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Jacob's Ladder

Name: Jacob's Ladder
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Horror
Released: 1990-11-02
Cast: Tim Robbins, Elizabeth Peña, Danny Aiello, Matt Craven, Pruitt Taylor Vince

1990 | 113 min | Drama, Mystery, Horror

Sunday Safe Bet

Why it’s a Sunday Safe Bet

People are still talking about it. A safe bet when you want something reliable.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it: Made for anyone who likes to be kept guessing and horror fans. If you loved Smile or Donnie Darko, start here.
The mood: Scary.
The pace: Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 53 min.
What might put you off: Rated R: meant for adults.

After returning home from the Vietnam War, veteran Jacob Singer struggles to maintain his sanity. Plagued by hallucinations and flashbacks, Singer rapidly falls apart as the world and people around him morph and twist into disturbing images. His girlfriend, Jezzie, and ex-wife, Sarah, try to help, but to little avail. Even Singer's chiropractor friend, Louis, fails to reach him as he descends into madness.

How it earned its rating

CriticsSolid
73% on Rotten Tomatoes, 62 on Metacritic
AudiencesSolid
7.4 out of 10
AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
Box office & staying powerSolid
$26 million worldwide on a $25 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
Buzz & cultural impactVery strong
About 573K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

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Cast & crew

Directed by Adrian Lyne

Tim RobbinsJacob
Elizabeth PeñaJezzie
Danny AielloLouis
Matt CravenMichael
Pruitt Taylor VincePaul
Jason AlexanderGeary
Patricia KalemberSarah
Eriq La SalleFrank
Ving RhamesGeorge
Brian TarantinaDoug