Stephen King,Steven King-only a great mind like his could make such a great movie.I've seen this movie 4 times and still love it just as much as when I first saw it.

Good movie, not perfect, but very very chilling. Honestly, in a world where horror movies are much better than they are now, I may not like this movie very much, but with all the crap we have to sit through, I actually enjoyed have a film really creep me out. I though the shining was mindnumbingly boring when I first watched it. I read the book and LOVED it, so I assumed the movie would be the classic it was hailed as. Turns out it was just a kid riding a trike for half an hour and some goofy close ups of shelly Duvall and Jack Nicklson. The reason I tried this movie was actually BECAUSE of the PG-13 rating; I figured if the producers felt confident releasing a horror film that wasn't an R than they must have something good. Turns out this movie is one of the best psychological thrillers I have ever seen. It was both intelligent as well relatable, without trying to hard to have a moral theme. The movie just IS scary, playing of your emotions and inner most fears, and not the visceral ones either, your REAL fears, even the ones you may not have realized you had. Of course it's not perfect, and it drags in a few spots, But the plot twists and writing (plus Cusak's performance) make for a GENUINELY scary film. I can understand why some might think the movie was a little haphazard or not fully realized (I never read the short story, so I can't comment on that), but if you don't like it because it's not a gore fest than grow an imagination and step outside your little world of superviolence for something that ACTUALLY has substance.… Expand

This movie will definitely hold your attention. I love John Cusack in this movie. I would say this movie is more of a "thriller" or "suspense" movie rather than a "horror/scary" movie. Give this movie a try, you won't be disappointed.

"1408" reimagines "Solaris"(and a little "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind", too) as a horror film, which is to say, there is nothing in this ghost story that a sadist-in-training can copy. The most intense moment in "1408" is personal. Emotional manipulation is the only grotesquerie here. "1408" isn't scary, but at least it's not hokey like other films from the "haunted house" genre. The use of The Carpenters' "We've Only Just Begun" may remind some of another Stephen King adaptation, John Carpenter's "Christine", in which "Good Golly, Miss Molly" is used to create a sense of menace. It's debatable as to which musical artist is scarier: Karen Carpenter or Little Richard. "1408" is the best old-fashioned "scary movie" since "The Sixth Sense".… Expand

Do you know let me tell you some, this movie realy deserve 9 because you gonna use your mined like a puzzle, so trust me it is realy something eals to discover what the hiding thing and the exciting in it.

Ugh ... worst movie in recent memory. I saw it in Hong Kong and the audience actually laughed the the daughter died again. Maybe it was a cultural thing, but I thought the overall effort was laughable.

This movie was so awful, I'm baffled at the good reviews. Simply the worst.

If you like psychological thrillers, don't miss 1408. Even an hour after watching this, there are some images that I still can't get out of my head. This was a great film.

This is simply a flat-out enjoyable summer horrorfest. It's lacking in much substance or innovation, but you can't deny that the film is just a frightening pleasure to watch. This would be nothing without Cusack.

Overrated, pretentious neo-ripoff of The Shining without one ounce of that movie's mounting fear. Cusack's character is unlikeable from the opening scene, and from a ghost/haunting logic point-of-vierw, virtually nothing makes any sense. They say that a great movie is a good story, well-told. This is a mediocre story, badly told.

[***SPOILERS***] Boo. And I don't mean "as in scary"; I mean "as in stinky ca-ca." John Cusack's acting is the only thing that makes this watchable. It recklessly and meaninglessly throws in everything but the kitchen sink (oh, and then the kitchen sink, too), has so many multiple endings that the final ending is impossible to take seriously, and contains so many violations of its own (admittedly weak) pre-established logic that you'd have to be really high to fall for any of it ("SPOILERS," I guess): Why do a loose window and some hot water terrify John Cusack? Why doesn't John Cusack just leave when the engineer comes to the room? Why doesn't John Cusack look cold or water freeze when the temperature is 30 degrees? etc. Also: what exactly was the nature of the "awful" relationship John Cusack had with his father? (Specifics are always a plus.) Samuel L. Jackson seems too "street" to be believable as a man in his position (dropping the "g" from "-ing" words, for example); the poor, cookie-cutter-plastic-surgeried actress who plays Cusack's ex-wife has the typical, thankless Hollywood "wife" role; and the little girl - sorry, I know she's just a kid, but there are some really amazing child actors - can't act her way out of a paper bag. Sorry to be such a downer, but it just seems as if people's standards have sunk pretty low these days. For a good contemporary thriller, try the overlooked "Alone With Her," and for a good contemporary supernatural thriller, try "The Descent." And let's not even talk about "The Shining," which "1408" wishes it were, but SO is not. Maybe it's Stephen KIng who's become hackneyed, and this is a faithful adaptation of some cynically mediocre work, but whatever the reason, this ain't worth twelve bucks.… Expand

Worst fright film since The Number 23. While not as bad as that train wreck, this whole thing seems cheap and derivative. Worse, there's only one real scare in the entire movie. I found myself yawning and checking my watch. Don't bother!

