SXSW film review
The Innkeepers
Director & Writer: Ti West Hotel clerks by day, amateur ghost hunters by night, the last two employees of the historic Yankee Pedlar Inn set out to prove that their place of business is as haunted as its reputation. Cast: Sara Paxton, Pat Healy, Kelly McGillis (World Premiere)
WHO'S IT FOR? Those that like an indie-version of The Others. I'm mainly talking about the scares it creates and nothing to do with Nicole Kidman.
OVERALL
Do you like creepy, scary movies? Not slasher, not bloody disgusting. I'm talking about films that force you into a basement, and the director has done so well that you are really truly close to yelling, "Don't go down there!" at the screen. That's what The Innkeepers does well.
The film is told in chapters as we go through the last days of the historic Yankee Pedlar Inn. While I have properly teased the scares, we haven't talked about the acting yet. It's truly fantastic to watch Paxton and Healy play off of each other. They're a good odd couple pare stuck working the front desk, mainly on opposite schedules. That's right, there's plenty of alone time in an almost empty hotel. Luke (Healy) loves his blog about the haunted hotel and the woman who supposedly died there. Claire, and her inhaler, buy it and want to explore. It's not just building to the scares.
There is power and fun in the "waiting to be scared." Claire puts on headphones and West shows his craft at understanding a moment. Plus, the musical score is just great. McGillis is conveniently staying at the hotel to help the story move along. She gives a make or break speech for some, but I was able to ignore and enjoy the ride. With that said, while the ending wasn't exactly my cup of tea, you do realize it's a nice addition to the ghost story genre.
FINAL SCORE: 7/10