

Jackson is only on screen for a few minutes, but his scenes set-up the horror we're about to experience. His journey from jaded skeptic to broken believer is compelling all thanks to his full on commitment. Thankfully, that's not an issue, as Cusack turns in one of his best performances. The endless terror would be a bit much to handle if we didn't have a compelling lead to keep us centered. This "more is more" technique sells the feeling of overwhelming dread incredibly well. The movie even does something that few films can make not infuriating but here it works it constantly makes its own rules only to break them. It'll probably come back later, too, long after you've forgotten about it, to get you all over again, like the hammer swinging maniac that surprises Enslin and disappears, only to reappear much later to take a few more swings. Before you get too comfortable with one scary sight, it's quickly tossed aside in favor of something new. From then on the film is an onslaught of imaginative imagery and ideas. Soon after Enslin closes the door on what may very well be his tomb, the clock radio face changes from the time to a sixty-minute countdown. Enslin doesn't buy into it and takes his key up to the room where he spends a night in pure agony facing his greatest fears and being forced to relive the very worst of his past traumas.ġ408 is relentless. The number of deaths (grisly murders and suicides) has been greatly under-exaggerated and nobody has lasted longer than one hour. It takes over your brain as soon as the doors have closed and your only escape is death.
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Olin has attempted to keep the room unoccupied for as long as he could, and for great reason. Enslin is met with considerable pushback when he attempts to check in by the hotel manager, Gerald Olin (Samuel L.
