelief that turns crazed as images of people jumping out the window appear. Samuel L. Jackson is wasted as the warning hotel manager. Jackson seems way too accessible to these brief roles when he is so much better in lead roles in superior films. Mary McCormack appears briefly as Cusack's wife but we are given a background where tension exists. They contact by laptop and she will have the privilege of knowing Cusack's innocence. Tony Shalhoub as his publicist is another wasted appearance. The visual imagery are a big payoff with a screenplay that works beyond what many thrillers present. The result is a flawed yet chilling film filled with ghostly images. Score: 7 / 10