Jacob's Ladder (2019)

4/10

mikedegroot24 August 2019

Let's get this out of the way first; the original Jacob's Ladder is a great and unique film that by no means needs an updated version. If you want to watch a great version of it, just go watch the original.

Story: While it is a remake, it is not a shot for shot reiteration. Several key story elements have been changed up, but many of the scenes reappear in a different context. The problem with this is that some of them feel shoved in to pay fan service to the original. The changes to the story and characters are at times major, and it feels like they are trying to tell a similar story just with vastly different parameters and it doesn't quite fit right.

Acting: The three main actors do a very serviceable job in their respected roles, however Michael Ealy really wasn't able to fully capture the same insane paranoia that Tim Robbins brought.

Production: The cinematography, while not bad, was lacking creativity and polish. The sound design was solid throughout. The effects on the other hand were cheesy and repetitious. They drastically overused the sped up head and camera shaking effect, while the cgi would have looked like it was 10 years old, 10 years ago. Seriously, half-assed practical effects would have looked much better than this shoddy cgi.

Entertainment: Well, there was little. It honestly felt like one of the most generic and predictable films that I have seen in a long time. I understand that it's difficult to make a remake unique, but this iteration has no heart, enjoyment, or identity to it at all and it just falls flat.

Overall: It's not the worst movie that you could watch, but there's really no reason to watch it. It's bland, mediocre, and the only thing scary about it are the bad special effects. Like I said before, if you want to watch a great version of it, just go watch the original. A generous 4/10

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4/10

Well, I enjoyed it..until I watched the original

lizshotter-194018 September 2019

I wasn't expecting much from this, but I was intrigued from the start. You don't have to be a genius to work out the twist, but it was good. I thought all of the actors did a great job with a sometimes challenging genre. I care for people who've done terrible things when they've been in psychosis, and then come to and they're broken people after they realise what they've done, so this gave me insight into ptsd, trauma and mental health. I really liked the special effects, particularly the wings scene, it was beautiful. Update.. 3 days later. So, I watched the original. And Jesus Christ this film pales in comparison. I was obviously unprepared and it has literally taken me two days to watch it, as I couldn't physically get passed the dance scene. Those who haven't seen the original, and watch this first like I did, will wonder if the criticism of this version is warranted. But I implore you to watch the original. It's vicious, disturbing, visceral, beautiful and will stay with you for days, if not months. I get it now, purists. Jesus do I get it. It's frustrating that the most potent and astonishing line in the original (said by Louis, the chiroprator) that Jacob uses to let go of his attachments, just gets dropped in, at one of the weirdest points in the film in this version, making it appear tone deaf and badly photoshopped somehow. This version now appears PG in comparison, and spoon fed. In the original we are buckled in and thrown around the rusty, blood splattered rollercoaster in the dark, with occasional strobe lights, feeling as if we are right next to Jacob, wondering if he's dead or insane. There are no clear answers and no cheap thrills here, and we have to develop our own insights. With this version, it's wrapped very neatly, to the point that half way through i comprehended the twist, like a murder she wrote. It should have been released under a different name, yet drawing on some aspects of the original. I would imagine it's score would have got up to 6. For those of you reviewing this and making vile rascist comments about the actors ethnicities? GTFOA...unbelievable! That has zero bearing on why this film hasn't impressed me..at all.

