Featured Audience Ratings

• Greg S

  
  A pair of hotel clerks decide to investigate the legend of a ghost said to haunt their hotel in the last days before it's closed; they'll wish they hadn't. Old-fashioned ghost story that's well-made but too slow paced and low key for most horror fans.

• Directors C

  
  [img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon13.gif[/img] Ti West once again proves that he understands the mechanics of constructing horror from building up an eerie atmosphere to crafting an interesting character out of the "screamer girl" straight after… More
  [img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon13.gif[/img] Ti West once again proves that he understands the mechanics of constructing horror from building up an eerie atmosphere to crafting an interesting character out of the "screamer girl" straight after some previously impressive films. He really is a great director, but unfortunately all The Innkeepers does is demonstrate that very fact. In this he intelligently crafts some good scares out of the simple use of camera movement and on a technical level he suceeds in building tension but what it all adds up to is a database of every horror cliche in the book that just happens to look polished and well thought out. As a result of this you can see the ending from about a mile away so i'd be lying if I didn't say I found myself bored waiting for the finale. I would have been fine with it if it didn't make one fatal mistake. Essentially it was one of those scenes in a haunted house horror where a character doesn't decide to leave endangerment and makes one of the most common sense lacking decisions possible. It was a genuine shame, the film started out so well, there were a few scenes that convinced me it was a horror comedy, it managed to be scary and funny simultaneously and that's something very difficult to pull off. That was very entertaining while it lasted though in the end I felt dissapointed simply because it's a film that does everything it can to engross you in the atmosphere but then makes one false move and lets go.

• Alexander D

  
  The Innkeepers is a film all too upbeat to call a horror movie, dare I say all too tedious to call entertainment. I shouldn't have to research whether or not this is a horror-comedy, and I won't. In the case that the film was intended as a horror-comedy, everything about it… More
  The Innkeepers is a film all too upbeat to call a horror movie, dare I say all too tedious to call entertainment. I shouldn't have to research whether or not this is a horror-comedy, and I won't. In the case that the film was intended as a horror-comedy, everything about it failed miserably, as the quirky jokes evoke no more than nervous laughter. As a pure horror, however, it's just as much a failure, with a far more blatant appreciation for the "awkward moment" than, say, When Harry Met Sally. At first, the employment of loud noises is mildly amusing as a method of making an audience jump as well as diffusing the prior horror, but the overuse of the method grows predictable and obnoxious rather rapidly.

• Randy T

  
  Not what I would call 'great horror' but this one is off-kilter enough to keep you entertained. The charm here is that <i>The Innkeepers</i> never takes itself too seriously, which is good considering no one else will either.

• Anthony L

  
  I've been saying for years that what a good horror film needs is character development and suspense and to remember that it's often what you don't see that is important.Ti West ticks all these boxes but unfortunately the characters aren't very interesting and there… More
  I've been saying for years that what a good horror film needs is character development and suspense and to remember that it's often what you don't see that is important.Ti West ticks all these boxes but unfortunately the characters aren't very interesting and there is no pay-off at the end. It's nice to see that it isn't bogged down with CGI ghosts and annoying teenagers but it's still cliche heavy. I really don't get why this was so highly rated on its release (Total Film gave it 5 stars??)

