Tuesday, 3 January 2012

The Innkeepers (2011)

The cast -
Sara Paxton as Claire
Pat Healy as Luke
Kelly McGillis as Leanne Rease-Jones
George Riddle as Old Man

Director & Writer - Ti West


The plot -
During the final days at the Yankee Pedlar Inn, two employees, Claire and Luke, are left on their own to run things while the owner is away on vacation. Now the Inn's three hundred and fifty something rooms are practically empty, with only two guests staying, Leanne Rease-Jones and a mother and her young son, both Claire and Luke are determined to reveal the hotel's haunted past of Madeline O'Malley, with only flash lights and an EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomena) recorder. As an old guests checks in for a stay, they begin to experience more disturbing events than ever before.


As I love all things "Ghost Hunter" related, I was really looking forward to this movie.

The set up was perfect with the creepy old Inn and there hardly being anybody around. The movie starts with old black and white photos of the Inn which all adds to the tone.

We're introduced to the first scene with "Chapter One - The Long Weekend."
It's then set up like a book with two more chapters and an epilogue.
For the first twenty minutes you get to know Claire and Luke as they slack off and have a bit of fun together.

For the next hour we're treated with a lot of tension via well shot scenes, creepy noises and a spine-chilling score. Unlike such movies like Paranormal Activity, where it relied on what you saw, this movie simply delivers the chills by what you don't see and by what you hear.




Even though it's slow in places, the direction and the acting out weigh the pace. The last twenty minutes are predictable, but still gets you on the edge of your seat.


Overall I enjoyed this movie and it even made me jump in one place! Did I think it was as good as I thought it was going to be? No, not quite, but I still wasn't disappointed.

The Innkeepers gets a chilling 7/10

It's available right now on digital VOD platforms and gets a theatrical release in major markets starting February 3rd.

Check out the trailer below...


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