Jacob's Ladder

Starring: Tim Robbins, Elizabeth Pena, Danny Aiello, Matt Craven, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Jason Alexander, Patricia Kalember, Eriq La Salle, Ving Rhames, S. Epatha Merkerson, Kyle Gass, Lewis Black, Macaulay Culkin (uncredited)
Directed by: Adrian Lyne
Rating: R
Drama, Horror, Mystery
1990

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A Vietnam veteran (Tim Robbins) begins to feel his grip on reality loosen as he begins seeing disturbing, supernatural hallucinations.

Review:

Tim: I enjoyed Jacob's Ladder, but perhaps not as much as many people. I did wonder if I would have appreciated it more if I saw it closer to its initial release. I didn't get to watch it until early 2021, so maybe the 30-year time gap made a difference? This argument doesn't really hold much water as I've worked hard over many years to be able to slip into the period in which I'm watching a movie. Maybe I just didn't like it that much?

Now, this isn't to say Jacob's Ladder is a bad movie. It's a good film. It features some effective acting and a story that is unconventional and mysterious. It blends in elements of horror, drama, and mystery in a package that is just unlike most movies you see. It's all nightmarish and at least somewhat interesting.

The story is certainly driven by its mystery. We're introduced to the main character, a Vietnam veteran who has some disturbing flashbacks and begins experiencing horrific visions in his everyday life. We're presented with these fragments- none of them make much sense, but they are frightening. As the protagonist tries to navigate these, we're along on the journey with him. I have to say that I was intrigued by these different pieces of the puzzle, but also felt increasingly impatient with a desire to understand what was going on. Every mystery movie balances this- keeping the audience in a state of suspense, but needing to be careful not to try their patience too much. Adrian Lyne's film eventually moves too far in one direction. The movie felt too long at 1 hour, 53 minutes. Some aspects of the film felt like they moved quickly, but others got bogged down. It eventually began to frustrate me. By the end of the film, I was still intrigued, but ready for answers. It felt like when they came, they were somewhat unsatisfying. I got it, but I didn't love it. It didn't quite deliver the payoff we needed for keeping us guessing for so much of the film. None of this is bad per se, but it's why I didn't enjoy the movie more.

The cast certainly is a positive. Tim Robbins is a strong actor and while this will never be considered his best performance, he was effective enough in the lead role. His bewilderment felt genuine, which helped ground the movie. I certainly was willing to stick through the movie because of Robbins. Elizabeth Pena was good in her role. I'm not sure she's a great actress, but she worked in her role. I loved Danny Aiello's unexpected performance. He greatly contributed to the film. It was fun seeing Pruitt Taylor Vince, Jason Alexander, Eriq La Salle, and Ving Rhames in smaller roles. None of them mad a big difference, but their presence was a plus. I was also really pleased to see Macaulay Culkin in an uncredited role. He projects such innocence, he was perfect in the role.

The visual effects were impressive here. There's some truly disturbing imagery and Lyne grounds it all in realism. Whether it's the bloody surgery, or the phantasmagorical faces and unnatural movements, the film works because it feels believable- even the unbelievable images. This is undoubtedly one of the film's biggest strengths.

Jacob's Ladder definitely takes you down a disturbing and somewhat thought provoking path. This movie subverts our expectations and offers some chilling encounters. It connects well with the horrors of Vietnam and at least suggests some of the horrors that returning vets experience (although, obviously, not to this supernatural extent). This is a challenging movie, but Lyne directs it well enough that it ended up a decently enjoyable experience. The ending of the film is powerful and left me thinking. This might not be my favorite movie and I certainly seemed to enjoy it less than many critics, but I admit it's a solid film.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



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