Review of The Innkeepers (2011) by Myffubs — 06 Jun 2012

The Innkeepers occasionally rises to the occasion and manages to be a worthwhile horror film. It could have been a great one were it not for one unfortunate problem: its lead. When the role is as central as this one, it requires a good actress.

Sara Paxton could be best termed serviceable, but does not hold interest for long and has some regrettable scenes. In many other ways The Innkeepers is quite good; it features a slow build up to some startling sequences and a thrilling climax.

Paxton stars as Claire, an employee at a closing hotel. She and her co-worker Luke (Pat Healy) ponder the story of Madeline O'Malley, whose ghost supposedly wanders the building's hallways. The two are attempting to document her existence with audio (not video) recording devices.

For the most part, not much happens. Claire and Luke converse and are generally likable, and every so often one of the few guests appears. These scenes may seem slow, but director Ti West uses them to lay the groundwork for genuine scares and suspense.

If the set up sounds similar to Paranormal Activity, the results are different and decidedly better. Dingy surveillance footage is replaced with good cinematography (and a plot), the characters come off as fleshed out individuals instead of pawns for a jump scenes, and the conclusion ultimately satisfies.

If only the lead had been more capable. Still The Innkeepers is mostly enjoyable, and hearkens back to the times when horror films were actually scary.