Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

A Major Disappointment

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

The movie was extremely good. The performance of John Cusack is absolutely outstanding. The storyline is pretty engaging. All in all this is a great psychological horror flick in truest sense.

There are so many bad reviews for this movie. I don't get it. I absolutely despise John Cusack - I mean, I really hate him; he's the reason I never saw it before now even though I adore Stephen King - and I still enjoyed the hell out of it. I see people saying the character wasn't set up and his "behavioral changes" from cynical writer to emotional basket case were not explained... he's being terrorized by a haunted room. What other explanation does there need to be? I'm not sure how some people could not follow this movie, or what they were looking for. It was pretty straightforward and very well done. The man is being assaulted nonstop by a supernatural force and cannot tell what is real and what isn't. It's SUPERNATURAL. As in, a ghost story. It isn't complicated and it isn't exactly groundbreaking. If everything needs to be explained to that level, what is the point of watching these kinds of movies? Also, some are criticizing the adaptation from the story yet admitting they haven't actually read the story. If someone couldn't follow the movie, the story will make even less sense. All in all, a tight little old fashioned ghost story that I enjoyed very much, Cusack or no Cusack.

"1408" is one of the movies that can give you a hard time when you're watching it at home alone in the dark. We get to know the story of an author that earns his living writing books about haunted hotels, who has to realize that not every case is just a hoax. Of course this is a story already told so often that it is quite a lazy attempt to reflect this in the movie itself. This is by no means a creative movie, regarding the story. Nonetheless it is quite enjoyable for a number of reasons.The movie starts off rather slowly, the first paranormal phenomenons are still quite decent and that's something I really liked. Later on, unfortunately, they get the hammer out and at the latest when our hero lays in a room covered in snow, things shifted towards a bit too much. So why should you give this movie a try then? Because it achieves one of the most crucial things a horror film can achieve: It actually makes you feel uneasy. You can relate to the situation of the protagonist and you want to get out. It is exactly this feeling that makes this movie something special, achieved through clever ideas, a bit of well-proved horror tools and some plot-twists.You don't necessarily have to have seen this movie, I wouldn't go that far. But if you're looking for some paranormal frightening action, this is what you're searching for.

In 1408, John Cusack plays Mike Enslin, an investigative journalist and author, who stays in and writes about haunted places. He considers himself a seasoned investigator and hardened skeptic, who does not believe in the existence of the paranormal.However, one day, while leafing through fan mail, he comes across an ominous postcard from The Dolphin Hotel. It has a simple message scrawled on the back: "Do Not Enter 1408.He considers this a challenge, and immediately uses his publisher's clout to book the room, despite objections from the hotel manager (played by Samuel L Jackson).Upon his arrival, the manager does whatever he can to convince Enslin not to stay in the room: he tells him how 56 deaths have occurred within it's walls- with 22 being qualified as natural deaths that went unreported in papers. While others- none of whom have managed to make it longer than an hour- have either gone insane or engaged in self mutilation. Most, however, simply commit suicide.Blinded by pride and ego, he decides to ignore these foreboding warnings, and stay in the room anyways. But he could not fathom what it would have in store for him...And what follows is an anxiety driven, (Vincenzo) Natali-esque, attempt to escape from his Kafkan nightmare- that blurs the boundaries between what is literal and psychological.Content matter aside, I found this film to be pretty basic and straightforward. A sort of Hollywood brand of psychological horror, if you will- not too complex or challenging. Håfström does throw an awkward twist in there, but it only seemed to draw the film out for another half an hour or so- without changing the direction I felt it was heading in anyways. That being said, the film's most redeeming quality is probably the special effects, utilized to portray the paranormal aspect of the room. But, overall, I left feeling that it was lacking in the depth and context departments.As far as psychological horrors go...this one is pretty "meh". I'd take a Vincenzo Natali flick over this any day of the week.4.5 out of 10.