• Melvin W

  
  Luke: Everything happens for a reason Claire. Nobody just ends up at the Yankee Pedlar. "Some guests never check out." I had been long waiting to see The Innkeepers; the newest film from Ti West, maker of one of my favorite horror films of all-time, House of the Devil.… More
  Luke: Everything happens for a reason Claire. Nobody just ends up at the Yankee Pedlar. "Some guests never check out." I had been long waiting to see The Innkeepers; the newest film from Ti West, maker of one of my favorite horror films of all-time, House of the Devil. With The Innkeepers, Ti West gives us sort of the same thing he did with House of the Devil. It's not a type of horror film everyone will like. It's slow, doesn't show much, and is extremely brisk in its horror moments. That sounds like a bad thing, but with West at the lead; the movie keeps us entranced and slightly petrified at the possibilities.  Two employees at the Yankee Pedlar are staying the weekend since they are the only two workers there. The place is going out of business since no one wants to stay there because of the rumor that there is a ghost that haunts it. The two workers begin to try to catch some paranormal activity in the Inn while old guests check in.  What this film truly is, is an exercise in atmosphere and tone. The whole movie is based on whether you can accept the film as a piece of purely atmospheric horror. If you can't, you won't like it. I liked it as I love these type of atmospheric horror films, but I could totally understand someone not liking the movie. Unlike House of the Devil, The Innkeepers didn't leave me all that satisfied. I still enjoyed the movie enough because of the setup and the atmosphere, but how the whole film wrapped up was less than what I hoped for.  This is a worthwhile film for horror fans, but casual horror viewers may be turned off by the slowness and overall anti-action direction of Ti West. Fans of West will appreciate it for the amazing camera work, the mood and tones, and number one, the feelings he can evoke just by introducing elements at the perfect time, but never showing anything. There's no doubt that West has a genius way of capturing tension, and I think The Innkeepers proved he can stay and thrive the horror genre for a long time to come. It also shows that he may have to move away from purely atmospheric films and maybe come up with some real concepts to back up his atmosphere. I'm not complaining as I liked both House of the Devil and this, but the slight disappointment I felt at the end of The Innkeepers kind of tells me it wouldn't work a third time.

• Dead A

  
  Slow but nice. Every moment was scary.

• Mark H

  
  Director Ti West created an indie stir in 2009 with The House of the Devil. An up-and-coming American director, he now returns with this gradually building charmer that relies on gently developing events. Yes the account is deliberately slow - it feels like real life. Modern horror… More
  Director Ti West created an indie stir in 2009 with The House of the Devil. An up-and-coming American director, he now returns with this gradually building charmer that relies on gently developing events. Yes the account is deliberately slow - it feels like real life. Modern horror devotees will no doubt have little patience for the snail's pace. But this is a cut above the trashy blood and guts flicks that dot the cinematic landscape. The actors make this haunted house film notable. Pat Healy and Sara Paxton give compelling performances as Luke and Claire. Healy is sardonic and skeptical. Paxton is quirky and likeable. The two innkeepers form a charismatic pair that we actually enjoy watching. Both are engaging slacker personalities. Paxton is especially winning. She was my favorite part about the whole experience. Also on hand is 80s phenom Kelly McGillis as a former actress/psychic. The moments of humor are surprisingly effective. Luke takes advantage of Claire's already jumpy personality several times and the results are pretty funny. Claire's interactions with McGillis' medium are rather amusing too. The historical hotel is the main focus and West mines terror from the unknown forces that intrigue. The story coasts on charm. The plot is pretty slight and it drifts to a dependable conclusion. Thank goodness for our two leads. They make these situations better than average.

• Mark W

  
  Is it just a matter of getting older or are horror films no longer able to capture the imagination anymore? A lot of recent one's have wisely went back to the premise of ghostly spectres haunting old houses and unsuspecting newcomers arriving to get the bejesus scared out of… More
  Is it just a matter of getting older or are horror films no longer able to capture the imagination anymore? A lot of recent one's have wisely went back to the premise of ghostly spectres haunting old houses and unsuspecting newcomers arriving to get the bejesus scared out of them. "The Woman In Black" is one, that tried and failed. This latest, from director Ti West, has a little more savvy and actually works reasonably well. 'The Yankee Pedlar Inn' is an old hotel that is plagued with stories of Madeline O'Malley; a ghostly woman that has roamed the hallways. On it's last weekend before closing, two college dropout employees Claire (Sara Paxton) and Luke (Pat Healy) decide to use a video camera and try to capture some evidence of the reported events. One of the last guests to check in is former actress Leanne Rease-Jones (Kelly McGillis), now specialising in the occult, who shares her knowledge of the hotel as things become increasingly sinister. For a start, this has a bit of an independent feel to it. The characters are likeable and although some performances are stretched, it benefits from the actors being relatively unknown. Despite it's indie feel though, it's shot with complete confidence. As any good ghost story should, it builds slowly and allows the audience to identify with the characters. It also has the perfect setting; a vast, empty, haunted space - that is actually shot in the real Yankee Pedlar Inn - and makes great use of this location. It also helps to inject a bit of humour and two thirds of the movie has it's tongue stuck firmly in it's cheek without compromising the overall intention; scares. When the final act kicks into gear and the ghost is finally revealed, it's get's very interesting and some genuine jumpy moments occur. However, the major problem that plagues this, is that it sets itself up for a big reveal and then doesn't deliver. For a film that prides itself in it's slow build-up and attention to detail, the resolution seems rushed, unexplored and unexplained. It's a competent effort that benefits from great production design and an eager director but it would have been so much better, if a little more care had been put into the script.

