“They say you can’t die in your dreams. Is that true?” is a question that Swedish director, Mikael Hafstrom, explores in his latest horror flick, 1408, adapted from Stephen King’s short story of the same title. In an effort to tackle the line that divides reality from illusions, however, he packages, unfortunately, a film that comes through as half a stunning production and half a heap of mess.

John Cusack plays Mike Enslim, an unsuccessful author of non-fiction books that debunk haunted places. As in King’s original story, Enslim is a non-believer of his work and of there being ghostly beings in this world. His unbelief, however, takes its toll when he decides to check into room 1408 of the Dolphin Hotel, New York, after receiving an anonymous postcard bearing a tagline “don’t enter 1408”.

Despite the warnings from the hotel’s manager, Gerard Olin (Samuel L. Jackson), who refers to 1408 as an “evil f**king room” and that 56 deaths have taken place in the hotel’s 95-year history, Enslim persists and argues his way into the mystifying suite where, low and behold, terror seizes thou who stays in it.

For 1 entire hour, Enslim has to enjoy what the underworld elements of the room have installed for him.

The Commendable

There’s much that is promising about the first hour of 1408 –a highly intriguing protagonist, a healthy dose of comedy, comforting fresh elements that stray away from the cliché in-your-face thriller elements that many horror flicks overuse, and a concept that forces audience to live through the dreadful experience the lead character lives through.

In a normal horror flick, the amount of waiting time that 1408 forces its viewers to endure before the chills arise would typically rouse a few snores among the audience. Not until the 30-minute point in the film do viewers get a glimpse of the room itself, which is when the scary bits take place.

But Hafstrom creates a good series of lead ups that does not bore audiences with the use of witty comedy between Cusack and Jackson’s characters. He takes advantage of this half hour to develop a sense of anticipation and to establish a rapport between Enslim and viewers, so much that when the paranormal occurrences take place, and Enslim’s arrogance and utter ignorance from what he’s gotten himself into reigns, you’ll find yourself genuinely concerned for the guy.

What enhances the fear factor that is associated with the film is the concept of living through every second of the entire hour that Enslim goes through in the room from the moment the radio-timer blasts “We’ve Only Just Begun” by The Carpenters, a concept that defines the success of films and television series like 24.

Fans of horror films can also seek comfort from Hafstrom’s effort in doing away with visually horrific approaches that Saw and The Ring use to jolt audiences out of their seats and experimenting with refreshing ways to bring out the jitters. 1408 is made of scenes that collectively offer a mentally and psychologically traumatic experience. It’s the situations that he face which creates a constant sense of insecurity and fear, together with a dizzying range of possibility that is presented with each scene –his dilemma in jumping out the window, the change of seasons in a room and him finally getting hold of someone via the internet.

Then it falls flat

Halfway through Enslim’s terrorising experience, things become unrealistic, despite the obvious original attempt to make things seem practical, the places that he mentally travels to become a tad bit absurd and you get the feeling the writers are simply filling in the remaining minutes of the hour-long stay by introducing elements not found in King’s original story. Be prepared to dose off while waiting for the pandemonium to die down only to be presented by a meaningless ending.

Those who have read King’s version of the story would understand the difficulty of bringing his writings to the screen, especially with the over-the-top second half of Enlim’s harrowing experience. King was able to experiment well with out-of-this-world situations and tie and fit them smoothly into yet another of his masterpieces. But what works well for the written word may not work for the big screen. We’ve seen that in 1999’s Message In A Bottle, 2004’s The Notebook, 2005’s The Constant Gardener, and now, we literally experience it in the second half of 1408.

If you have time and money to spare

It’s sad that a film that starts off such a thrill dies later on and eventually leaves a negative impression overall. One would think that a film adaptation of any of thriller master, Stephen King’s horror stories would hit the nail in instilling fear in viewers, but Hafstrom’s version of 1408, on the whole, pales in comparison to the original short story.

Rating: 3 / 5 stars

Movie Details:

Opens: Aug 13

Running Time: 104 minutes

Cast: John Cusack, Samuel L Jackson, Jasmine Jessica Anthony, Mary McCormack

Director: Mikael Hafstrom