The Innkeepers

The Yankee Peddlar Inn has been open for 100 years but poor business is forcing it to close its doors. Staff members Claire (Sara Paxton) and Luke (Pat Healy) man the reception desk on its final weekend and pass the time looking after the last couple of guests (including a washed-up actress turned psychic played by Kelly McGillis). They also engage in a last-minute hunt for the Inn’s famed ghosts – hoping to find audio or video footage to upload to Luke’s ghost hunters’ website. Needless to say, although the Inn may be closing, one of its previous occupants seems unwilling to check out just yet…

The Innkeepers is a disappointingly pedestrian hotel horror from writer and director Ti West. Plot-wise, it meanders for the first three-quarters, with seemingly superfluous scenes thrown in for no good reason whatsoever (Claire’s visit to a coffee shop being just one of several bewildering diversions). Surprisingly, and thankfully, West somehow manages to pull things together for a genuinely tense final 15 minutes that is likely to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, although even here, he’s let down by his low budget. With no CGI at his disposal, the much-discussed ghost of a jilted bride who committed suicide years previously appears heavily caked in make-up and dust.

Horror fans may appreciate this semi-eerie offering, but it’s probably best aimed at the teen market who want something scary to fill the gap between Twilight instalments.

Last edited: 4th June 2012

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