FOR a film which takes place predominatly in one room, featuring mostly just one character, it does an exceedingly good job in catching the viewer's imagination and maintaining it until the chilling cilmax.

Mike Enslin (John Cusack) is a writer who claims to investigate haunted places for a series of books he writes, including haunted hotels, haunted guest houses etc.

But what he really intends to do is prove to those who believe that it's all a load of nonsense and that no haunted places actually exist.

He gets an anonymous invitation to stay in room 1408 at the Dolphin Hotel and during his research, unravels a gruesome back catalogue of deaths in the room (or on the pavement 13 floors down for those who choose to jump).

Hotel manager Gerald Olin (Samuel L Jackson) tries to persuade him not to stay there but Enslin believes it is just a marketing ploy and insists he has that room.

But within minutes of being in the infamous 1408, strange things start happening and horrific visions appear before Mike, who is himself trying to escape heartbreaking thoughts of past events.

The real question is whether the room is haunted or whether Mike, for the first time in his life, has lost the battle against his own imagination.

This film has faultless acting, a few breathtaking special effects and a great plot twist.

HC