I have always had an odd fascination with horror stories where the villain is not an imposing slasher or a monstrous beast, but rather a place. The idea of a malevolent intelligence simply existing in a space is a fairly rare theme in film. Some notable examples are Poltergeist and Event Horizon, and one more that seems to have been forgotten over the years. The film title is a simple number, 1408.

The horror movie 1408 is based off of a short story by Stephen King. It would seem that King shares my interest in inherently evil locations, as he has written several stories along that theme. 1408 stands in good company, with stories like The Shining and Rose Red, but can it live up to the high bar that they have set?

The Plot

The film begins with Mike Enslin (John Cusack), a depressed and jaded paranormal investigator searching the country for experiences to fill his latest book. He happens upon an invitation, of sorts, to a particularly malevolent room located on the 13th floor of a Manhattan hotel. The room number is 1408. 

Upon gaining access to the room, over the emphatic warnings from the hotel manager Gerald Olin (Samuel L. Jackson), he settles in for what he assumes will be an uneventful night. What he gets is a single hour filled with twisted trials and morbid machinations that will push his sanity past the breaking point. He quickly learns that there is no escape from the horror that is room 1408 because, as Jackson’s character Olin explains early in the film “It’s an evil [expletive] room”

What is Real?

The entire premise of most horror films hinges on the audience’s suspension of disbelief, yet it is far more difficult to make that audience truly question the intended reality of what they are seeing. The film 1408 does this as well, or better, than any film I have ever seen. What’s more, it does this without making things overly confusing or surreal (I’m looking at you, The Shining). Once 1408 gets its supernatural engine in gear it becomes very difficult to discern what the insidious room is conjuring for Mike Enslin, what is just in his head, and what is actually happening in the film’s internal reality. 

1408’s Alternate Endings

Alternate endings are nothing new in cinema, but 1408 is somewhat unusual in that it has no fewer than four unique endings that were fully shot and edited. While I will resist going into detail so as to avoid spoilers, the theatrical ending is the only one to deviate from the much darker ending to Stephen King’s short story. When one of these darker endings was shown to test audiences, the studio became concerned that viewers may find the darker endings too depressing and pressured director Mikael Håfström to include a happier final scene. Luckily, the darker and, let’s face it, far more satisfying conclusion, is the default ending on the Blu-Ray and two-disc collector’s editions. 

John Cusack, Alone

It is difficult to think of a working actor who can project the emotion “frantic” better than John Cusack. This made him perfect for his role in 1408 because, for the majority of this film, Cusack is alone in a room reacting to supernatural events. His ability to seamlessly shift between panic, rage, and quiet introspection does the bulk of the work to move the plot forward and give credibility to the bizarre and frightening things happening around him. James Berardinelli of ReelViews praised the performance in his review “This is John Cusack’s movie to carry, and he has no problem taking it where it needs to go”, and David Germain from the Associated Press said the film “thrives on the strength of John Cusack’s passionate performance”.

Better Than The Shining?

While it is easy to compare 1408 to other Stephen King stories like The Shining and Rose Red, and their respective on-screen adaptations, this horror film brings its own unique charm to the table. Both The Shining and Rose Red take place in big, largely empty, spaces. Humans are social creatures, so it is relatively easy to create a sense of unease when presented with a vast emptiness like The Overlook Hotel. It is much more difficult to build that same sense of dread within a small and reasonably well-furnished room. 

Another thing that separates 1408 from movies like The Shining is its rating. Some have claimed that 1408’s PG 13 rating hurts the film’s level of horror. Wesley Morris of The Boston Globe said the film “lacks the lunging horror” of The Shining. While I do grant that an elevator full of blood and multiple emaciated apparitions would certainly have made the film more impactful, director Mikael Håfström was still able to maintain an engaging story that still pulls you in and doesn’t let go. That, perhaps, is even more of an accomplishment. 

1408

I am aware that there will be many who disagree with my assessment of 1408. However, I do believe that there are more out there who will embrace it. This movie may have been lost in the crowd of 2000s horror thrillers, but I think it’s time to give 1408 its deserved credit as a cinematic horror gem.