Thomas R

Effectively conveys some, but not all, of the brilliance of the King short story concerning the malevolent presence in the room on the 13th floor whose very numbers add up to thirteen. Dread and foreboding is expertly portrayed during the set up, which mostly carries through the film until it falls apart in a flimsy and unnecessarily hyperbolic ending. Cusack is exceptional as the skeptic spooky story author dealing with a malevolent entity that can't be called a ghost and his cynical being plays perfectly to the role. Samuel L Jackson wouldn't have been my first choice for the part of Olin, but his gruff mannerisms add to the building suspense. Many of the best thrills of the short story are played out, with additions that are downright creepy and feel like they could have been written by King hinself. Karen Carpenter's mournful crooning from beyond the grave is a disturbingly brilliant touch. Absolutely worth a look, but tries to do too much for it's own good.