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3/10

Don't remake it if you don't get it. Change the title and the ratings will go up.

bradaviel24 August 2019

Warning: Spoilers

I would actually have enjoyed watching this movie if it wasn't called that. I'm usually for the look-out for Jabob's Ladder/Silent HIll inspired movies, and I usually quite enjoy them. To name a few : The Dark, The Machinist, Fear X, Session 9... the list goes on and on and on. While there have indeed been movies with that theme even before 1990 (obviously Herk Harvey's Carnival of Souls in 1962 or Alain Resnais' L'année dernière à Marienbad the year before come to mind, to name only a couple), Adrian Lyne's masterpiece seemed to create a genre of its own. So why, oh why, should you remake that seminal cornerstone of a psychological horror movie and make it a horror B movie with a twist ? The cast is great (Im a big fan of Michael Ealy since Sleeper Cell, Jesse Williams makes a great believable brother, and it's always a pleasure to see Karla Souza anywhere, especially in dark gothy roles like this one), there are some interesting ideas, but have the trauma and psychological implications of afterlife reduced to a bad drug trip is insulting, to say the least. Even more if you quote Danny Aiello's monstrous quote by just dropping it without meaning, and take the subway vision by stripping it of its essence. "If you're frightened to die, and you're holding on, you see devils tearing your life away. If you've made your peace, then the devils are really angels, freeing you from the earth". In no way Jacob has to die or wants to, nor is he already dead. So this quote really makes no sense -and it seems really cheap as it comes without

People want to make movies about the VA ? Fine, by all means, make a contribution. Pay tribute to all the people who give their lives to protect the innocent, their family and their country. Their courage and sacrifice deserve it. Go along the likes of American Sniper. Want to add psychological trauma by injecting horror themed visions ? My pleasure. But going the B movie way with a drug twist, already seems a bit disrespectful.

So please don't call it Jacob's Ladder. Jacob's Ladder is a path that leads from earthly demons to heavenly peace. It's a real cheap shot to reduce all the mystical implications of this to just a rogue scientist in a dirty lab. No religious meaningful figures, no talk of the soul, not even cabalistic tricks that would explain how a drug would make a path to demonic vision that would explain what's happening here. Especially with a subject so deep and visceral as a soldier dying on the battlefield and seeing his soul ripped appart as he can't understand what's happening to him, with guts dropping and relationship shred to dust. Don't remove all this pain and heartbreaking shedding of the flesh by substituting it with a "oh, I'm sorry, it's all the drug's side effect" crap. Or if you do (and why not), please change the title. Pay homage if you want, but don't fall under the "removing all the deep meaning of classic movies with -for the show- licence to make a quick buck" folder. This could have been so much better by just changing the last 10/15 minutes.

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2/10

Seriously?

aldiboronti25 August 2019

Someone seriously thought it would be a good idea to take Jacob's Ladder, a classic take on life and death, and turn it into a second-rate thriller with none of the profundity and existential dread of the earlier movie? Was there nobody to say that's a dumb idea, the script is abysmal, you're fired? I approached this with an open mind, I love the original but I thought a remake might be interesting. It wasn't. It was unimaginative and uninspired garbage. Do yourself a huge favor, go watch the earlier version and avoid this one like the plague.

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1/10

Appalling.

herodotus200725 August 2019

I love the original. It is definitely a niche horror film, but so well written, directed and cast. You felt the horror the character of Jacob (Tim Robbins) was going through. Supporting cast were great as well, maing it a well-rounded uniqe experience. So, what would happen in a remake...I was excited to find out. Well, with many plot changes and character changes as well it started on the wrong foot. Without spoiling the film, it went so off course from the original premise as to actually be another film entirely. They could have named this another title and it might have been received more forgivingly (though the story was rubbish). Avoid it at all costs and stick with the oiginal. The acting was appalling, the direction confused and the writing....well, I don't know what the writer was thinking.

