The Innkeepers
4/4
Starring: Sara Paxton, Pat Healy, Kelly McGillis
Rated R for Some Bloody Images and Language
The best horror films are built on universal feelings. "Sinister" was all about having an image stare back at you. "Halloween" had an emotionless, unstoppable killing machine. "The Innkeepers" touches on the feeling that there's someone standing right behind you. Throughout the movie, I was checking behind me to make sure there was no ghost ready to pounce on me.
It's the last weekend of business at the Yankee Pedlar Inn. Once a bustling hotel, it has now been driven out of business by big hotel chains. It's also haunted, and it's two employees, tomboy Claire (Paxton) and nerdy Luke (Healy), are determined to get proof that the ghost of Madeline O'Malley haunts the inn.
Plotwise, there's really not much else to say. There are a total of four guests in the movie, only one of which has an important role. That's Leanne Rease-Jones (McGillis), a retired actress-turned-psychic. Although initially hostile, she is willing to help Claire in her quest to get in touch with Madeline.
What makes "The Innkeepers" so scary is that writer/director/editor Ti West takes his time. He takes care to develop the characters into people we care about. Claire and Luke are interesting and likable enough that it would be worth watching a movie of them shooting the shit and messing around the hotel. Putting characters with that quality into a horror movie is a huge step for a filmmaker who wants to scare the living hell out of his audience.
West is also exceedingly careful in not only how he shoots the scenes (the camerawork is perfect and the atmosphere slithers off the screen) but how he edits them. The shots last longer than usual for any movie, especially a horror movie. It has been every scary movie's goal these days to ape movies like "Aliens," with as much action as scares. With one exception ("The Descent"), all these attempts have failed spectacularly. West is smart enough to know that in order to truly chill a viewer, you have to take things slowly. He moves the camera and edits the shots slowly so we have time to soak in the atmosphere, and he lingers the shots so that we're wondering if something is going to jump onto the screen and surprise us. The effect is like one of those pranks that became popular online, where the person becomes involved in a simple task (like a maze) until there's a flash of Regan MacNeil from "The Exorcist" accompanied by loud music. We know something is going to happen (or in some cases, already is), but West keeps us hanging.
It helps enormously that the film has a cast of more than capable actors. Sara Paxton is adorable as Claire. She's sunny and sweet, and enthusiastic about getting footage of Madeline O'Malley. When she does something wrong, she looks to the floor and gets a little shifty. We all act in the same way when we're in her shoes. Her co-star, Pat Healy, is also very good. He's nerdy and a little cynical, but not so much that it's off putting. He's a nice guy who is passionate about something. That's something we can all relate to as well. Kelly McGillis, the sexpot from "Top Gun" and the lawyer in "The Accused" (who hasn't done much outside of those two movies and "Witness") is also impressive as the alcoholic psychic. She believes in what she says, but is smart enough to know when Luke is making fun of her.
Ultimately, "The Innkeepers" works because Ti West knows how to push our buttons. He knows how to draw us in and leave us hanging. And that's when he lets us have it.
Starring: Sara Paxton, Pat Healy, Kelly McGillis
Rated R for Some Bloody Images and Language
The best horror films are built on universal feelings. "Sinister" was all about having an image stare back at you. "Halloween" had an emotionless, unstoppable killing machine. "The Innkeepers" touches on the feeling that there's someone standing right behind you. Throughout the movie, I was checking behind me to make sure there was no ghost ready to pounce on me.
It's the last weekend of business at the Yankee Pedlar Inn. Once a bustling hotel, it has now been driven out of business by big hotel chains. It's also haunted, and it's two employees, tomboy Claire (Paxton) and nerdy Luke (Healy), are determined to get proof that the ghost of Madeline O'Malley haunts the inn.
Plotwise, there's really not much else to say. There are a total of four guests in the movie, only one of which has an important role. That's Leanne Rease-Jones (McGillis), a retired actress-turned-psychic. Although initially hostile, she is willing to help Claire in her quest to get in touch with Madeline.
What makes "The Innkeepers" so scary is that writer/director/editor Ti West takes his time. He takes care to develop the characters into people we care about. Claire and Luke are interesting and likable enough that it would be worth watching a movie of them shooting the shit and messing around the hotel. Putting characters with that quality into a horror movie is a huge step for a filmmaker who wants to scare the living hell out of his audience.
West is also exceedingly careful in not only how he shoots the scenes (the camerawork is perfect and the atmosphere slithers off the screen) but how he edits them. The shots last longer than usual for any movie, especially a horror movie. It has been every scary movie's goal these days to ape movies like "Aliens," with as much action as scares. With one exception ("The Descent"), all these attempts have failed spectacularly. West is smart enough to know that in order to truly chill a viewer, you have to take things slowly. He moves the camera and edits the shots slowly so we have time to soak in the atmosphere, and he lingers the shots so that we're wondering if something is going to jump onto the screen and surprise us. The effect is like one of those pranks that became popular online, where the person becomes involved in a simple task (like a maze) until there's a flash of Regan MacNeil from "The Exorcist" accompanied by loud music. We know something is going to happen (or in some cases, already is), but West keeps us hanging.
It helps enormously that the film has a cast of more than capable actors. Sara Paxton is adorable as Claire. She's sunny and sweet, and enthusiastic about getting footage of Madeline O'Malley. When she does something wrong, she looks to the floor and gets a little shifty. We all act in the same way when we're in her shoes. Her co-star, Pat Healy, is also very good. He's nerdy and a little cynical, but not so much that it's off putting. He's a nice guy who is passionate about something. That's something we can all relate to as well. Kelly McGillis, the sexpot from "Top Gun" and the lawyer in "The Accused" (who hasn't done much outside of those two movies and "Witness") is also impressive as the alcoholic psychic. She believes in what she says, but is smart enough to know when Luke is making fun of her.
Ultimately, "The Innkeepers" works because Ti West knows how to push our buttons. He knows how to draw us in and leave us hanging. And that's when he lets us have it.
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