Jacob's Ladder (1990)
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Movie Info
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Cast
as Jacob Singer
as Jezzie
as Louis
as Michael
as Paul
as Geary
as Sarah
as Frank
as George
as Doug
as Gabe
as Rod
as Jerry
as Hospital Patient
as Nurse
as Group Leader
as Partygoer
as Elsa
as Hospital Receptionist
as Jacob's Doctor
as Hospital Patient
as Army Officer
as Santa
as Street Singer
as Doorman
as Resident Doctor
as Street Singer
as Taxi Driver
as Drunk
as Sam
as Eli
as Machine Gunner
as Mrs. Carmichael
as Mourner
as Policeman
as Tony
as Hospital Patient
as Field Medic
as Attendant
as Field Doctor
as Field Doctor
as Partygoer
as Woman on Subway
as Mourner
as Army Officer
as Emergency Ward Nurse
as Evil Doctor
as Jed
as Nurse
as Nurse
as Della
as Field Sergeant
as E.M.T. Bearer
as Orderly
as Partygoer
as Paul's Wife
as Street Kid
as Masked Man
as Hospital Patient
as Hospital Patient
as Hospital Patient
as Jacob's Assailant
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Critic Reviews for Jacob's Ladder
All Critics (61) | Top Critics (16) | Fresh (42) | Rotten (19) | DVD (5)
It's weird and surreal, but it ends with most of the holes plugged and all but a few of the loose ends tied into a tidy package. Some argue this is a cheat and the film should have been more open ended. That's a personal choice; I like it the way it is.
For hours and days after you've seen it, you'll still be putting it together in your head. While all of it is gripping, it doesn't come together until the final scene, which is jolting, transcendent, unexpected yet inevitable.
As long as the movie refuses to commit itself, it is a truly creepy, nerve-jangling experience.
In the best puzzle movies, the pieces fit -- eventually. But if you try to piece together Jacob's Ladder, all you get for your trouble is more pieces.
Without a strongly sympathetic figure at the center of the movie, Jacob's plight seems very remote. Watching this film should feel like being caught in a nightmare, but it feels more like watching someone else who is caught in a nightmare.
[Robbins' and Pena's] scenes together are the highlight of the film, so natural, so bright. That's why we're willing to invest a lot of time in what turns out to be a terribly overwrought plot.
Audience Reviews for Jacob's Ladder
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Super Reviewer
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.
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.
Super Reviewer
Jacob's Ladder Quotes
| Louis: | "If you're afraid of dying, and you're holdin' on, you'll see devils tearin' your life away. But if you've made your peace, then the devils are really angels, freein' you from the world. It all depends on how you look at it." |
| Louis: | If you're afraid of dying, and you're holdin' on, you'll see devils tearin' your life away. But if you've made your peace, then the devils are really angels, freein' you from the world. It all depends on how you look at it. |