UTG’s 31 Days Of Halloween: ‘Jacob’s Ladder’

Jacob's Ladder

Of all the holidays celebrated worldwide, no single day is more loved by the UTG staff than Halloween. With the arrival of October, the time has finally come to begin rolling out a plethora of features and special announcements we have prepared in celebration of our favorite day, including the one you’re about to read.

31 Days Of Halloween is a recurring daily feature that will run throughout the month of October. The hope and goal of this column is to supply every UTG reader with a daily horror (or Halloween themed) movie recommendation that is guaranteed to amplify your All Hallows’ Eve festivities. We’ll be watching every film the day it’s featured, and we hope you’ll follow along at home. If you have a suggestion, contact us and we may include your favorite scarefest in an upcoming column!

jacobsladder

Day 28: Jacob’s Ladder (1990)

I first saw Jacob’s Ladder when I was rather young. Too young. In fact, this film is probably the reason behind most of the fears and anxieties I have today as an adult. It is easily the most frightening movie I’ve ever seen, and not in the cliche way that most conventional horror movies present themselves.

On its surface, Jacob’s Ladder tells the story of a Vietnam veteran plagued with visions and encounters of demons and shady characters out to get him as he lives his day to day life in New York City. Underneath the surface, the film is significantly deeper and infinitely more complex. While there are jump out of your seat moments and a fair amount of gore, these elements are not the foundation from which the movie operates. The narrative is fragmented, switching between Jacob’s time in Vietnam and his personal life, and while this structure is very useful for providing the backstory, it also enhances the paranoia and unraveling of Jacob’s psyche.

Jacob’s Ladder is the definitive film in the psychological horror genre, and for good reason. It is a confusing, cerebral watch that gets into certain parts of your head that you weren’t quite ready to explore. Of all the things that this movie is, it is draining. It leaves you exhausted, confused, and emotional. It will leave you contemplating your own life, and as you sit there alone with your thoughts, you might realize that being trapped in one’s own head can be more terrifying than any monster, demon, or villain ever could be.

Editorial written by guest writer, Joseph Cubera – Follow him on Twitter
Last year’s Day 28 film: The Devil’s Rejects

Jacob Tender
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