Fridae

Not many Stephen King novels or short stories have made the transition to film with notable success, and the famous author may have the dubious honour as the one with the most cinematic duds to his name. Thankfully, 1408 does not follow the norm, and is actually a pretty decent horror movie, and even for horror veterans, the plot may have a couple of surprises up its sleeve.

John Cusack plays Mike Enslin, a skeptic who tries to debunk haunted houses by visiting them and writing about the absence of spiritual activity. That is, until he decides to pay a visit to Room 1408 of the Dolphin Hotel in New York, which has claimed 56 lives in its century of existence. Mike soon realises that he has signed up for much more than he had bargained for, but leaving is no longer an option.

After a setup of less than 30 minutes, 1408 becomes a thrill ride that never lets up till the end, being in turns creepy, scary and developing in unexpected ways. If you think you can see the ending coming, think again. It's a deliciously wicked movie that does not resort to gore to scare, which is a rarity these days. John Cusack manages to carry the film very well, especially in the second act, where he is trapped in 1408, and his character developed well enough for the audience to root for his survival. One of this year's best horror films, without a doubt.