• Jeff "

  
  Ti West is quickly becoming one of the best directors in Independent horror. The Innkeepers is a slow paced, but effective ghost story. Horror films like this take time to build its horror. Thus you never know when something really terrifying will happen. The Innkeepers is a great… More
  Ti West is quickly becoming one of the best directors in Independent horror. The Innkeepers is a slow paced, but effective ghost story. Horror films like this take time to build its horror. Thus you never know when something really terrifying will happen. The Innkeepers is a great film because it uses the horror basics to create terror and atmosphere. Ti West's directing is impeccable, and that's what makes this film great. The story is simple and provides some great scares. The Innkeepers is one of those films that takes time for the story to unfold. Even if it's slow, it only adds to the films strength because it builds up the feeling of dread in your bones. Along with The Woman in Black, The Innkeepers is the strongest and best ghost film to come out in the horror genre in a long time. Stripped down to its core, The Innkeepers doesn't try to sugar coat anything with fancy special effects or cheap scares. The film is terrific and is a must see for horror fans who prefer traditional horror. Ti West is a great director and what makes him stand out is his films go for the traditional chills of old school horror films. The Innkeepers is a well crafted horror film that is a breath of fresh air in a genre where originality is a rare commodity nowadays. With The Innkeepers, Ti West is securing his place as one of horrors promising new directors. He's far more talented than the likes of Eli Roth and I can't wait what he'll come up with next. This is a must see for horror fans tired of the same old cheap scares and what something to genuinely scare them.

• MisterYoda ?

  
  three stars!!

• Lorenzo v

  
  <i>"A Ghost Story for the Minimum Wage"</i> During the final days at the Yankee Pedlar Inn, two employees determined to reveal the hotel's haunted past begin to experience disturbing events as old guests check in for a stay. <center><font size=+2… More
  <i>"A Ghost Story for the Minimum Wage"</i> During the final days at the Yankee Pedlar Inn, two employees determined to reveal the hotel's haunted past begin to experience disturbing events as old guests check in for a stay. <center><font size=+2 face="Century Schoolbook"><b><u>REVIEW</u></b></font></center> From 31-year-old director Ti West, who in 2010 directed the wonderfully retro The House of the Devil, comes The Innkeepers, a simultaneously old-fashioned (and unabashedly so) and tongue-in-cheek deconstruction of overused genre clichés such as "the boo moment." But that isn't to say The Innkeepers doesn't embrace these staples with equal affection, and eventually utilizes them wonderfully (and with ample flair) as things escalate toward the chilling final act. What initially distinguishes this supernatural thriller from others of its kind is that the first third of the film offers barely a hint that this is a horror movie. Sure, nobody would be mistaken that this wasn't a fright flick, but the debut act is more concerned with the character development of Claire and Luke and showing the simply the mundane nature of running a practically (excuse the wording) dead business. These scenes are punctuated with silver-tongued dialogue that would make Sorkin or Tarantino smile. Not to say that West's script is on the same level, but it is certainly akin to that style and speed of exchange. A lack of gore and a very deliberate pace may dissuade those accustomed to the quick-cut, bloody flashiness of mainstream offerings, but this movie again proves ample talent exists in indie circles. Overall very humorous as its pokes and prods at the genre, there is a sense of solemn irony as the credits roll. It is not a depressing finale, nor is it a disturbing one; I would simply peg it as especially fitting. A great score and a definite '70s vibe (far from as intentionally apparent as it was in The House of the Devil, which was in fact set in the 1970s) allows The Innkeepers to rise above recent horror offerings. At the very least, this is a passionate and noteworthy salute to the origins of the modern-day horror flick.

