Jacob’s Ladder (1990)
80%RT Audience Score: 84%
Awards & Nominations: 3 wins & 1 nomination
Even with its disorienting leaps of logic and structure, Jacob’s Ladder is an engrossing, nerve-shattering experience
Jacob’s Ladder is a movie that will leave you questioning everything you thought you knew about reality. With a cast of talented actors, including a young Macaulay Culkin, this film is a haunting exploration of life, death, and the power of the mind. While some may find the ending too neat and tidy, I personally loved the way everything came together in the final scene. If you’re in the mood for a mind-bending thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat, Jacob’s Ladder is the perfect choice. Just be prepared to have your mind blown!
Production Company(ies)
Distributor
Image Entertainment Inc., TriStar Pictures
Release Type
Streaming, Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Puerto Rico
MPAA / Certificate
R
Year of Release
1990
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby SR
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 53m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Nov 2, 1990 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 21, 2001
Genre(s)
Horror/Drama
Keyword(s)
Jacob’s Ladder, Tim Robbins, Elizabeth Peña, Danny Aiello, Patricia Kalember, Matt Craven, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Jason Alexander, directed by Adrian Lyne, written by Bruce Joel Rubin, horror, drama, R rating, box office gross $24.8M, reviewed by James Berardinelli, John Hartl, Dave Kehr, Peter Rainer, Jay Boyar, Christopher Null, Graeme Tuckett, Emma Wolfe, Ed Travis, Manuela Lazic, Jeffrey M Anderson, starring Eriq LaSalle, Ving Rhames, uncredited Macaulay Culkin, produced by Alan Marshall, Image Entertainment Inc., TriStar Pictures, surround sound, Dolby SR
Worldwide gross: $26,118,851
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $60,214,121
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,254
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 6,566,425
US/Canada gross: $26,118,851
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $60,214,121
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 987
US/Canada opening weekend: $7,500,760
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $17,292,172
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 728
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $25,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $57,634,734
Production budget ranking: 703
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $31,036,304
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$28,456,917
ROI to date (est.): -32%
ROI ranking: 1,573
Elizabeth Peña – Jezebel
Danny Aiello – Louis
Matt Craven – Michael
Pruitt Taylor Vince – Paul
Jason Alexander – Geary
Director – Adrian Lyne
Producer – Alan Marshall
Writer – Bruce Joel Rubin
Director(s)
Adrian Lyne
Writer(s)
Bruce Joel Rubin
Producer(s)
Alan Marshall
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
3 wins & 1 nomination
Academy Awards
All Critics (67) | Top Critics (20) | Fresh (49) | Rotten (18)
It’s weird and surreal, but it ends with most of the holes plugged and all but a few of the loose ends tied into a tidy package. Some argue this is a cheat and the film should have been more open ended. That’s a personal choice; I like it the way it is.
August 23, 2014 | Rating: 3.5/4
James Berardinelli
ReelViews
TOP CRITIC
For hours and days after you’ve seen it, you’ll still be putting it together in your head. While all of it is gripping, it doesn’t come together until the final scene, which is jolting, transcendent, unexpected yet inevitable.
August 23, 2014 | Rating: 4/4
John Hartl
Seattle Times
TOP CRITIC
As long as the movie refuses to commit itself, it is a truly creepy, nerve-jangling experience.
August 23, 2014 | Rating: 3/4
Dave Kehr
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
In the best puzzle movies, the pieces fit — eventually. But if you try to piece together Jacob’s Ladder, all you get for your trouble is more pieces.
August 23, 2014
Peter Rainer
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
Without a strongly sympathetic figure at the center of the movie, Jacob’s plight seems very remote. Watching this film should feel like being caught in a nightmare, but it feels more like watching someone else who is caught in a nightmare.
August 23, 2014 | Rating: 2/5
Jay Boyar
Orlando Sentinel
TOP CRITIC
One of Robbins’ finest unheralded performances, plus a slew of supporting roles from then-unknowns Eriq LaSalle, Ving Rhames, Jason Alexander, Pruitt Taylor Vince, and an uncredited Macaulay Culkin.
August 23, 2014
Christopher Null
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
It is just one of those films that will get under your skin and stay with you. In 31 years, it hasn’t aged a day.
October 25, 2021
Graeme Tuckett
Stuff.co.nz
It’s just as haunting as I remember.
October 27, 2020
Emma Wolfe
SpookyAstronauts
Jacob’s Ladder wrestles with our fear of death, the power of our dreams, and the presence of angels (or are they demons?) in our lives.
April 9, 2020
Ed Travis
Hollywood Jesus
It is this constant slippage into uncertainty that makes Jacob’s Ladder unique. Lyne’s focus on the sensual experiences of his character helps blur that line between dream and reality…
August 23, 2019
Manuela Lazic
The Ringer
Though [Lyne] arguably focuses more on the thriller elements than the existential ones, he still manages a seductive, nightmare-like quality.
August 23, 2019 | Rating: 3.5/4
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid
’90s drama about Vietnam vet has language, violence.
March 6, 2019 | Rating: 3/5
Brian Costello
Common Sense Media…
Plot
Jacob Singer is trying to make sense of his fractured life and memories. Plagued by hallucinations, flashbacks, and conspiracies, he struggles down a path to enlightenment from these manic strains. With nothing but support from friends and loved ones will he be able to push through the haze of his PTSD.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
One of Robbins’ finest unheralded performances, plus a slew of supporting roles from then-unknowns Eriq LaSalle, Ving Rhames, Jason Alexander, Pruitt Taylor Vince, and an uncredited Macaulay Culkin.
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