Review: ‘Jacob’s Ladder’ – According to this, You’re Already Dead…

The 1990 psychological horror film “Jacob’s Ladder” weaves the parables of life and death with a bizarre and macabre tale that’s ripe with grisly imagery, and a tantalizing plot in which each and every scene further submerges the viewer in its endless mystery.

Academy Award winner Tim Robbins stars as Jacob Singer; a Vietnam War veteran plagued by nightmares and hallucinations several years after seeing combat. Robbins delivers a harrowing performance that simply can’t be matched. His organic and laid back demeanor makes for perfect foreplay as the character Jacob Singer becomes increasingly neurotic amidst the violent and ambiguous terrors that plague his life. A lesser actor would be unsuccessful in keeping the story as engrossing as it is, and Robbins manages to be a virtual one-man show with the performance.

The story explores the horrors of warfare in both the physical and psychological traumas, jumping to and from the Vietnam battlefield and Jacob’s present life; a brooding and decrepit 1975 New York City. Jacob has a deep history, interacting with both his ex-wife (Patricia Kalember) and current tryst (Elizabeth Pena) as the line between reality and delusion becomes increasingly blurry. One particularly well shot scene shows Jacob at a dance party in which a psychic reads his palm and advises him that “According to this, you’re already dead.” The scene is made memorable by the flashing strobe lights and the sheer panic we get from Tim Robbins as he witnesses the ensuing events of the party and its aftermath.

Both the backdrops of the Mekong Delta and the urban decay of New York are amazing at setting the mood of ambiguous unease. Many of the locations put the viewer in a claustrophobic state with a helplessness against the impending danger. A subway tunnel, a car chase down a tight corridor, and a blood soaked hospital transition well with ‘Nam flashbacks and the abject horrors that occurred in Da Nang. The film doesn’t rely on cheap jump scares, but succeeds with disturbing imagery and putting Jacob (and us) in a constant state of anxiety.

Several other major stars have minor roles in their Hollywood dawn; Macaulay Culkin plays Singe’s son Gabe months before his breakout in “Home Alone.” Michael Imperioli, who would go on to play ‘Spider’ in “Goodfellas” later in 1990 makes a brief cameo as a doctor. Jason Alexander appears as an attorney just before his takeoff in the role of George Costanza.

“Jacob’s Ladder” is a horror movie that also serves as a film with its dialogue rich script and fantastic cinematography. It delivers a fantastic performance form its lead, and packages a psychological thriller that will sit with you well after its conclusion.