review by FilmApe Pro
The Innkeepers 2011
Rewatched Jun 20, 2012
FilmApe’s review:
I've said it and I've written it before, but it must be said and written again. Sara Paxton is absolutely incredible in this film. Her performance as Claire is so fully fleshed out that it is basically impossible to separate the actress from the character now. All of her awkward mannerisms and quirks are perfection and I really hope that Paxton has a long and fruitful career. I'm completely honest when I write that her performance is one of my favourite performances ever.
I'm quite intrigued by this film. Have you seen any of Ti West's other movies? Trigger Man and The House of the Devil are available on Netflix so I was considering watching one of them. But I can't quite pin down the tone and type of film he makes.
The House Of The Devil IMO is even better than this. They are the only Ti West films I have seen, I have heard that some of his other filmography contains some stinkers (Triggerman may be one, Cabin fever 2 certainly seems to be one) But House Of The Devil is worth checking out. It is a slow burner horror film like this but with a better payoff at the end. Plus The House of The Devil harnesses this 80's look that not too many modern directors could be capable of doing today, not even Tarantino with Grindhouse.
The atmosphere created by this movie is incredible, one of the few modern horror movies that kept me interested all the way through.
@Aaron: You should watch House of the Devil first and if you like it then watch Triggerman. House of the Devil is a horror masterpiece (as is Innkeepers) and is basically now required viewing for any fans of the horror genre. Triggerman is an earlier Ti West film so it is apparent that the film is made by a less experienced and less confident filmmaker. That being said, Triggerman is a pretty cool micro budget film as it is basically plays like the horror version of Kelly Reichardt's Old Joy.
@Robert Beksinski: As far as I know everything surrounding Cabin Fever 2 was pretty messed up, with Ti West basically washing his hands of the film. I've read a few articles in which West discusses what his vision for the film was and it sounded pretty cool. Unfortunately studios rarely know what is cool.
@Andrei Pitulea: Amen, the atmosphere is so killer in the film. The way the camera moves is unreal, creating tension through movement alone.
@FilmApe, cool nuff. I'll definitely check it out then.
Ditto, FilmApe. Great performance in a movie that seems to be a little underrated around here. I thought the pacing and atmosphere worked wonderfully -- I wish more movies had the dedication to its characters that Innkeepers has.
@Dan Gorman: I agree whole heartedly with your last sentence.
NOTHING HAPPENS! Literally, for 80 minutes, nothing happens. Then a few random things happen for no reason. Then the credits come up. That's it.
@Tom Beasley: Do we want to get in to this for real, or are we just going to let our opposite opinions stand? Judging by your review of Innkeepers you are as passionately against this film as I am passionately for the film. Things could definitely get explosive.
Hey, I understand that The Innkeepers wasn't for everyone. Tom felt like "Nothing happened", I felt like characters happened. So, oh well!
@Dan Gorman: *Fist Bump*