Review: The Innkeepers
By William Pattison, aka Eric Morse
For Horror Bob Blog
For this month’s review I got an atmospheric ghost story, Ti West’s film The Innkeepers.
The Yankee Peddler Inn is literally on its last legs. In a matter of days it will be getting the wrecking ball. For Claire and Luke, the last two members of the staff, this is the perfect time for them to pull out their ghost hunting kits and have one final crack at capturing the Inn’s infamous ghost, Madeline O'Malley. After all they only have two sets of guests in the Inn to deal with and the run of the place, since the owner is in the Bahamas. But what Claire and Luke don’t realize is that while they are hunting the ghost the ghost is hunting them.
The best way to describe The Innkeepers is that it is the poor man’s The Shining. This film is not for the horror fan that can’t handle a slow burn film. This film is full of atmosphere, character development, and clever dialogue. There are a number of jump scares and creepy incidents, but this is far from the rollercoaster ride most horror films now a days seem to be. When the final payoff happens some viewers will be scratching their heads, but for those who manage to catch the clues you’ll find the wait worth it.
Actress Sara Paxton gives a fantastic performance as the plain Jan staff member/armature ghost hunter Claire. Equally, Pat Healy gives a wonderful performance as Claire’s mentor and ghost hunter Luke. Also part of the cast and putting in another outstanding performance is Kelly McGillis as the actress turned psychic Leanne Rease-Jones.
The Innkeepers is not the film for the average horror fan, but if you like your horror with a good psychological punch and good characterization this is the film for you.
