Review of The Innkeepers (2011) by Tim S — 10 May 2012

Ti West is one of those directors whose work you either love or hate. Such is the case with his latest film The Innkeepers. Personally I feel like it's a bit of a step down from his previous film House of the Devil, but I don't judge it based on that.

The atmosphere and the tension in this slow-burner is just as tight and effective as you could ask for. The characters are also well-drawn and relatable. At first I didn't really care for them but the more time I spent with them the more I liked them, which is how I think most human relationships begin in real life.

The horror aspects are sprinkled in and are pretty effective, as well. I think the thing that's holding the film back is that the ghostly aspects aren't as clear and concrete. Normally that's a good thing because it leaves things ambiguous and more to the imagination, but I think a bit more explanation couldn't have hurt in this case.

It does leaving you feeling a bit puzzled in places. I also think some of the cliches (which I believe were intentional) are too cliche'd for their own good. Otherwise, this was just the sort of slow-burn horror movie that I really like and I hope to see more of from Ti West.