Directed by David M. Rosenthal. Written by Jeff Buhler, Sarah Thorpe and Jake Wade Wall. Starring Michael Ealy, Jesse Williams, Nicole Beharie, Guy Barnet, Joseph Sikora and Karla Souza.
Plot: after the brother he thought was dead returns home from war, a doctor struggles to maintain his sanity.
When the lead writer has done The Midnight Meat Train (ugh) and the remake to Pet Sematary (double ugh), I should really not expect much going in, but I kept hope alive. I am now saddened that I even turned it on. Let me try to explain the plot a little.
Jacob Singer (Ealy), a surgeon, used to be in the army. His brother, Isaac (Williams), was also in the army and died overseas in Afghanistan. Once home with his wife, Samantha (Beharie) and their son, he begins to have disturbing nightmares. Then, he meets a man named Paul (Sikora) who tells him his brother is alive. Following the directions of Paul, he finds Isaac and that’s when things get goddamned ridiculous.
This is NOT a remake, it is a reimagining. It is a completely different story than the original movie. Prepare to be disappointed if you enjoyed the first as I did. There was a great cast of people I have watched happily do other things, but in this, they faltered. And I’m not even sure what this movie was trying to say, but I think an idea was buried somewhere under all the bullshit. Watch at your own risk.
I suppose I could list my favorite movies here, but instead I'll give you a strange glimpse into what makes me TaraRomero.
1. I met George Romero. He was the kindest and sweetest man. He talked to me for longer than he should have with the line getting longer. He also held my hand. And when he noticed the ladybug I have tattooed on my wrist, he said he liked it and asked me it's name. Till then, it had not had a name. Now, I call him George.
2. I love stickers. All stickers. I just adore them. I even ask for stickers for Christmas! As a matter of fact, the birthday that just past, every member of my immediate family gave me sticker packs as gifts. Affordable and extremely appreciated.
3. I have never put much stock in astrology or horoscopes, but I LOVE the magic of the MBTI. Omg. I am an INFP and it actually sounds just like me. Introverted mostly. Creative always. Heart before head and not the most logical. Totally me! For better or worse.
4. It's no surprise I count horror so high up on the list of things that make me, me. However, it's so within my soul that I was part of the Horror Club in college. Interesting bunch. And even took a Horror Lit class as an elective. I got an A.
5. Coffee always makes me happy. Always. I'm particularly fond of caramel macchiatos. But I'll drink black coffee if it's the only thing available.
6. I hate shock for the sake of shock and endings that depress me. I always mention the movies Within (2016) and the Eli Roth produced, written and starred in, Aftershock (2012), as proof of this distate I have. I abhor the idea that just because I like horror, some people think I'd actually praise a movie that lets you think the "Final Girl" just made it through the night, only to slap her in the face with a tsunami.
7. We are big time animal people. I mean, if I could, I'd have an elephant, a bear, a zebra, a penguin, an otter and a meerkat, living with me. Seriously though. We have 2 dogs right now and 2 cats. Both cats we picked up when they each came to our front door hungry. And both dogs we got from 2 different sets of neighbors. Both who, unfortunately, don't know how to care for pets long-term. But they're happy and healthy now!!
8. Revisiting my love of horror, one of the above cats, my cat, is a little black guy named Church. Because Pet Sematary. His middle name is even Pascow. To give credit where credit's due, the name was DJ's idea. But he loves horror too!
9. I'm big into art. Along with movie posters and an Anne Frank quote, I have some actual paintings on my wall. I really think Dali paints beautifully when he wants to. And if I don't get to see Michaelangelo's Pieta in person some day, I will be very disappointed.
10. Lastly, I find Emily Dickinson's poetry intriguing. I took an elective course about her as well. But do you know I injected horror even there? I was given a poem to dissect and I picked one on death, of course. Then, I researched old "Death Photos" and even printed out copies for everyone in the class. They were so interested in looking at them that it stopped them from all looking at me, and I was able to deal quite well with my stage fright. Haha
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2 thoughts on “Jacob’s Ladder (2019)”
Thanks for the review and mentioning the comparison, or lack thereof, to the original. I’ve read what this was about a few times and wondered if they just used the name or if it was a reboot. Seems they just used the name and went a different spin with it. I hate when that happens and don’t understand why they don’t just make it an independent movie with an independent name. Mike’s Ladder, Fred’s Ladder, there’s plenty of names out there to choose from. I would have been pissed if I went in wanting to see an updated version of the original with better visuals, just to be tricked into seeing a flop.
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Thanks for the review and mentioning the comparison, or lack thereof, to the original. I’ve read what this was about a few times and wondered if they just used the name or if it was a reboot. Seems they just used the name and went a different spin with it. I hate when that happens and don’t understand why they don’t just make it an independent movie with an independent name. Mike’s Ladder, Fred’s Ladder, there’s plenty of names out there to choose from. I would have been pissed if I went in wanting to see an updated version of the original with better visuals, just to be tricked into seeing a flop.
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It is so much a flop. I can’t recommend it at all. And I was so hoping for the best because I really like the actors involved.
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