Vivid, scary experiences but too little character

Rating: 7/10 (23 June 2007)

1408 is an above average Stephen King style film that has pretty good scares and some touching moments. Just like in other films based on Stephen King's books the main character Michael is haunted by his past demons which seem to materialize throughout the film. As can be seen from the trailer there is a sick child involved, so you see what I am talking about.
Visually the movie is done pretty well. The hotel is scary, the ghosts are scary, and there are plenty moments where you will be scared out of your seat. There is not too much gore, which is a good thing as the film manages to be an effective horror movie without it.
What 1408 does lack is well developed characters. The best movies, especially the ones based on Stephen King's stories, have well developed scary characters to represent evil. They may be demons such as in IT or The Stand. They could be aliens as in Dreamcatcher, or werewolves like as in Silver Bullet. Here however, there are manifestations of evil that the protagonist goes through, but there is no personified demon or evil he might have to face. This means there is no well defined conflict between the good and the evil.
1408 is still a great film that does not follow the trends and has no clichés. You will not see body parts and blood splatter on the screen or any sex scenes, but you will still enjoy the film and be scared.