This movie is similar in many ways to the old Twilight Zones. You never really know what's real and what isn't. If you like the slash and gore kind of scary movies, this movie isn't for you.

1408 is a throwback to classic horror. A little of everything is thrown together in this movie. Hafstrom manages to stew in some Twilight Zone, Hitchcock and that classic horror feel.

I went in with somewhat high expectations and walked out feeling a whole lot of "meh". The movie has an interesting concept but it's just a bunch of random hallucinations strung together with not much of a supporting plot.

I honestly had no idea that this movie would end up being my second favorite movie in the past two years. The trailer makes it look like it could possibly be a mediocre Hollywood film. On the contrary, this film is about 95% genuine which is pretty high considering it is an American thriller. I noticed maybe two cliches in the film, and they didn't bother me very much because I was so enthralled by the quality of the rest of the film. Cusack's performance was genuine and the film would not have been nearly as good without his unique acting style. This movie got me all worked up with excitement! Afterwards when I left the theatre, someone was shot outside; I drove off pretty fast from fear. Watch 1408!!!… Expand

I walked out of the theater wondering if I'm in room 1408. this movie rocks! Cusak completely loses his mind in 1 hour.

Awful movie. Not scary in the least.

This film earns a bonus point simply because it was not at all what I expected. I walked in thinking I would get a fright and/or gore -fest but insead got a well-told story about loss, grief and faith. There is more to this movie than ghosts and ghouls.

I really liked it. I thought it was very good. Scary, creepy and interesting. Kusak was charming and believable as well as Mike Enslin. It was kind of like watching an actual nightmare you might have unfold on a movie screen. Well done.

I really appreciated the fact that someone has finally made a scary movie that isn't all blood and gore. It's refreshing to see a movie that genuinely tries to frighten its audience, not just gross them out! Sure, it wasn't perfect, but it's a hell of a lot better than the dime-a-dozen teen slashers that have passed for "horror" movies in the past decade.

No, no, not good... you can't make a moivie like this... you just can't. Not where any kind of craziness can take place after the first twenty minutes that you know it's not really happening and have dream sequences with huge jumps in time within them and then end with a hookie tag from a bad half hour sci/fi TV show. I felt embarrassed for poor John Cusack acting his butt off for such a shabby purpose.… Expand

Not many movies can make you laugh out loud, cry bitterly and cause you to shake, gasp and scream with terror, as this one did.

Not remotely thrilling, scary or entertaining. Its an hour and a half of your life that you could have spent reading the book or getting spooked by that creepy neighbor kid who always has a booger to spare. Cusak is totally unbelievable and Jackson serves no purpose at all this movie. Don't waste your time on this one. Do the dishes!

1408 is a good movie, but not a good horror movie. It starts good, but around the middle of the film we understand that it's all in the protagonist Mike Enslin's (good acting by John Cusack) imagination. He's just dreaming. It's a nightmare, sure, but can he die in a dream? He can't. Only when he wakes up to believe his dreams are true, might he die. And you've seen enough Stephen King adaptations to know if he will. Mikael Hafstrom is a great director with an eye for images. The melting phone, the "talking" pictures, the room looks creepy even when it's not supposed to, and the short sequence of Mike calling for help for the person in the window across the street is definitely one of the creepiest moments of 2007 horror films so far, but all of the great moments don't add up for great 94 minutes. The movie lacks the sense of danger that is so important for a good horror movie. Average with some extraordinary moments.… Expand

[***SPOILER***] Uh I guess. He lives. Wow. Stupid. In fact if I remember correctly ( been trying to forget) nobody dies during the on screen course of the story. Oh and Samuel L Jackson is billed as a lead but is in the movie for less than 2 or 3 minutes. Cusack and Jackson are in the penalty box for this garbage.

This did not make any sense at all. It wasn't even close to the thrill of "The Shining". And the movie left a huge unanswered question. What was this movie about anyway.

Was it supposed to be a horror? Thriller? Great concept, but every effort made to rattle the audience was smashed to pieces. The whole grainy/static ghost sequences are just not scary anymore. Wait, were they ever? Not scary, just annoyingly suspenseful.

