Film Review: The Innkeepers

The Innkeepers is a decent horror movie with a comedic fringe. Although Ti West’s film is not wholly satisfying, it does entertain throughout.

It is the Yankee Pedlar Inn’s last weekend open, and employees Claire and Luke have just a few guests to look after. As both are staying at the hotel over the weekend, Claire and Luke decide to discover the truth behind the hotel’s supposedly haunted past. As the pair attempt to document their stay, strange occurrences begin to take place…

Written and directed by Ti West, The Innkeepers attempts to combine horror with humour. This combination is successful for the most part. West keeps the story simple, which works well. The Innkeepers is not weighed down with superfluous strands or characters.

The film boasts a good script. The rapport between Claire and Luke is believable. Anyone who has worked a similar job will be able to identify with the boredom and monotony that the employees experience. The humour is not constant, but is effective when it does appear.

There is a perceptible shift in mood in the third act of The Innkeepers. This is a smart move, as the less jovial atmosphere   sustains the horror effectively. There are some good frights in the film, as it retains the tension admirably. Nevertheless, the finale is unsatisfying. This is frustrating, as The Innkeepers is a good horror film overall.

Performances from the small cast are good. Sara Paxton is wholly believable as Claire, in both moments of fear and in the more mundane scenes. Pat Healy also offers a good performance as Luke. The Innkeepers excels in using sound to generate and emphasise horror. This appears in the explicit guise of the recording equipment, as well as the heightened sound effects.

The Innkeepers is well worth watching for those who enjoy supernatural horror.