There is no shortage of Stephen King adaptations to stream this Halloween season, but fans of the King of Horror shouldn’t forget to add one underrated gem to their movie marathons. Ever since releasing his debut novel in 1974, King has become a master at crafting compelling and suspenseful horror narratives, terrifying fans on the page and screen with stories about monsters, frightening situations, and terrifying locations grounded in the familiar and everyday. Movies like Carrie, The Shining, and Misery have cemented King’s horror legacy on the screen, but another adaptation of one of his works deserves more appreciation now that it’s back on streaming.
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Hotel rooms are naturally creepy, but perhaps they have never been creepier than in 1408. Director Mikael Håfström’s adaptation of King’s short story of the same name, which first appeared in his audio collection Blood and Smoke before later being published in Everything’s Eventual, started streaming on Peacock on September 1st. “Certified Fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes with a 79% critics’ score, the movie stars John Cusack as Mike Enslin, a writer and paranormal debunker who checks into the Dolphin Hotel’s fabled room 1408. Initially setting out to debunk the rumored paranormal activity there, he soon finds himself trapped in a series of genuine terrors.
Why You Should Watch 1408
If there’s one King adaptation that needs to be watched this Halloween season, it’s 1408. The film is a testament to how powerful psychological horror can be. Cusack’s strong performance as Mike serves as an excellent vessel for psychological horror as his initial skepticism slowly crumbles inside the increasingly terrifying haunted hotel room and the events that take place there, the film tracking a slow unraveling of sanity and descent into madness that is absolutely chilling. The decision to primarily rely on a singular setting and mind games over gore or jump scares helps to effectively build an inescapable sense of isolation and dread palpable through the screen.
Released 17 years ago, 1408 has been overshadowed by more recent adaptations of King’s works, such as Doctor Sleep and It, but it is one of the best. The movie successfully captures the tone and terror of the original while also expanding the story into something just as compelling on the screen as it is on the page. Even nearly two decades later, the movie still holds up, thanks to great cinematography, writing, and production value.
Other Horror Movies Now on Peacock
Peacock subscribers looking for more terrifying movies guaranteed to send chills down their spines this Halloween season have plenty of options to stream after 1408. Candyman III, The Creature Walks Among Us, Drag Me to Hell, Firestarter, Halloween III: Season of the Witch, Psycho, Terrifier 3, and The Thing (1982) all started streaming on Peacock on September 1st.
The NBCUniversal streamer will be home to even more horror titles next month when movies like Dead Silence, Fright Night, Mama, The Mist, The Omen (1976), Silent Hill, and The Wolf Man (1941) start streaming on October 1st alongside titles from the Friday the 13th, Leprechaun, and Scream franchises.
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