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Random Movie: The Innkeepers (2011)

While I haven't seen any of his films, I hear director Ti West is an up-and-comer in the horror world off of his Cabin Fever 2 and The House of the Devil. And while the occasional one may, I have long since given up on the notion that a movie can "scare" me. Yet, I applaud those filmmakers who intend to create new horror films to at least attempt so long as they have the basic tenants of film making covered. As such, even being an original concept, The Innkeepers fails on pretty much every level.

Upon re-reading #pbf's review of The House of the Devil, it seems that West has a particular method of filmmaking in mind: a slow-burn callback to horror movies from decades ago. There are a lot of elements in Innkeepers that seem out of place in the modern film society: very contained cast of half a dozen or so, creepy locale, minimal technology, and a seemingly gradual buildup to the scares rather than a steady pace of false jump scares and such. Writer and director West though seems to set up the first half of this film perfectly for a shocking reveal or twist but forgets somewhere along the way. Instead, the majority of the movie flits along of the precipice of almost-scary before settling down into meandering bullcrap.



While I've never found a particular problem with her in films before, Sara Paxton as Claire, one half of the dynamic duo who are wrapping up things at a soon-to-be defunct end does not feel genuine. In fact, at some points, Paxton's delivery or mannerisms portray Claire as at best completely socially inept and at worse mentally challenged. She says and does things that no one in real or fictional life would do, even taking dumbass horror characters into account. Likewise, Pat Healy as her neurotic, hipster-ish co-worker Luke smacks as what a filmmaking things a person would act without any regard to real life.

Characters aside, West's story fails as it is too quick to set up bogus scares in place of real ones. Many times in the film, either Claire or Luke find themselves in a hallway or empty living room with weird stuff going on only to find out the other was playing a prank or it was just the wind. When the time comes to actually deliver on the creepy stuff, four-fifths of the movie is done and West can't seem to even commit to the ghost angle with just some jump cuts and an ambiguous ending.

Perhaps this was an accurate rendition of horror movies of old but I don't remember them being so uneventful. I have nothing against a movie that takes its time to get going but I do require that something of importance happen before the end. At least the set of the hotel, either practical or studio-made, is phenomenal and has much untapped creepiness in it. I hope someone else comes along to harness the unease as The Innkeepers was barely able to keep me awake.

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