Review of Jacob's Ladder (1990) by Steven B — 20 Sep 2009

Jacob's Ladder is a film that pulls the viewers in all kinds of directions. I think the less you know about the plot going in the more you'll like it and will want to watch it again. We follow Jacob Singer (Tim Robbins) on a series of events in his life that become increasingly disturbing and traumatic.

He seemingly has visions or hallucinations of "demons" and dreams that are sometimes (but not always) related to his time as a U.S. soldier in the Vietnam War. As desensitized as I am, I did jump at a few of the scares.

Some of the non-jolting, more haunting moments got to me as well, such as an early scene in the subway of New York. Tim Robbins gives one of his best performances with a superb script. I do think that many of the supporting actors didn't nail the material as well, or else were just miscast (Jason Alexander, Matt Craven, and some less known names).

Elizabeth Pena was okay as Jacob's girlfriend, but the way the character was written, she never seemed too interested in Jacob. She was more frightening than anything else when she was angry. That may just be what they were going for.

I'd recommend this movie for anyone interested in psychological thrillers, but don't expect a horror movie. It definitely challenges the viewer to wonder what is going on. There's a good chance you won't even understand it after the secret is revealed in the end.

I had to think for a while after it was over whether there were huge plot holes or whether I just didn't give the filmmakers enough credit. Perhaps the answer is that it makes sense because it doesn't make sense.

It's the whole wild ride that counts, and this one certainly puts you through the ringer. Keep a barf bag handy just in case.