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2/10

Terrible from the start

cruise1617425 August 2019

Having watched the original movie of Jacobs Ladder I really didn't expect much from or even expected this movie was needed. How right I was. From the start your greeted with just confusing dialogue after confusing scenes. I just could not get into such a poor made movie that had no excitement like the original that was very well written and directed. I felt we the audience where being taken for idiots. Sometimes I would say give it a chance. But for this it wants flushing down the toilet. It gets 2 Stars only because it looks decent quality wise just not executed at all in a good manner. Big thumbs down

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1/10

Oh dear

j-townend24 August 2019

I thought the original Jacobs ladder was an excellent film,always one of my favourites so I was excited to see this remake,although I wish I hadn't bothered,not a patch on the original,a very confusing mish mash of total rubbish,and a really bad insult to the excellent original,I don't think there was any need to make this remake,especially when it's as poor as this, just a really terrible remake,wow😢

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1/10

Horrible horrible mess

conniedavid2 January 2020

Warning: Spoilers

Well, thanks for butchering one of my favourite movies of all time.... I thought it might be interesting to see Jacob's Ladder with an updated spin but what these people did to this movie was unforgivable. They completely changed the entire storyline and characters and made what was once an incredible and extremely thought provoking film about the philosophy of life and death and turned it into some half assed movie about a drug for treating PTSD in vets.... I remember watching the original many years ago and talking about it for days after finishing it. DAYS. That's how good that movie was. This one has left my memory before it even really started playing on my tv.

Everyone involved with this film should be extremely ashamed of yourselves. I am actually offended here. Please, please, please, stay away from any other loved cult film.

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6/10

They shouldn't have called it Jacob's Ladder!

moonakieater31 October 2020

I would've called it Jacob's Redemption or something like that. I think it's getting bad reviews because with that title, people go into it and think it would be a straight remake of the original. It's more of a re-imagining of it. While it has elements of the original, it's a different movie. If you go into it like I did with an open mind, it's a fun little trippy experience. I absolutely love the original and hoped that they wouldn't have called it that. But I think it's a decent movie that pays homage to the original.

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2/10

Another Unnecessary Remake

mike-grotton24 August 2019

I feel sorry for the filmmakers here. The original is such a classic, and so we'll acted; it achieves very singular levels of story, atmosphere, and performance. The remake was always doomed to pale in comparison. That said, I was willing to give it a shot and judge it on its own merits. What I found was a story devoid of character enriching beats and a tired visual style that was at its best when it tried, however infrequently, to approximate the original. I never once felt drawn in to the muddied predicament of the characters and in fact became increasingly annoyed with the plots tendency to drift away from the core mystery in favor of tired paranoia driven conspiracy tropes where no one is who you thought they were and the protagonist's family, friends, and lovers are out to get them. The denounment is pure laziness. I had to rewatch the original the next day to cleanse my pallet.

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8/10

Military review

hollygdorsey11 September 2019

This movie is great for informational purposes. It's not just entertainment for those who've served but it's an eye opener. I am a combat veteran who now works for the VBA. This is a close depiction of what some of our Veterans experience post military service. Especially those Vietnam veterans. This movie highlights counseling and those medications with side affects. Though exaggerated it's very informative for those civilians who are unaware of ptsd and the mental health crisis. The brother did everything possible to help the his ailing sibling. It shows how some families go to lengths caring for their loved ones who suffer from mental illness. Thank you for the phenomenal acting. ~ Army Retired Staff Sergeant. Ending 22 a day.

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6/10

Not good? Sure! But not without its moments.

biscutbuu6918 October 2019

The original Jacob's Ladder is a pretty good, spooky, depressing, gloomy, hallucinogenic horror film and I really like it, its like a 8-9/10 for me! Being someone who is open minded and hates to see a film that actually tries get trashed I decided to watch the remake just so see what we had on our hands. And sure its not a great movie, even on its own when not compared to the original, but when compared to the original its a bad movie, but even then there are elements to it that are pretty interesting and I would say keep the film from being "THE WORST MOVIE I'VE EVER SEEN IN MY ENTIRE LIFE! IT RUINED THE ORIGINAL! AVOID AT ALL COSTS!" like everyone else seems to think.

So instead of doing what everyone else is doing and writing a 2-3 sentence long review in all caps calling it the worst garbage since a caveman dropped fecal matter on the ground thereby creating the concept of garbage. I am gonna talk about the movie on its own..

