Review of Jacob's Ladder (1990) by Cathi G — 30 Mar 2009

Out of every movie I have ever seen, this one is on my top twenty list of my all time favorites. It'sThe Sixth Sense almost a decade before The Sixth Sense was made. Very impressive movie by Adrian Lyne, who apparently was involved on a very personal level, as unfortunately his other works aren't exactly world shattering, but this one makes up for it all. the real driving force that makes Jacob's Ladder such a success is its eeriness. This is a horror film after all, both on psychological and more apparent supernatural levels. Lyne continually and disconcertingly pulls the rug from beneath not only Jacob, but the audience as well, yet manages to never make a viewer feel lost, instead producing an eagerness to solve the "mystery" while you root for Jacob. The character of Jacob has to be one of the most beaten down, harried, confused, and embattled I've ever seen, yet he is a fighter to the end. He drives himself toward the answers. Tim Robbins could have easily slipped into overdone caricature, but he finesses the role admirably.

This is "The Grandfather" of a fantastic and interesting genre.