1408 (2007)
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A skeptical author investigating haunted locations finds himself trapped in a room that defies the laws of reality.
The story
Mike Enslin, a cynical and skeptical author of books about supernatural events, receives an anonymous warning not to enter room 1408 at The Dolphin, a hotel in New York City. Despite the warnings from the hotel manager, who claims no one has survived more than an hour in the room, Mike insists on staying there as a challenge. Upon entering, he is met with a countdown and a series of bizarre, frightening occurrences. As the room begins to manifest its own terrifying reality, Mike finds himself trapped in a space where the boundaries between his reality and the supernatural begin to blur.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Mike Enslin, a skeptical author of supernatural books, travels to the Dolphin Hotel in New York City after receiving a warning to avoid room 1408. Despite the manager's pleas, Mike checks in. Inside, a countdown begins, and he experiences visions of past victims and his own family. He attempts to contact his wife, but the room's interference makes communication difficult. The room physically alters, flooding with water and forcing Mike to relive a past accident. He eventually believes he escaped and is treated in a hospital, only to realize he is still trapped in the room while the outside world moves on. He eventually faces a choice from a mysterious voice: relive the past or use the 'express checkout system.' He chooses to set the room on fire to destroy it. He is later rescued by firefighters and reunited with his wife. However, a recording of his daughter's voice on his damaged tape recorder confirms that his experiences in the room were real.
- First release year
- 2007
- Runtime (minutes)
- 104
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Mikael Håfström
- Writers
- Matt Greenberg · screenplay; Scott Alexander · screenplay; Larry Karaszewski · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- John Cusack · Mike Enslin; Samuel L. Jackson; Mary McCormack; Tony Shalhoub
- Genres
- psychological horror; horror; thriller
- Themes
- supernatural; isolation; reality vs. illusion
- Tone and mood
- tense; eerie; claustrophobic
- Premise and plot tags
- haunted house; time loop; survival
- Source material / true-story basis
- Stephen King's short story published in 1999.
- Content notes
- horror
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 80% · review count: 176; Metacritic · score: 64 · scale: 100 · review count: 27
- Production trivia
- The film was based on a 1999 short story by Stephen King.; The Roosevelt Hotel in New York was used for some of the exterior shots.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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