Jacob's Ladder (2019) is about Jacob Singer a veteran of the war in Afghanistan who suffers from PTSD after his brother dies in combat. But once his bother shows up alive in the States Jacob's world is turned upside down and things get nightmarish.

While not as dark and consistently crazy as the original this film does manage to have some powerful moments and scares. Unlike the original I would say this film is far less surreal, no demons, eyeless surgeons, brain parasites or constant imagery of chain link fences. There are weird surreal head banging moments and people suddenly disappearing and some blood on the floor but no crazy monster effects or shaky surreal 35mm camera work (at least not until the final 10 minutes). This film is pretty grounded in reality even in its surreal moments.

Honestly the acting isn't bad and neither is the writing, they tried to do something different here without completely rehashing the original and they did an alright job. I don't think I'll ever watch this film again to be completely honest, but that doesn't mean its not worth a shot if you've got like 90 minutes to kill.

This film isn't as good as the original and the original film isn't as good as Buddy G's American Nightmares (AKA Combat Shock) which is the best surreal horror/drama about Vietnam, PTSD, life, death and existentialism.

Its not a good film and honestly it isn't that recommendable either but it most definitely isn't a 3.2/10 average bad, its competently made and does interesting things despite its flaws. Also if it wasn't titled Jacob's Ladder none of y'all would be mad or calling it the worst movie ever so please, shut up.

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1/10

The words 'Abysmal Failure' spring to mind (Updated after an attempted rewatch)

Emerald197226 August 2019

A pale, hollow mockery of the original and a criminal waste of actors' talent. The original was designed to be a modern day interpretation of the Tibetan Book of the Dead with influences from a 19th century short story (An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge), the artwork and photography of Francis Bacon & Joel Peter Witkin, along with philosophical and biblical references and imagery. The remake, on the other hand, is a dumpster fire of a bad PSA masquerading as a movie. The only credit I can give is to the main cast members who do their utmost to at least lift the film experience out of the realms of the unwatchable with some solid performances.

Updated 2022: I recently made an attempt to rewatch this film, on the off chance that perhaps my love of the original was clouding my judgement, and I have to be completely honest and say not only does my original rating and review still stand, but if anything I am even more disappointed in what this remake delivered. I will also reiterate that I do still think this film wasted the talents of the actors involved, and that the performances given were the only thing about this film that just managed to raise it from the quagmire of completely unwatchable (the cast here is definitely not the issue). Having also recently begun to dive further into a self study of topics such as film theory and film appreciation there is one thing I have realised, and that is I do tend to reserve my harshest criticism for those movies I believe had the potential to be far better than the half baked garbage they ultimately delivered to audiences; Jacob's Ladder (2019) falls squarely into that category of films for me. I don't believe there were too many fans of the original film, including myself who expected a scene for scene, beat for beat, carbon copy reshoot of the 90s version, but the fact that not only did the filmmakers here appear to have completely missed the very core element of the original film (one's ultimate acceptance of death, and the journey of 'letting go' that the dying brain/soul must go through in order to reach that state of acceptance), but that in doing so they also missed a myriad of emotionally powerful and socially relevant stories they could've told instead is deeply disappointing to me.

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2/10

Just didn't work

seasonalsalmon27 August 2019

It's going to be hard to top the horror classic and I'm not surprised. Was hoping to be at least mediocre the way many copy-paste-randomize movies are being coughed up these days but went far below expectations. The very things that made the original so scary, dream-like and shocking is simply not there.

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1/10

Offensive

sanclan14 September 2019

I agree with most reviewers. Jacob's Ladder was one of my top 10 favorite movies of all time, well it still is, except this version. What in the world!?!?!? Bad production, bad acting, horrible retake on the story, just not the same element at all. The first movie was so suspenseful and full of mystery. This remake labors you into wanting to keep watching, but knowing it is hard to do so. Leave perfection alone!

