1408
Movie, 2007, The 2000s and 2010s, Set in The Dolphin Hotel
1408 is #21 of 42 in release order and #12 of 42 in chronological order in the Stephen King Universe.
The story
A man who specializes in debunking paranormal occurrences checks into the fabled room 1408 at the Dolphin Hotel. Soon after settling in, he confronts genuine terror.
1408 recap
1408 (2007) locks a sceptical author of ghost guidebooks in a New York hotel room that has killed everyone who stayed more than an hour. Mikael Hafstrom directs John Cusack as Mike Enslin, a writer who debunks haunted places and is still grieving his young daughter Katie. He receives an anonymous postcard warning him not to enter room 1408 at the Dolphin Hotel. Manager Gerald Olin (Samuel L. Jackson) tries to talk him out of it, describing 56 deaths, and offers him expensive cognac. Inside, the clock radio starts a countdown from 60 minutes and the room turns on him: windows slam, the temperature swings, ghosts of earlier victims jump from the window, and the walls bleed. Mike sees Katie, then watches her crumble to dust. Trying to escape, he climbs onto the ledge and finds no other windows on the building. He seems to wake on a California beach after a surfing accident, only to discover he never left the room.
1408 ending explained
1408 ends, in the theatrical cut, with Mike burning the room and surviving. He makes a Molotov cocktail from Olin's cognac and sets 1408 on fire, and firefighters drag him out. Later, his wife Lily hears Katie's voice on his tape recorder from the room. In the director's cut, Mike dies in the fire and his ghost remains in the burnt room.
Post-credits scenes
No. 1408 has no mid- or post-credits scene.
Where to watch 1408
1408 is streaming on Philo, AMC+, Kanopy, AMC, Shudder, and Fawesome in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 6.8/10, Rotten Tomatoes 80%
Where it fits
- Release order: after Dreamcatcher, before The Mist.
- Chronological order: after The Green Mile, before The Mist.
What to watch before 1408
In release order, 11 Stephen King Universe essentials come before 1408 (2007), from Carrie (1976) to The Green Mile (1999).
Cast
- John Cusack as Mike Enslin
- Samuel L. Jackson as Gerald Olin
- Mary McCormack as Lilly Enslin
- Jasmine Jessica Anthony as Katie
- Tony Shalhoub as Sam Farrell
- Len Cariou as Mike's Father
- Isiah Whitlock Jr. as Hotel Engineer
- Noah Lee Margetts as Bellboy
- William Armstrong as Clay
- Paul Birchard as Mr. Innkeeper
- Margot Leicester as Mrs. Innkeeper
- Alexandra Silber as Young Woman at Bookstore
Directed by Mikael Håfström.