When you check into a hotel these days, you never know what you're going to get, whether it's a continental breakfast, soiled sheets, or an evil room that'll drive you to suicide.
In the new thriller "1408," based on the Stephen King novel, the latter is what Mike Enslin (John Cusack) finds as he seeks out a real haunted hotel.
Enslin, an author who specializes in writing about the paranormal, is working on his latest book on haunted hotels.
And after a series of disappointments, Enslin finally happens upon the Dolphin Hotel's room 1408 - a room that boasts more than 50 deaths.
Despite the persistent warnings of the hotel's manager, Gerald Olin (Samuel L. Jackson), Enslin decides room 1408 would be the perfect ending chapter for his book.
And after all, Enslin had nothing to worry about, losing his faith in the supernatural following the death of his young daughter.
But after a few minutes in the room, Enslin starts to think a little differently, from the time the window sill shuts on his hand to when the clock begins counting down from 60 minutes.
While I enjoy most of King's work, there are few stories of his that I felt transitioned well to the screen.
But "1408" is probably one of the better ones.
While there's little background to a lot of the thrills you see in the movie, they still will leave you clenching the armrest.
And the ending will leave a bit too much for the audience to decide for themselves, but it's better than trying to resolve a story based upon confusing the audience.
Cusack turns in a terrific performance, flipping between terror and frightened comedy without a hitch.
While Jackson is never dull in his performances, the extent of his role is limited and never given the chance to gain much depth.
Mary McCormack who plays Enslin's wife, Lily, turns in the same performance I've seen from her in last few movies I've seen. It's unrelated, but it seems like she's in every movie these days and is always the same.
Even though the film features a solid lead performance and good thrills, it's nowhere near as satisfying as a film like "The Shining."
Maybe it's the limit of "1408" being bound to a single room, whereas "The Shining" includes an entire hotel.
Or maybe it's just more character development and setup, leaving the end result truly terrifying.
Regardless of the differences, "1408" is a decent enough thriller. It won't leave you wet in your seat or contemplating the meaning of life - but will be good for a scream or two.
I give the film three pitchforks out of five.
Reach the reviewer at: matthew.g.stone@asu.edu.