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1/10

Horribly uneccesary remake, watch the original instead

bn3635423 August 2019

Ugh. Just why? Why? Terrible acting, like how did anyone think they were going to top Tim Robbins portrayal? With a C list actor? Made me want to cry. This was just insulting. I'd rather have watched a preschool remake of Gone with the wind. yuck. bad, pathetic, waste of money. Avoid.

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1/10

Non sequitur remake

totzummrdave4 September 2019

Imagine a 6 year old watched the original Jacob's Ladder, Gladiator and Narc. Then the 6 year old tried to tell you all about Jacob's Ladder. Yep, this terrible remake is about as accurate as what you'd get from a 6 year old. Bits and pieces taken out of context and without the story driving elements, along with other movie bits randomly tossed in.

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1/10

Shockingly Bad

mckinleybrooksmorton13 January 2020

This is a bad film. Without comparing it to the original, Jacob's Ladder (2019) is a very poorly made film. Compared to the original film, it is even worse. Looks cheap, bad editing, shakey cam, script is a rag, acting is pretty decent, but that can't save this piece of wreckage.

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7/10

I agree with others, watch this independently from original

MovieQween-3362216 January 2020

So I've been wanting to see the original Jacobs Ladder for some time. I've been told it's very creepy, confusing and will give me weird dreams... so I've been too chicken as of yet to see it. However, I saw this trailer a few months ago, liked the actors and enjoy entertaining thrillers/horrors so I figured why not give it a watch on the good ole 'Flix. I really did enjoy the acting in here, aside from a few cheesy bits overall I enjoyed the three main stars. When does it ever hurt to see Michael Elay and Jesse Williams in a movie? Just saying! Okay now back to the story, about halfway through I figured there would probably be a certain twist (currently patting self on back for figuring out this non rocket science level plot twist). Was it a perfect movie? No. Was it semi entertaining? Absolutely! Listen, I'm sure the original is probably outstanding and I can't wait to see it one day when I work up the courage. Tim Robbins is an absolute legend. But overall without much expectations going in, I was mostly entertained with this movie. As I think it had good ideas, a decent cast and maybe just needed a little more execution In wrapping it all together.

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1/10

Hollywood has gone too far

justinedorn25 August 2019

When I saw that there was a Jacob's Ladder remake I thought it wasn't serious at first, maybe a fan made short or a trailer for a fake film. Shockingly it's real. Someone thought it was a 'good' idea to remake one of the best horror movies of all time. A film that didn't need to be remade at all. For the last decade an endless amount of remakes and sequels have been coming out as if Hollywood is trying to DESTROY what made the film industry so great. Raise your hands if you want to see yet another unoriginal, milked dry and predictable remake. Looking past the fact that this remake might as well have been built on top of an Indian burial ground since it was cursed to begin with, it's really cringy how the director tried to give it a new 'spin' by throwing in a main character who looks totally different from the original. It comes off as forced and all of us see right through it. Go destroy more films will ya ? Or maybe produce an actual original idea this time.

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9/10

This is a good movie! Worth watching.

ang06622 December 2019

Warning: Spoilers

I'm not sure why this movie received so much hate. It's a different twist (from the original) on PTSD and Veterns. Definitely worth watching.

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6/10

Decent lower budget re-imagining

theendisopened24 August 2019

If you can avoid having an extreme overreaction to the fact that this is a "remake," then you may be able to see it for what it is. It is far from a 2 star movie. I mean, people realize this is a 10 point scale, right? Anyway, we all understand that Jacob's Ladder didn't need a remake. However, I felt this wasn't as much of a cash grabby hack job as it was an attempt to use the theme's of the original to tell a new story about PTSD. Nonetheless, the plot and characters were underdeveloped, the acting was weak, and all of this was further damaged by the lower budget.

With that said, the story at least kept me interested. It had a handful of intense moments. I was mildly entertained by the twist ending. I also appreciated the subject matter (vets and mental health). It's worth a watch if you're like me and enjoy an occasional, mediocre, straight to DVD thriller, in between being a pretentious film snob.