The movie didn't make sense and i fell asleep.

I bought this movie because the short story in '14 dark tales' by Stephen King was incredible. It scared the likes out of me and the ending was far from predictable (he sets himself on fire in the short story). What the filmmakers did to this masterpiece made me hugely dissapointed. But it was absolutely typical, I half-expected it to be this way. Hollywood filmmakers try to make a film oh so dramatic by adding a secondary plot (in the book there was no daughter and wife), they have to of course use incredibly modern technology (no cell phone nor a laptop in the book) and create an ending that, uses stupid special effects where there was such a beautifully creepy one given. Another typical thing to add here is that they put in bad effects and left out the ones that are the most enthralling in the book. The whole time I was waiting for Cusack to touch the wall and realize it feels like skin. And when the room froze? What was supposed to be so frightening about that? They completely overkilled the thermostat element. To all those people who watched the movie: Don't let yourselves be fooled by the film: buy the book and see for yourselves how the story itself is far from being mediocre but is one of the best Stephen King stories there are, I'm not kidding. Cusack was ok, it was just his misfortune to be placed in a film like this. The situations were so unreal that well realistic acting would have been next to impossible. Ending note: Read the book, you'll get more out of it.… Expand

This movie was wonderful. I don't what the other people's problem is, except to say that have watched too much modern "horror" movies and have become desensitized. Look, the bottom line is THIS IS NOT HORROR. Which is good, because the horror movies lately have no concept story or suspense. They think good films are measured in buckets of blood and bodycount. This movie is a suspense, and it does a great job.… Expand

Fantastic movie. One of the best scary movies I've seen in a long time. And the secondary story of his life is riveting. A must see for those of us who still have an attention span.

This movie was honestly terrifying. A Brilliant script, topped of with excellent acting make this highly entertaining horror film one hell of a ride.

A disappointment. Could've been a great cat and mouse thriller between Cusack and Rm 1408, or Cusack and Jackson. I wanted to like the movie, but it quickly degenerated into wall cracking and window slamming that wasn't too scary.

I am so confused... did the reviewers see the same movie that I did? This movie is boring, predictable and not in the least bit scary. I gave it a two because the first 10 minutes of him in the room was a bit nervewracking but it goes down hill quickly after that part.

A very scary, creepy horror movie. It basically is man vs. room, and boy, that room plays dirty. May not make complete sense logically, but who cares, its a horror movie. If you feel like being frightened for a bit, go see this movie.

It was really good horror film if u like Stephen King u will like this. If your the person who likes all that gore in horror films then u won't like this because there is not a lot of gore in this.

Creepy and effective, not at all like the splatter films of recent years. Great performance by John Cusack.

One of the best horror movies I've seen in recent months. I really enjoyed it.

I went in expecting a great movie from all the reviews but this was nothing but your average cheap horror flick (think Turistas, The Messengers). Cusack plays a convincing King but Sam Jackson was underused and where was Tony Shaloub? I didn't see him once. Save your money but if you ever see this movie playing on cable check it out for the ending.

This movie really messes with you. In a good way. It was very nice to see a horror movie that wasn't gore-driven. It really had character. Michael Enslin is a truly memorable character and was brought to life very nicely thanks to Cusack's acting ability.

It was so cool seeing the trailer... I would rather watch the trailer over and over and over.. then see that again. So boring! And its not even scary! But good acting. Thats the only reason it got a 3.

Why do producers have a prediliction for adapting Stephen King's impressionistic short stories? Although they're blessed with a catchy premise their resolutions are almost always sloppy and overstuffed assuring filmmakers a difficult time ascribing both the visual and temporal into a convincing emotional whole. Unfortunately, this film follows that same pattern. Two different teams collaborated on this project, and their differing takes on the material rears its head early as scenes feel disjointed and the dialogue a little too irreverently silly. However, the strength of the premise and appealing takes by Cusack and Jackson - their scene has a mephistophiclean appeal - draws us into the far-fetched notion of a single room in a large metropolitan hotel as being the beacon of a ridiculous amount of freakish happenings. Credit also to director Hafstrom for using employing every possible camera angle inside '1408' as to open up the audience's mind as to where the source of menace may be coming from...or coming at you next. Cusack is quite capable of carrying most ships as long as he's not required to burden the emotional load. But, this is a King tale - their can't be horror without some treacly subplot involving a kid. And plop - as the action ain the room grows more hectic, Cusack's forced to wring through every emotion imaginable... and everything falls apart. I didn't buy anything from the hour point on...and the last moments inside the room are ludicrous. Cusack wisely knows he lacks the talent or charisma to appear in either tentpole or prestige pictures every year - so he generously offers himself to genre - wistful romantic comedy being his favorite. Although this is a sidestep from 'Identity's' surprising bounty, he should continue exploring the dark side - though something closer to 'Grosse Pointe's' black comedy would probably suit his appeal a lot more.… Expand

Great film if you ask me, a little weird and at a few bits u may be confused but, seriously not many films of recent or past made me jump or be scared like this one did, Now don't call me a wimp because I'v seen my fair share of horror's as I am a horror fanatic and have seen many many many horrors.

