Once you get in, there is no getting out

Rating: 7/10 (1 November 2007)

I'm Stephen King fan and I'm also a movie fan, so it's perfect for me to watch King's books or short stories on big screen. Everything started with "The Shining" and then continued with "Secret Window" after all these years. My interest for King's books is very high and everything I read so far is good. I have to also admit that I've never read "1408" but I certainly will one day.
To me sometimes is better to watch a movie and then read a book, because you don't know how everything is going to end. That's why I liked "1408" and it has this King's genius touch. Only he can think of story like this.
The story is about writer Mike Enslin (John Cusack), who is writing about supernatural things, and and he receives a postcard with the hotel name and the number of the room. Enslin wants to go into that room although he read about all those people who died and also hotel manager Mr. Olin (Samuel L. Jackson) begs him not to do that. But Enslin is determined to go anyway.
This movie starts excellent, fast and gripping with lots of information to viewers. But in the middle gets a little lost but it repays at the end. Ah, that ending. Left me with so much questions. Was everything that happened to Enslin real? Yes it is. He has conversation with his dead daughter on tape. Is this possible? In King's world yes it is. But what is he trying to say with that ending? How I understood he wanted to say that there is connection with this world and world after death. That connection is only possible in room 1408 because Enslin managed to hold and talk to his dead daughter. But why did all those people died in this room and Enslin stayed alive? Again my explanation is that all other people were weak and they cracked, but Enslin says in one scene something like I will stay alive or if I'm going down I'm taking you (room) with me - when he starts fire. Enslin realized that he has to fight if he wants to stay alive, he didn't gave up although he could (that scene when there are ropes in the room so he can hang himself). But what is really brilliant is King's mind. He started from thing that is so basic - that all hotel rooms are creepy places: "... Just think, how many people have slept in that bed before you? How many of them were sick? How many... died?".
So briefly, "1408" is gripping horror-thriller that will keep your attention right till the end. Swed Håfström made very good adaptation of King's story and I also liked Cusack in this role. You will definitely think throughout and probably be scared in some scenes. I highly recommend this movie to all King's fans and to all others who never read any of his books. Just watch it and then write a comment how you understood this title.