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Ti West may only have a few movies on his directorial resume (six
to be exact), but he is quickly growing into a necessary staple in the horror industry today. 2009’s
“The House of the Devil” is just a glimpse into what this man is capable of doing. The tones
and subtle thrills of The House of the Devil make it a modern classic. And now comes
2011’s “The Innkeepers”, another movie in which Ti West wrote, directed and edited… will it live
up to my expectations?
The Innkeepers follows two employees of the Yankee Pedlar Inn,
a cozy, rustic and yet eerie Inn rested in a seemingly peaceful town in Connecticut. Sara Paxton (“Claire”)
and Pat Healy (“Luke”) play the two innocent and socially awkward “innkeepers” who are on
a hunt to find the truth behind this mysterious location. The chemistry between Sara’s and Pat’s
characters was perfect... it was completely believable in every scene. Sara’s geeky and yet innocent
approach to her character was brilliant. I felt that the acting was exactly what was needed for this movie, especially since
it is a slow burning thriller with little scares in the first half. If these characters/actors weren’t
enjoyable, this movie would have been a bust. And even the characters in the second half had something
to offer: Kelly McGillis (who played “Leanne Rease-Jones”) and George Riddle (who played “Old
Man”) were both effective in their acting and with their character development and involvement to the building
of the storyline. But… the most important character in this movie is the location itself.
The Yankee Pedlar Inn is an actual Inn that still exists today. The cast and crew rented out the
entire Inn to film this movie, all while sleeping there at the same time. The spooky hotel is probably
the best character in this movie, and to top it all off… the hotel is truly haunted. (a fact
you find out in the short, but effective, “making of” documentary featured on the Blu-ray)
As I stated in the previous paragraph, this is definitely a slower paced movie. The scares in the
first half are few and far between. But I feel this is important to build the story and to show us the
chemistry between the two lead characters. In fact, to even call this a “horror movie” in today’s
terms would be appalling to some. There are no dismembering of body parts, there are no cats jumping out
of cupboards, there are no gratuitous sex scenes… but to be honest with you, that is what I liked about this movie.
It took the modern day rules of horror movies today and reformed them into what they were in the late ‘70’s
(without the gratuitous tit shot of course). Ti West’s choice to create a slower paced “horror”
movie in which he uses subtle background noises and often “dead air” builds the tension that is necessary in order
to respect and enjoy this movie. Instead of being grossed out or scared, I was given goose bumps in return.
The
Bottom Line: Ti West has done it again.
It may not live up to the standards of today’s horror movies, but who cares… most modern day horror movies
suck anyways. It is a slow movie, but it is worth the wait. And although the ending
could have been better, this is definitely worth your time.
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