To say this movie is bad, boring or illogical simply means you are not watching it as it was intended or you are too jaded and desensitized from all the hostels and saws of the movie world. This movie is scary and not nearly as predictable as the cynics say (I doubt so many people actually guessed the movies better twists, they were simply bored from the lack of gore and didn't care.) This film also isn't nearly as CGI heavy as people say and only a few of the effects actually weighted the movie down. Having said all that, I know it wasn't pefect and there were certain elements that could have been removed/expounded upon. The movie also did have a very stupid ending that I am still comtemplating as to how one might find it scary. This really didn't detract from the movie, however, since Cusak managed to really "resolve" the film 9/10ths of the way in anyhow. All in all, it is a movie that deserves nothing less than a 5, but with the selection we currently have to choose from, I give it an 8.… Expand

Better than 95% of what I see. Held my attention overall and I really dug the fact that no arms came out of mirrors to choke the main character or other silly effects. Anything that is Hollywood is gonna be a bit overblown to compete with the "gotta have it now" pace we're all used to, but this one, effects-wise, struck me as way more tasteful and intelligent than the usual fare. In fact, I don't even think I'd call it a ghost movie---more like a 'thing from the Id" movie, which is a lot scarier than some protoplasmic junk floating around. After all, what's hidden deep in our heads is a lot scarier than movie effects, and Cusack was plenty good enough to show this effectively. Samuel L. Jackson was no slouch either--powerhouse scary guy, with a menacing elegance at his command.… Expand

I actually liked how the film started out! Up to the point where he enters room 1408 and then it became a big mess of a movie!!! stay away from this movie!!!!!!!

I haven't read the Stephen King novel, so I'm not sure how this adaptation stacks up, but this was just ok. I didn't feel connected to the Cusack character and there wasn't enough background about the room to explain why it is the way it is. The attempted twist ending was insulting. I guess if you're a fan of the book, maybe see it? Everyone else should wait for video or skip it.… Expand

A very engaging film----locked me in from the beginning. John Cusack was awesome. How refreshing to have suspense without gore.

Garbage. If loud noises, people jumping out from behind you, and/or over-the-top special effects equal horror, how sad the film industry has become. About half-way through "1408", I just wanted 5 minutes of silence to process, or at least feel a bit frightened. Too much to ask for in today's 5-second attention span filmmaking. Like a scary hotel? Watch "The Shining". Want an allegory of a nervous breakdown? "Watch 1963's "The Haunting"--skip the high-volume messy remake. A bloodless, creepy ghost tale? Watch Nicole Kidman in "The Others". But, by all means, skip this fx-fest, which loses its plot midway, and spare yourself the sight of a fine actor--John Cusack--so misdirected, even he looks confused by his inappropriate responses.… Expand

The only thing that keeps 1408 from being a typical "Lets spend the night in a haunted house" movie is John Cusack. Though this isn't up to his usual impeccable script choices, his performance is, as always, much better than the material calls for. Samuel L. Jackson has a little more than a cameo but his name looks good on the one-sheets. 1408 is light years ahead of the usual slasher/gore flicks but it is not the thinking mans horror flick the critics say it is. A good horror flick doesn't steal endings from an episode of Dallas!!… Expand

Simply awful. Not in the least bit frightening. The ending tries to avoid being predictable and just ends up being a big let down. Even has a decent plot going for it, too bad they just give up on a plot altogether and stick to the cheesy horror cliches.

Please ignore these 8+ reviews. This was NOT scary in the least. No "knuckle-white ride", you could watch this midnight in a cemetery and not be scared. Cusack did an average job, but Samuel L Jackson was virtually invisible the movie. With ZERO tension and still predictable ending, it is a rental at best.

Started out with and interesting premise, and kept my attention for about and hour, but like most horror flicks had no way to keep it going or anyway to end the story. All in all, it would be worth catching on pay-per-view late at night on Halloween when you are all alone.

