Horror Daily Double: Deathdream, Jacob’s Ladder

Jacob’s Ladder was released 16 years after Deathdream, but they’re both set in the same year, both featuring a Vietnam War vet who’s returned and can’t get comfortable back in America. Tim Robbins this time plays Jake the veteran, plagued by faceless demons, his dead son, and possibly a U.S. government cover-up. Director Adrian Lyne is relentless in unsettling the viewer, as every single scene is meant to be questioned as part of an illusory nightmare Jake is trapped in. Ladder optimizes jump scares, slow burns, red herrings, and creature FX — everything in the horror playbook to hide the true nature of the film until the very end, keeping audiences on edge. It’s also a strong depiction of the invasive nature of PTSD, which strikes at any moment.

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