Jacob's Ladder

Name: Jacob's Ladder
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Horror
Released: August 23, 2019
Duration: 89 min
Rating: 31
Cast: Ben Bladon, Guy Burnet, Jesse Williams, Joseph Sikora, Julia Valentine Larson

2019

METASCORE

Generally unfavorable reviews based on 8 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Overwhelming dislike based on 9 Ratings

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1.4	User Score Overwhelming dislike based on 9 Ratings

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Jacob's Ladder

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Movie Details & Credits

Vertical Entertainment | Release Date: August 23, 2019 | R

Starring: Ben Bladon, Guy Burnet, Jesse Williams, Joseph Sikora, Julia Valentine Larson, Karla Souza, Kevin L. Johnson, Michael Aaron Milligan, Michael Ealy, Nicole Beharie, Ninja N. Devoe, Patti Schellhaas, Ritchie Coster, William Tokarsky

Summary: After the death of his brother in Afghanistan, Jacob Singer is finally getting his life back together. He has a beautiful wife, a new born child and a successful career as surgeon in a VA hospital. When a stranger approaches him and tells him that his brother is actually alive and living in an underground shelter with other homeless vets,After the death of his brother in Afghanistan, Jacob Singer is finally getting his life back together. He has a beautiful wife, a new born child and a successful career as surgeon in a VA hospital. When a stranger approaches him and tells him that his brother is actually alive and living in an underground shelter with other homeless vets, Jacob’s life starts to unravel. He begins hallucinating, believes he is being followed by violent attackers and becomes paranoid about the truth of what really happened to his brother. When he discovers that his brother is alive and addicted to an experimental drug, he uncovers a secret he never could have been prepared for.… Expand

Director: David M. Rosenthal

Genre(s): Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Horror

Rating: R

Runtime: 89 min

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Critic Reviews

Movie Nation Roger Moore

Aug 7, 2019

There isn’t a bad performance in it, and those turns made me buy in just enough. It’s still a mixed bag, but for those in a “Ghost” frame of mind, it’s not bad. Read full review

Sara Stewart

Aug 21, 2019

As an exploration of post-traumatic stress disorder in US war veterans, the psychological thriller Jacob’s Ladder was ripe for an update. As a piece of enjoyable ’90s shock schlock, it maybe should have just stayed where it was. Read full review

Noel Murray

Aug 22, 2019

The new Jacob’s Ladder is less strange and scary, and more mindlessly action-packed. It doesn’t feel like a dream. It’s more like hearing a stranger describe a dream. Read full review

William Bibbiani

Aug 22, 2019

A shabby low-rent thriller with a few vaguely interesting ideas and an ensemble that deserves better material. Read full review

John DeFore

Aug 20, 2019

As jumbled as all this is, the film never achieves the kind of sweaty intensity of the original. Read full review

RogerEbert.com Brian Tallerico

Aug 23, 2019

Only the commitment from the always-solid Michael Ealy saves it from being one of the worst movies of the year, although just barely. Read full review

Owen Gleiberman

Aug 23, 2019

You can forge a decent drama out of elements this scrappy, but not necessarily a film like Jacob’s Ladder. Read full review

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User Reviews

TheQuietGamer

Sep 26, 2019

Wow, this was kind of surprise release huh? I remember hearing about the project some time ago and didn't expect it to come out with as little fanfare as it did. I can't blame Vertical Entertainment for trying to sneak this one out there though, as the quality of this remake is veryWow, this was kind of surprise release huh? I remember hearing about the project some time ago and didn't expect it to come out with as little fanfare as it did. I can't blame Vertical Entertainment for trying to sneak this one out there though, as the quality of this remake is very made-for-TV.

It provides an interesting spin on the original movie, but the writing ultimately doesn't hold up. Too many plot holes and things that just don't make any sense. Looking back at how neatly the 1990 film wrapped things up in a way that left the viewers without any questions they couldn't decipher on their own, the somewhat sloppier nature of this 2019 update's story is quite disappointing. Especially since the film plays its hand too early allowing you to see its somewhat unoriginal twists coming from a mile away.

You can tell the people behind this modernization were fans of or at least respected the original enough to try and treat the material with some dignity. They handled the reusing of scenes and plot points with a certain reverence. If the cult fanbase of that version can find it in themselves to look past the fact that this will never hold a candle to Adrian Lyne's take, then they may find themselves able to get a kick out of the number of seemingly loving nods made to it that can be found here.

Of course that will require them to overlook past the biggest oopsie David Rosenthal made in the director's seat, and I can see them being not so willing to do that. Part of the reason Jacob's Ladder (1990) is so loved is due to how surreal it is. That same man trapped in a nightmare quality is never recaptured here. There are a few moments where the reality of events is more than a little questionable, but never to the same horrific effect. It's more action packed and the pace is faster (which I appreciated), but won't freak people out in nearly the same way. With nothing to the same effect as the highly praised hospital sequence, it's not hard to see why the original's followers are likely to meet this with little more than contempt.

As inferior and flawed as it is, this remake is at least interesting in its attempt to to shake up the source material. I'd argue it also does a decent job at trying to recapture what makes its predecessor so well-loved, even if it misses the mark by some margin. Yet, for all of its ambition it's simply held back by the fact that when all is said and done it's just not very good.

5.9/10… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

JLuis_001

Sep 2, 2019

This film has neither pretention nor ambition and everything seems done without real motivation, therefore it's a remake not only unnecessary but insulting.

Nothing is redeemable, nothing is recommended. I don't usually say this but avoid it, there's nothing worthy here. Better watch theThis film has neither pretention nor ambition and everything seems done without real motivation, therefore it's a remake not only unnecessary but insulting.

Nothing is redeemable, nothing is recommended.
I don't usually say this but avoid it, there's nothing worthy here. Better watch the original, by far a more meaningful film.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

Dizzy_69

Jan 2, 2020

Just don't
seriously! It's not even laughably bad, this is a re-imagining, that misses the point and the plot of the original, fails to even get close the original ambience of the original.
I'm without doubt that those involved in the making of this debacle were not suitably competent, I'dJust don't
seriously! It's not even laughably bad, this is a re-imagining, that misses the point and the plot of the original, fails to even get close the original ambience of the original.
I'm without doubt that those involved in the making of this debacle were not suitably competent, I'd be surprised if they'd even watched the original.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Hardsourreviews

Sep 8, 2019

Terrible.... lifeless. I honestly have no idea what they were thinking making this. The original is insanly better.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

cmoorejnr83

Jul 28, 2020

The only thing worse than this movie is the fact Jesse Williams will keep getting work. It must be the only industry where you can be bad at you job and still keep it. Avoid at all costs.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

GalletaSuprema

Nov 21, 2020

no he visto la pelicula... la original es uno de mis largometrajes favoritos, pero si todos dicen que este remake es fatal, le daré una nota 0 solo para ver como cae ese porcentaje LOL! XD!

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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