Good acting by John Cusack. The movie gets boring when it becomes clear that all that's happening in that room is imaginary, that the mistakes Mike Enslin has made in the past are coming back to haunt him. With a lesser actor this movie would be a catastrophe - with Cusack, it's watchable. Only watch it if you don't have anything better to do.. [p.s.: good review by Matan C].

Cusack has long been one of my favorite NON high profile actors because of his choice of movies in general. But alas he lost me on this one. This movie was simply a recylced FX vehicle and if anyone thinks it was more than that then they looked way too hard and deep. As is many American movies the beginnings have promise and then falter into the writers abyss. By that I mean they run out of any credible imagination, originality and passion. If your not going to make any sense at least attempt to be entertaining, which this movie was not. This movie on the making sense level was close to The Lakehouse and that my friends was baddddd. So.. not in great company I must say. Think I'll go and write a screenplay, never have attempted one but heck sure as hell couldn't be as bad.… Expand

Upon first glimpse, audience may be fooled by its misleadingly common premise, but 1408 boldly goes where no other psychological horror has ever gone. Packaged in 100 claustrophobic minutes in a dingy, creepy though somewhat ordinary-looking hotel room, John Cusack delivers convincingly, and the horror is promising and undeviating.

Just to start off, this is not horror, its a thriller. This movie is creepy, and it sticks with you. this movie maked you believe the room is in fact alive. and you feel confined. i loved it, start to finish. The only complaint is that it slows down, and you think its over, which is a smart idea, but it slowed down, then it picked back up but not with the creepiness, the drama. Great Film. Mary McCormick was hot in it. Tony Shaloub was great, that's TWO great TV actors. John Cusack, as usual, is great. Samuel L Jackson, great. Check this out… Expand

Based on the short story of the same name by Stephen King, 1408 follows a famous author as he goes to the Dolphin hotel to spend a night in the supposedly-haunted room 1408. Notice something about the numbers? If you add them together they equal 13, and there's your fun fact of the day. Despite what you see on the cover, Samuel L. Jackson only plays a minor role in the film, so you won't see him cussing like no tomorrow. Instead, he gives cryptic advice to the main character at the beginning of the movie, warning him not to go into the room. He goes so far to give him money and an expensive bottle of alcohol, which is taken but he still goes to the room. From there on, the movie turns into a twisting hallway with a surprise at every corner. Various frights ensue and soon the main character is struggling to try and get out of the room. By the time he finally does, you'll be on the edge of your seat. And then there's the twist ending, which pulls away to ANOTHER ending, revealing the guy's new partial insanity. If you enjoy horror films or are looking for more frights, 1408 is for you.… Expand

When I first heard about this Ill admit I didnt care to see it at all. But after watching it its not a bad horror/suspense movie at all. If your into horror this is diffidently a MUST watch. If you dont like horror of ghost/haunting movies you wont enjoy this at all. The images/cut scenes are awesome, the effects are legit, great cast, decent plot, you dont get to confused and pretty much figure it out once things start happening and the story seems to play itself out really well, solid horror movie with a good cast.… Expand

1408 was a great movie, but not what I would have imagined. John Cussack was great. I came into the movie expecting to be scarred and left a little disappointed. Although the film was creepy I felt it lacked something. The movie was definitely worth a watch and if it can be found at a reasonable price owning.

Somewhat effective thriller with a gone-to-seed John Cusack carrying the movie pretty much alone aside from a risible walk-on appearance by Samuel L. Jackson. Unusually successful adaptation of a Stephen King short story.

An excellent film with great performances and musical score! Cusack does well in walking the line of keeping his cool and wigging out. Nothing too terrifiying here, but it is spooky. Check it out!

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Given that King adaptations are typically awful jokes, 1408 merits praise merely for being not abysmal. That said - it's a good little chiller that should have been great. So much is wonderful, including Cusack's droll awareness of playing the same, weary, cynical dude. The settings, the silences, the pacing - all grand, really. What goes wrong? TOO MUCH EXPOSITION, and the misleading kind. Based on the first 30 minutes, 1408 is beyond deadly. It's sadistic, vile, and very, very fast, given the self-mutilations which have occurred within it, and in mere minutes. But Cusack's experience, a few harmless phantoms aside, isn't terrifying; it's all about sadness and his personal despair. I expect more from a room that induces a maid to stab her eyes out in mere seconds. But - hey, it's all right. And the hotel window/ledge scenes are bloody fabulous.… Expand

This film is not very scary, but it has atmosphere. John Cusack is very good in it as the skeptical protagonist who yearns for a real scare and gets it. I rooted for him throughout the film to escape the evil room that had trapped him.