Jacob's Ladder

I found this lesser-known movie on a list of best films in the so-called “mindfuck” genre. So I went online and requested Jacob’s Ladder from my library. The fact that the only copy in the entire Chicago library system was a poorly-working VHS seemed to be an indicator of the overall popularity of the film. Needless to say, I didn’t have high hopes for the movie.

However, though I wouldn’t use words like “phenomenal” or “amazing” to describe Jacob’s Ladder, I actually did find it quite entertaining. From the opening scene (which includes bad pot, psychedelic music, and mass hysteria/slaughter) to the ending (which leaves the viewer to draw his own conclusions about the events of the film), Jacob’s Ladder confused, disturbed, amused, and generally screwed with my mind. But that’s why they call it “mindfuck,” right?

The film employs hallucinations and flashbacks quite effectively (or visions and jumps in time, depending on how you choose to interpret the overall movie). And though it’s not strictly a horror movie, Jacob’s Ladder includes several scenes that are creepier than the majority of horror movies made in the last ten years (I’m thinking of one hospital scene in particular). Think Drag Me to Hell meets “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,” throw in a Vietnam vet and Macaulay Culkin’s ghost, and you have a pretty good idea of what Jacob’s Ladder is like.

I’ve seen better mindfuck movies (Donnie Darko and The Machinist, to name a few); and I’ve seen better trippy movies (like Eternal Sunshine and Being John Malkovich); still, for what it was, Jacob’s Ladder was a thoroughly engaging movie. Don’t go out of your way to find a copy (like I did); but if you have to choose between Jacob’s Ladder and, say, 12 Rounds, definitely watch the former. Then again, pretty much anything is better than watching a pro-wrestler run around trying to reenact the plot of Die Hard 3.

Intelligence Level: 7/10

Scare Factor: High

Violence Level: Graphic

Humor Level: Nonexistent

Overall Rating: 6/10

Cheesiest Line: “If you're frightened of dying, and you're holding on, you'll see devils tearing your life away. If you've made your peace, then the devils are really angels, freeing you from the Earth.”

“Moral of the Story”: Don’t take experimental drugs in Vietnam.