1408's plot is relatively straightforward, with the numerous twists the story takes being sadly predictable. This reduces the movie to nothing more than a series of terrible things happening to a man - a potentially engaging narrative, if only the movie gave us any reason to care about the protagonist or his fate. It should be noted that this is no fault of the actor, who gives an excellent performance. And while it is not unusual for a horror movie to have a shallow plot and boring characters, there is nothing in 1408 that is particularly frightening, at least not to anyone who has seen a horror movie or two before.
Straightforward, Generic Horror
1408's plot is relatively straightforward, with the numerous twists the story takes being sadly predictable. This reduces the movie to nothing more than a series of terrible things happening to a man - a potentially engaging narrative, if only the movie gave us any reason to care about the protagonist or his fate. It should be noted that this is no fault of the actor, who gives an excellent performance. And while it is not unusual for a horror movie to have a shallow plot and boring characters, there is nothing in 1408 that is particularly frightening, at least not to anyone who has seen a horror movie or two before.