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Jacob's Ladder Play Trailer

Jacob's Ladder (1990)

tomatometer

44

Average Rating: 5.1/10
Critic Reviews: 9
Fresh: 4 | Rotten: 5

No consensus yet.

audience

81

liked it
Average Rating: 3.7/5
User Ratings: 50,354

My Rating

Movie Info

A tortured man finds himself caught in a middle-ground between hallucination and reality in this supernatural thriller, scripted by Bruce Joel Rubin of Ghost (1990) and My Life (1993).Jacob Singer (Tim Robbins) is a soldier stationed in Vietnam who undergoes a traumatic experience on the battlefield - the nature of which is initially unclear. The film then moves into his post-Vietnam experience in 1970s New York, where he feels consistently traumatized, but can never quite remember exactly what

R,

Mystery & Suspense, Drama

Bruce Joel Rubin

Sep 14, 2010

Tri Star

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Cast

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Jacob's Ladder Trailer & Photos

Critic Reviews for Jacob's Ladder

All Critics (46) | Top Critics (9) | Fresh (33) | Rotten (14) | DVD (12)

A bold, powerful psychological horror film.

March 27, 2009 Full Review Source: Chicago Reader
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Dull, unimaginative and pretentious.

June 19, 2008 Full Review Source: Variety | Comments (7)
Variety Staff
Variety
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Lyne's giddying, unsettling direction conjures up moments of horrifying hallucinogenic power from the bad-trip hell of his protagonist.

June 24, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out
Stephen Garrett
Time Out
Top Critic IconTop Critic

A slick, riveting, viscerally scary film about what in other hands would be a decidedly unsalable subject, namely death.

May 20, 2003 Full Review Source: New York Times
Janet Maslin
New York Times
Top Critic IconTop Critic

[Falls] ultimately flat on its surrealistic face, the victim of too many fake-art sequences.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Washington Post
Desson Thomson
Washington Post
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Lyne indulges more in misdirection than in direction; he's a magician turning a sleazy trick.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Washington Post
Hal Hinson
Washington Post
Top Critic IconTop Critic

worthwhile journey--just didn't blow me away

January 22, 2011 Full Review Source: Old School Reviews
John A. Nesbit
Old School Reviews Source: Old School Reviews

Often shrugged-off as nothing more than a cult item, the nightmare visions of Jacob's Ladder offers a rare cerebral experience from a director known mostly for movies about couples behaving badly.

September 14, 2010 Full Review Source: Slant Magazine
Chris Cabin
Slant Magazine

Unfairly dismissed on its original release, this really deserves to be better known: the ultimate example of bad-trip mainstream cinema.

March 27, 2009 Full Review Source: Film4
Film4

Despite all the confusion, it's a simple case of the script being too ambitious. It may emulate a man experiencing flashbacks, but it doesn't help the audience.

March 27, 2009 Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | Comments (3)
Ian Nathan
Empire Magazine

Truly frightening and visually unique, this messy, challenging film is anchored by Tim Robbins' remarkable performance.

March 27, 2009 Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide
TV Guide's Movie Guide

This movie is a one-of-a-kind political satire.

March 13, 2006
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com

A unique, surreal thriller.

September 30, 2005
Kevin Carr
7M Pictures

Terrific, original and truly unsettling.

May 12, 2005
Rob Thomas
Capital Times (Madison, WI)

Will scare the bejesus out of you.....one of the cleverest films of the 90's

May 6, 2005
Clint Morris
Film Threat

Very visual but I couldn't tell you what happened if I had to.

April 22, 2005
Michael A. Smith
Nolan's Pop Culture Review Source: Nolan's Pop Culture Review
View all critic reviews (46)

Audience Reviews for Jacob's Ladder

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This is good psychological horror toying with the possibility of being great psychological horror. It never quite gets there, but it comes very, very close.
January 7, 2009
flixsterman
Randy Tippy

Super Reviewer

Jacob's Ladder is one of the best psychological horror films that I have seen. Supported by a great cast, Jacob's Ladder is a creepy film. A man suffers from hallucinations after returning from the Vietnam war. The film is haunting and powerful and is a different type of horror film that blends elements of the supernatural. Jacob's Ladder is a superbly crafted film that is one intense ride through one mans conscience. Superbly acted by Tim Robbins, Jacob's Ladder successfully makes the audience uncomfortable as we see the main character, Jacob Singer go through these eerie hallucinations. Jacob's Ladder is an accomplished film with a powerful story and a strong cast. The film is not your typical horror as it is a psychological horror film. The films delivers the chills it promises and the story is well developed with well defined characters. Overall this is solid filmmaking Adrian Lyne has crafted the psychological horror film to see. This film is far better than any other genre film that came after it and it delivers a creepy vibe that you won't easily forget. Jacob's Ladder is the film that defined the term psychological horror, and it does it by delivering something an audience has never seen before. Jacob's Ladder is a film not to miss. This is one of Tim Robbin's best performances along with The Shawshank Redemption. Jacob's Ladder redefined and reinvented the horror genre, and by watching it, you'll understand why.
June 15, 2011
TheDudeLebowski65
Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski

Super Reviewer

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Latest News on Jacob's Ladder

August 25, 2005:
Keanu & Zeta to Head Lyne's Lana Turner Tale
Catherine Zeta-Jones and Keanu Reeves are in talks to star in Adrian Lyne's as-yet-untitled biopic...

June 2, 2005:
Winkler & Rubin Want to Deliver "A Perfect Divorce"

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Foreign Titles

  • L'échelle de Jacob (FR)
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