1408 | 2007

Main Plot

Michael Enslin is a skeptical writer known for exposing supernatural hoaxes, traveling the country to investigate supposedly haunted locations. His latest project leads him to the Dolphin Hotel in New York, where he insists on staying in the infamous room 1408—a room shrouded in disturbing legends and tragic histories. Despite warnings from the hotel manager about the room's dark past, Michael is determined to prove it’s all a myth. However, once inside, he quickly realizes that 1408 is unlike any place he’s ever encountered. The room begins to manipulate his reality, bombarding him with terrifying visions and forcing him to confront painful memories from his past. Trapped and desperate, Michael fights to maintain his sanity as the room’s supernatural forces close in, challenging his disbelief and pushing him to the brink of madness.

Characters

• John Cusack plays Michael Enslin, a skeptical author who investigates haunted locations for his books. As he faces the horrors of room 1408, his disbelief is tested, forcing him to confront personal trauma.
• Samuel L. Jackson portrays Gerald Olin, the wary manager of the Dolphin Hotel. Olin's warnings about room 1408 reveal a man burdened by responsibility and haunted by the hotel's dark history.
• Mary McCormack appears as Lily, Michael Enslin's estranged wife. Their strained relationship underscores the emotional cost of Michael's obsession, adding a layer of personal stakes to his ordeal.

Ending Explained

As 1408 reaches its conclusion, Michael Enslin’s ordeal in the haunted hotel room culminates in a desperate struggle for survival and sanity. After enduring a relentless series of supernatural horrors—ranging from terrifying hallucinations to physical threats—Michael realizes that the room is manipulating his reality, forcing him to confront his own grief and guilt, particularly over the loss of his daughter. In a final act of defiance, he sets the room on fire, hoping to destroy its evil and free himself. The flames attract hotel staff, who rescue Michael, and he survives the ordeal, physically scarred but spiritually changed. The ending suggests that Michael’s experience has fundamentally altered his skepticism about the supernatural; he now possesses tangible evidence of the room’s evil, such as a recording that captures his daughter’s voice. The film closes with Michael reconciling with his past and finding a measure of closure, while the lingering supernatural elements hint that the room’s malevolent power endures, leaving the audience with an unsettling sense of ambiguity.