You know when you watch a movie made almost 30 years ago and it's still one of the best things you've ever seen? What do they call that? Genius? Classic? Quintessential, definitive, on fleek? Naw, they call it "Jacob's Ladder." I do prefer this version over the director's cut.

Although a bit slow at times, the movie keeps one watching. Lots of "stars" giving good performances. Although I guessed the ending pretty early on, it was still very captivating. Now I want to see it a second time to put it all together.

I'm so blown away by this film that I don't even know what to say. I'm just upset that I've gone all this time and didn't know this movie existed. Tim Robbins is SUPERB in this! I need to let everything sink in, then watch it again in a few days. This movie definitely aged well though. Kind of reminds me how I felt the first time I watched Event Horizon. This movie isn't a horror film in the way Event Horizon is, but it's definitely a mind-bending, psychological trip in the same way Event Horizon is. Great movie. So glad I watched this.

After the first combat scene I thought this was a dud. During that scene the acting was mediocre at best. Then the story started getting a little more interesting. I knew this was more of a psychological movie than an action movie. The ending didn't surprise me as I knew it could only go a few ways, all ending up essentially the same. The most interesting part for me was to see young actors doing a good job, actors I am now seeing many years later still doing a good job.

If, like me, you made the mistake of purchasing the previous Blu-ray edition of Jacob's Ladder, you had to be massively disappointed at the horribly grainy transfer and murky audio. Thankfully, the 2015 remastered Blu-ray is a crisp, excellent restoration of this classic movie. If you love this movie and only own it in its earlier form, this is well worth the price of the upgrade. I am beyond pleased with how great the movie looks and sounds this time around. As for the movie itself...if you have never seen this or maybe did but haven't in a long while, you can't go wrong with buying this supernatural masterpiece. Excellent on every level!

I have loved this movie since seeing it upon its' initial theatrical release. Many sleepless nights (and views) later, I was able to begin to make some sense out what Jacob Singer was going through. As listed in the other reviews, this is not a movie for the 'casual' film-watcher, as it requires the viewers' full attention. The imagery is amazingly suggestive without being overt, and is one of my favorite elements---what you 'think' you see may sometimes be more psychologically terrifying than what you actually see...

But, this is NOT a horror film in the strictest sense, although it is horrifying, considering what Jacob Singer experiences. I am amazed, even here in 2007 how well this movie holds up in story, cinematography, acting, and general flow. It works itself into your brain and sets off a bomb inside, making you "live" through the mind of the protagonist, feeling his "ascension"...

If you've not seen this movie, then you've missed a real treat, but prepare yourself---don't watch it until you're mentally prepared, and certainly don't watch it if you're depressed already---this ain't no "feel good", "happy times" movie...

And, if you've not seen it in several years, then watch it again and take your own climb...or descent????

Jacob's Ladder is easily one of those underrated gems in the horror genre that aren't gory and don't feature a wisecracking slasher villain to appeal to the horror crowd, yet are surreal and disturbing enough to interest most mainstream audiences.
No doubt that Adrian Lynne has provided the inspiration for several films and music videos with its dark and extremely horrifying images of the rising paranoid insanity that appear in hallucinatory flashbacks at first.
As the story progresses the line between what is real in a war veteran's nightmares and what is not becomes blurred, both for the protagonist himself as well as for the audience, and in such a way that you cannot escape questioning yourself during and after the movie. Questions that do not necessarily lend themselves to easy answers. But the movie offers its own interpretations (in a somewhat watered down ending) while still allowing for the audience to draw its own conclusions.
Everything is right in this movie. The direction, acting and dialogue are intriguing. The plot is intricate but unfolds logically at a decent pace. The photography is atmospheric and and the special effects are understated yet effective. The character of the protagonist is developed immaculately, his anguish is almost palpable.
Unless you're super-squeamish, this is a fascinating movie. Especially if you have a taste for the ilk of Donnie Darko, Lost Highway, or pretty much anything by David Lynch.