I’ll be honest. I completely missed out when Ti West hit the horror scene in the face with a hammer with his debut feature, The House of the Devil (2009), and I still haven’t gotten around to checking out that little gem for myself. However, Mr. West’s reputation was enough to peak my interest when I got around to picking up his latest full feature, The Innkeepers. And boy am I glad I did!

Our very own Ash Hamilton recently dropped a review for V/H/S (2012), which featured a chilling segment written and directed by West. Now, while West showed some pretty impressive chops in the found footage anthology, The Innkeepers is where his writing and directing skills get to shine like golden, blood-splattered gods. That may have been an exaggeration…or maybe not. Let’s see!

As I often like to do with a review, I’ll start us off with a very quick round up of the film’s main plot. Claire (Sara Paxton) and Luke (Pat Healy) are two unfortunate innkeepers at the Yankee Pedlar Inn. The two are given the task of running the place during its final weekend of productivity while the owner enjoys some fun and sun in the Caribbean. Since neither of the two live near the inn, and with the owner away, they are forced to stay at the inn with one or two guests they manage to acquire over the weekend. Claire is an enthusiastic young woman with a quirky chip on her shoulder, while Luke is a more down-to-Earth internet geek. Taking advantage of the peace and quiet of the inn’s final weekend, Claire and Luke take it upon themselves to find proof of the fabled ghosts of Madeline O’Malley (Brenda Cooney)—a young woman rumored to have committed suicide in the inn during the Civil War. At first the two are unable to find any conclusive evidence, until Claire digs deep and potentially stirs things up that may have been better off remaining dormant. Did Claire really unleash the ghost of Madeline O’Malley, or is her imagination getting the better of her and those around her? The answer is just as puzzling as the question.

That was a very basic gist of the events that transpire throughout The Innkeepers. There’s so much more to discuss—such as the aged actress-turned-medium, Leanne Rease-Jones (Kelly McGillis) and the heart-wrenching story of the Old Man (George Riddle)—, but this film is truly Claire’s show. Sara Paxton’s performance is both endearing and unnerving all the way through. Paxton’s portrayal of the quirky and enthusiastic Claire is so over-the-top that she instills the viewer with this feeling of bubbly warmth. Despite all of her personality flaws, it’s just impossible to dislike Claire. This makes the sinister third act of the film all the more chilling as you are urged to root for Claire to escape the clutches of the disturbed spirits slowly closing in on her. Pat Healy’s portrayal of good-guy-geek, Luke is equally well crafted, but there still lacks a sense of innocence possessed by Claire to make him truly likeable. Now don’t get me wrong, this is exactly how it should be. Luke is a straight up asshole at the best of times, and he proves to be an increasing source of insecurity for Claire. The combination works perfectly. Luke fuels the fire in Claire that makes her so loveable for the audience. Writer/director Ti West did a phenomenal job setting up the film’s two protagonists during the first act. To say that The Innkeepers is a slow burn would not even touch the pacing of the film’s first two acts. Although it takes what seems like ages before the film’s climactic payoff, it’s a well thought out decision by West to do so. Due to the length at which the characters are set up and developed throughout the film’s duration, the final payoff is that much more powerful.

This brings us to that wonderful payoff I keep mentioning. All of you creepy ghosts fans out there, fret not, there be creepy ass ghosts in this film. I understand that creepy ass ghosts alone don’t really make for a great film. So what’s the payoff all about? Well, West’s super slow burn for the first two acts of the film’s three act presentation manages to cause a rather unexpected amount of dread and turmoil by the climax. The first two-thirds of the film are not only rather uneventful; they also don’t feel much like a horror film. While sitting back and enjoying the clumsy banter between Luke and Claire it’s quite easy to forget that you’re not watching a cooky ghost-comedy. Thankfully the third act takes it upon itself to remind you with a boot to the face. Not only is the third act of this film quickly paced, but it’s also downright dark. The imagery alone is a completely unexpected presence amidst the film’s almost comical tone. That’s where the payoff lies, though. West has managed to craft a film that manages to disarm the viewer in such a way that the bleak reality of the situation is all the more unsettling. Helping along this dark twist are Claire and Luke, who stay true to character throughout the sinister events that take place. You’ll find yourself yelling at the screen for the two loveable dorks to get the hell out of there and never look back. However, their characters are set up so well that any stupid decision they make has already been established as logical for them, which makes it all the more frustrating when they cause themselves to be stuck in some mighty precarious situations (literally).

Ok, so the The Innkeepers is intense and well written, but how does it look? Surprisingly nice, actually. The visual clarity throughout the film is rather pristine, yet a bit “off” at the same time. This creates a rather unique visual tone for the film that compliments the world and characters that have been established in the film’s world. Claire can be overbearingly silly at times, but it’s ok due to the camera’s insistence that such behavior just belongs in the world presented to the viewer. Now, as I said before, I have no idea how The House of the Devil played out or looked, but I can only hope that the visuals, writing, and performances complimented one another as well as West managed to accomplish with The Innkeepers. Part of the film’s misleading tone is directly linked to the visual presentation of the world surrounding the Yankee Pedlar Inn. When things take a turn for the dark, the camera provides accordingly. The black levels of this film are as thick as oil and suffocate the image at times. And I mean that in the best way possible. You only see what West wants you to see, and trust me…you see exactly everything you want to see. That said, the makeup and effects work in this film are just as well crafted as the camera work. I am thoroughly convinced that if it weren’t for the superb ghost make up and design present here, the film’s payoff would not have been near as unsettling as it was. The Innkeepers has some of the best ghost make up I’ve seen in a long long time.

That leaves with the last remaining element of what makes The Innkeepers pack such a punch: the sound design. Sound is an easily overlooked aspect of a good horror film. If done well, the sound design and score of a film can meld so seamlessly with the visual presentation that it’s often forgotten. If done badly you’re left with an overbearing and dramatic music score that seems to have a life of its own. Thankfully, The Innkeepers falls into the former category. The sound design in this film is a rare gem as it acts as the “burn” of the slow burn. Every time Claire picks up a pair of headphones and a microphone, the viewer is bombarded with a deeply droning bass that represents her expectations and fear perfectly. There were moments I had to actually turn the volume down just to double check that the bass I was hearing was really coming from my speakers. The deep rumbling of the bass complimented the bright and vibrant visuals so well. Furthermore, the film plays with subtlety very well. During the first two acts the sound design maintains a sort of subdued, yet bubbling sense of “the possible”. Whereas the high octane third act unleashes a slew of blasts and whipping music score that confirms all of your worst fears. When things get dark, the film’s score tags right along and blasts you away where appropriate while staying silent where it’s most uncomfortable. Without spoiling anything, perhaps the film’s most intense scare develops through the use of well-timed silences. This is A+ sound design on display.

So with all of that in mind, what’s the general consensus? To put it simply, if you haven’t checked out The Innkeepers, you’ve done yourself a great disservice. Emerging in a sea of reboots, rehashes, and Horror-101 formulaic cash-cow films, Ti West has crafted a truly original take on the haunted house genre. Not only has he managed to write an original story in a vast amount of adaptations, West has also managed to present a truly original take on an already beloved genre in the world of horror. Do yourself a favor and get a breath of fresh and bloody air. Go check out The Innkeepers as soon as you can!

Tags: 2011 , haunted house movies, haunting horror films, indie horror, Thriller, 2011 , Chandler Bullock, Horror-Fix Review, Kelly McGillis, Pat Healy, R, Review, Sara Paxton, The Innkeepers, Thriller, Ti West

oh Insidious...my mother tried to warn me about you.... You smooth talkin little pg-13 number. I had my guard up too.. I wasn't about to let your first and second acts woo me into a false sense of security. After all, this is'nt my first rodeo you know. I know better than this.. I really do... Read more

Tags: haunted house movies, Insidious