How entertaining? ★★★☆☆
Thought provoking? ★☆☆☆☆ 25 June 2012
This a movie review of THE INNKEERPERS. |
“Why do people have such high expectations?” Claire
THE INNKEEPERS is so close to being a good horror. It fumbles as much as it gets right, but ultimately is still worth checking out. The Yankee Pedlar Inn, opened in 1891, is about to finally close its doors, and we are witness to the business’s final weekend. The owner is off in Barbados, and there are about as many guests as the skeletal staff – two peeps caught in a rut, working there waiting for career inspiration to hit them. Luke (Pat Healy) is in his late 30s and hoping that his new business on the side, web design, will take off, while Claire (Sara Paxton) has packed in college with no plan b. Both are dorkily charming. They are the big win for the film, and proof positive that spot-on casting, and game performers, can paper over numerous cracks; here with easy-going entertainment value. The dialogue given to them is thankfully of the non-hackneyed variety. Also, having TINY FURNITURE’S Lena Dunham in one scene as a barista adds some nice indie cred.
THE INNKEEPERS is so close to being a good horror. It fumbles as much as it gets right, but ultimately is still worth checking out. The Yankee Pedlar Inn, opened in 1891, is about to finally close its doors, and we are witness to the business’s final weekend. The owner is off in Barbados, and there are about as many guests as the skeletal staff – two peeps caught in a rut, working there waiting for career inspiration to hit them. Luke (Pat Healy) is in his late 30s and hoping that his new business on the side, web design, will take off, while Claire (Sara Paxton) has packed in college with no plan b. Both are dorkily charming. They are the big win for the film, and proof positive that spot-on casting, and game performers, can paper over numerous cracks; here with easy-going entertainment value. The dialogue given to them is thankfully of the non-hackneyed variety. Also, having TINY FURNITURE’S Lena Dunham in one scene as a barista adds some nice indie cred.
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Claire and Luke have a fascination with the occult and paranormal. Claire especially wants evidence of the rumoured inn haunting. Here is where THE INNKEEPERS trips up. The legend is a bit lacklustre, and doesn’t evolve into something particularly original or daring. PARANORMAL ACTIVITY and THE WOMAN IN BLACK have set a new benchmark for ghost movies. Worst of all, especially in the aftermath of the likes of meta-horror dissections TUCKER AND DALE VS EVIL and THE CABIN IN THE WOODS, there are too many moments where you practically scream at the screen, “What the f*ck are you doing going there alone?” Don’t get me wrong, THE INNKEEPERS is still atmospheric and tense, and enjoyably takes its time with pace and lead character beats; it’s just a shame that it seems to have got the hard part right, but slightly fluffed the horror mechanics.