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1/10

Why remake perfection?

kdpemhotep4 January 2020

Some movies simply do not need to be "updated." Some are works of art that can only be parodied, not replicated. How could you possibly create an updated version of "The Godfather" without the gravitas of the cast, the authenticity of the locations, and the timeliness of the theme?

The same here. As others have noted, the original Jacob's Ladder was wonderfully cast, the acting and atmosphere still create a genuine sense of paranoia, and the theme connected to social and even political issues that were relevant to the time. Calling this mishmash "Jacob's Ladder" is an attempt to ride on the coattails of a classic without improving, or even honoring, the original.

I do think that someone, at some early point, had good intentions with this film. There are certainly timely issues which would do well with a noir-like treatment similar to JL, but they need to stand on their own feet. I suspect that somebody started with a good idea, and then the money people got involved.

Go big or go home. This movie is a wasted opportunity, not to mention 90 minutes of my time.

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1/10

Totally unnecessary "remake"

aj_schepis2 September 2019

When I heard they were remaking the classic 1990 Jacob's Ladder I rolled my eyes knowing it was going to be terrible. When it's trailer was finally released I watched it and groaned with disdain at how horrible and not in a good way it looked. Finally when it came out I watched this so called movie and had my head in one hand for most of the movie shaking my head thinking "why was this even made its just terrible". For the most part there is no real story not even one that closely resembles the original. The only thing they kept from the original was the movie's title and the lead characters name everything else is a flaming train wreck of immense proportions. There was little to no visual or slight gore horror not to mention when there were horror elements they weak and all CGI, as apposed to the original which was all practical effects. Sure they took some scenes and dialogue from the original and slopped them onto film but still this doesn't make a decent remake. This movie is a decent representation of remaking a movie that was amazing to begin with and just holding its head under the water until the little bubbles stop. Avoid this movie at all costs and just watch the 1990 original as it was a massive inspiration for the first 4 Silent Hill games.

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3/10

Do yourself a favor..watch the original.

Ghostrunner6624 August 2019

Here we go again, another remake. I have to say, Hollywood seems stuck in an originally rut. Granted, Adrian Lyne's 1990 thriller did not do well upon its release and was by no means a box office smash (according to Wikipedia it had a 26 million dollar draw on a 25 million dollar budget) however, it has fallen into cult status among film lovers. With its unique, nightmarish cinematography and editing, ingenious story line and awesome casting (the Danny Aiello scene in which he explains his thoughts on angels and demons to Tim Robbins, was classic), it kept you on the edge of your seat. I remember watching this movie and leaving the theater thinking, now that was a psychological thriller. I thought Fatal Attraction, Lyne's Academy nominated box office hit was good, but somewhat predictable, and Jacob's Latter was the better film. The original Jacob's Latter was not predictable and seemed more, engrossing. David Rosenthal's version seems as if it wants to be a unique film in the narrative, with a similar plot to the original but with some key factors changed. However, in doing this, he pulls elements from the first film, such as the flashes of horrific and grotesque imagery, among other things into the story, as if to remind us, for some reason, it's a remake. Along with the plot changes, which fail to elevate or heighten the new version really in any way, it lacks the suspense or dread its predecessor delivered so masterfully. Although I do think Michael Ealy is a great actor and his efforts are worth mentioning, in comparison to Lyne's film, it misses the mark. Remaking original movies has become the norm these days in Hollywood and it has become a sad affair. I know there has to be fresh young writers out there with great material of their own. Unfortunately they seem to be at the mercy of the executives who would rather go with a re-hash than take a chance on an original idea. The bottom line is: stop doing remakes Hollywood! These may be good ideas in some cases, i.e. the big budget hits of yester-year (mainly Disney), but hit and miss, at best, for underrated gems like the original. Pass this one up and watch the classic.

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