If you’re in the mood to be scared, I have a special treat for you today. The Innkeepers, brought to us by Ti West, director of the creepy, The House of the Devil, is a slow burning film, with an ending that will have you covering your eyes in terror. I’ve seen a lot of movies, but I can’t remember the last time I saw one that made me this teeth chattering scared (don’t judge me)…
Short nitty-gritty plot description from IMDb is as follows: During the final days at the Yankee Pedlar Inn, two employees determined to reveal the hotel’s haunted past begin to experience disturbing events as old guests check in for a stay.
The Innkeepers, is a movie about two amateur ghost hunters, who on their last weekend at a soon to be closed hotel, decide to see if they can gather up some actual honest to god evidence, on whether or not the hotel is haunted. What transpires from there is a classic, albeit slow (you’re going to hear that word often in this review) ghost story, with some truly creepy scenes. I don’t want to spoiler a single thing with this one, as I believe you should avoid all spoilers and go in completely fresh.
This movie hardly had any faults except for one thing, which will surely turn off a lot of people, it’s rather slow. The movie takes it’s time to build up the tension, but due to how slow the movie is, you might find yourself growing bored of the film. I will admit there are times I found myself yawning, but perhaps me letting my guard down opened myself up, to be even more scared than I should’ve been. So, I implore you, don’t give up on it. When it does pick up the pace, the frightening scenes will hopefully send shivers down your spine.
The movie isn’t jammed pack full of performances, with only 3 major players involved. The lead actress, Sarah Paxton plays Claire. She’s adorable and certainly lends credence to the unnatural situations that are happening. You also have Pat Headly, who plays Luke, Claire’s co-worker/friend, who helps out some with the ghost hunting, but is pushed into the background to allow us the viewer, to spend more time with Claire. Finally, you have Top Gun hottie herself, Kelly McGillis, playing Leanne Rease-Jones, who I can’t go too much into, without entering spoiler territory.
If you’re in the mood for a slow film, that builds up the tension to a finale that will turn your hair white, you’ll be pleasantly surprised in The Innkeepers. Just turn down the lights, grab some popcorn and enjoy the inevitable goosebumps you’re sure get with this one. Even though I can’t guarantee you that The Innkeepers will have the same effect on you, try to allow yourself to get enveloped in the film and I’m sure you’ll come out a little more frightened than you did going in.
Rating:
