The Innkeepers Reviews

"We've gotta find some proof that Madeline O'Malley really exists before this place closes down..."

Ti West made a splash on the horror scene with the release of his 2009 shocker House of the Devil; a retro throwback to '80s horror pictures. West is recognised for his "slow burn" approach to the genre, though the style did not work so well for The House of the Devil, which ultimately ended up being uneventful and forgettable. Thankfully, West has improved tremendously since his earlier effort, and The Innkeepers is one of the most chilling and memorable horror movies of the year. Whereas The House of the Devil was an '80s horror movie homage, The Innkeepers harkens back to films like The Shining and Rosemary's Baby, though the film feels fresh and unique rather than derivative. A spooky ghost story, West's picture is engrossing and insanely atmospheric, mixing old-fashioned slow-burning horror cues with thrills that grow more intense as time goes by. Add to this a few likeable protagonists, and The Innkeepers is a home run.

An ancient hotel, The Yankee Pedlar Inn is having its last weekend of business, and staff members Claire (Sara Paxton) and Luke (Pat Healy) are left to maintain the hotel for its last few days. Only a few guests remain, including irritable actress-come-psychic Leanne Rease-Jones (Kelly McGillis). Trying to occupy themselves during their monotonous twelve-hour shifts, Claire and Luke turn to ghost-hunting, seeking to capture evidence that a spirit dwells inside the hotel. Legend has it that a jilted bride hung herself within the hotel many decades ago, and her ghost still lurks the hallways. With assistance from Leanne, Claire begins going deep into her exploration, gradually uncovering evidence that a malevolent spirit indeed haunts the Inn.

Forgoing the constant jump scares and gross-out moments of most contemporary fright films, Ti West instead concentrates on measured pacing. As a matter of fact, the first half of The Innkeepers is more about the inner workings of the Inn than any supernatural phenomena. If you were none the wiser, the first act could fool you into thinking the film is going to be a quirky comedy about ghost-hunting nerds. And the thing is, The Innkeepers would have been a remarkable film even if there were no ghosts; Claire and Luke are such an interesting, endearing pair that I could spend all day watching these two banter. They feel like real people, just a couple of nerds who have worked together for years, and who share a palpable camaraderie. West gives us the chance to really get to know these people and care about them, which raises the stakes and tension when things begin to go downhill for them.

In its final half-hour or so, The Innkeepers definitely picks up, reminding us that this is, in fact, a horror movie after all. Ti West cleverly abstains from jump scares, and even snidely makes fun of the idea of jump scares. In an early scene, for instance, Luke shows Claire a typical "jump scare" video as a prank. West is too skilful to play the same tricks on his audience - The Innkeepers employs old-fashioned scare tactics to great effect, with its eerie score and reliance on disturbing imagery. Thanks to West's decision to shoot within the confines of a real hotel, the film has an incredible sense of atmosphere and geography, not to mention a lived-in temperament. It feels like this rundown establishment is full of stories, and West and cinematographer Eliot Rockett take full advantage of this. The film is even broken into a series of chapters using ancient-looking title cards, helping to establish the "ghost story told around the campfire" mood.

West really lucked out in the casting department. As Claire, Sara Paxton is appealingly quirky and goofy, presenting the character as a dorky, sweet and incredibly cute young lady. She's perfectly paired with Pat Healy as Luke, a man-child who harbours a secret crush on Claire. Both actors deliver incredibly naturalistic performances, and deserve credit for making their characters seem both entertaining and fundamentally real. Meanwhile, the now ageing Kelly McGillis (Top Gun) is excellent as washed-up actress Leanne Rease-Jones. McGillis brings maturity and world-weariness that's appropriate for the role, and she's generally convincing. Also, George Riddle is exceedingly creepy as an old man who checks into the hotel during the weekend. The cast is pretty small, but everyone hits their mark, and the interplay is so good that the movie is a breeze to watch.

If you're seeking gore-soaked murder scenes or bucket-loads of cheap thrills, The Innkeepers is not a movie for you. Rather, the movie is made for horror fans who appreciate movies that are deliberately paced and carefully calculated. You have to wait a good hour for the intense stuff to truly kick in, but boy is the wait worth it. And in the lead-up, it's easy to be entertained by the charming pair of central characters. Sure, the film could probably have been tauter, but give me this atmospheric gem over the type of horror rubbish that Hollywood so often force-feeds us.

8.2/10

This is a very good chilling horror..... I began watching this with a a sense of hesitation due to a couple of reviews which were very negative. In a way I can understand why some people might not like this. There are no great action scenes for starters, blood and gore is kept to the bare minimum and a lot of time is spent on building on the characters. If you are going to watch this, you really are just best watching it knowing the bare minimum of the film's storyline... i.e set in a hotel. I would go as far as to say the storyline is obscure and really does not impact on the film at all. For me, the acting was great. After the first half an hour of getting comfortable with the two main characters I found myself getting nervous for them until by the end of the film my heart was beating ten to the dozen, which is the aim of a good horror I feel. I watched it by myself around about midnight with the lighting on low and I have to say that had I got a pillow to hand, I would have been sitting behind it :)