• Reid V

  
  Ti West has been on my radar since I first caught his film House of the Devil. An exercise in style, atmosphere, and devilishly relentless thrills, I knew immediately that West was a director to keep my eye on. While I was hoping for another film in the same vein, The Innkeepers is a… More
  Ti West has been on my radar since I first caught his film House of the Devil. An exercise in style, atmosphere, and devilishly relentless thrills, I knew immediately that West was a director to keep my eye on. While I was hoping for another film in the same vein, The Innkeepers is a whole other beast. Nixing the throwback vibe and going for a more straight forward approach, West delivers an interesting entry into the haunted house genre. With some actual characters to care for beyond their personal safety, some comedic bursts, and a more constant stream of jumps, West clearly doesn't want to repeat the formula of House. Yet, ditching the winning recipe of House has its share of drawbacks. First off, the Innkeepers doesn't feel as fresh and vital. Also, with an ending like the one in House, it's hard not to feel a bit let down by the final minutes of this film. However, West knows his horror and it is fun to see how he plays with the viewer's expectations. West delivers classic scares at some points, while being a bit more restrained at more seemingly obvious ones. All in all, The Innkeepers certainly displays West's evolution as a filmmaker. While nowhere near as frightening as House, I think it is overall a better film. The characters are fleshed out, the structure is tighter, and he actually casts his net wide and tackles more issues than just the paranormal. If he can find a way to merge the terror of House with the talent he displays here, then I think he will go down as one of the best horror directors of our generation.

• Markus R

  
  The type of movie you walk out of. What can I say about "The Innkeepers", the new horror film from budding writer/director Ti West, other than: it's about a scary as watching grass grow. Literally playing out like a bad and very long episode of "Are You Afraid… More
  The type of movie you walk out of. What can I say about "The Innkeepers", the new horror film from budding writer/director Ti West, other than: it's about a scary as watching grass grow. Literally playing out like a bad and very long episode of "Are You Afraid of the Dark" or the lesser known "Goosebumps" television series, "The Innkeepers" tells the story of two employees, one played by Sara Paxton doing her best Alexis Bledel impression (as if anybody even knows who those two actresses are) who work at the Yankee Pedlar Inn on the last days before the hotel goes out of business. Oh, did I mention that these two employees are also amateur ghost hunters? ANYWAYS...they decide to make it a point (on their final weekend open) to uncover the haunted past of The Yankee Pedlar Inn, which centers around a ghost story about a woman who died in the hotel, who may or may not hold a secret that nobody outside of this movie will care about. As much potential as that synopsis had, "The Innkeepers" is nothing more than bland and frightless (yes, that means lacking of fright), almost 100% due to some of the worst directing I have ever seen. Even the few scenes that have the potential to be scary are ruined by West's need to forcefully work in some awful deadpan humor. Hence, every single "ghost-scare" is awkward. And worst of all, "The Innkeepers" is a horror movie that ISN'T SCARY AT ALL! End result: if you are a fan of "The House of the Devil" (another film by Ti West) like I was, you will hate this movie. And if you haven't been introduced to the likes of Ti West, then "The Innkeepers" will make you want to run out of the theater screaming, "Someone, please give me a refund!" Side Note: I used to be a huge backer of West's work, ever since he got the screwed job by Lions Gate Productions over the horrid recut of "Cabin Fever 2". But "The Innkeepers" was so bad that I may have to rethink my stance on his work all together. Another thing that bothered me: The fact that the entire structure of this film (visuals aside) is so disjointed, points to a huge reason why "The Innkeepers" is seemingly impossible to get into. And when I use the term "disjointed" I am directly speaking of the editing style used here. I don't know if this movie was intentionally edited this way, but there are plotlines that lead nowhere, mother and son characters that are in half of the movie then just exit for no reason, an old man who seems intricate to the plot development, but his involvement in the story is never explained and worst of all, the main plot point about the woman who now haunts the Yankee Pedlar Inn is never explained to any point of satisfaction. If I hadn't heard West make a statement about how he had written, directed and edited this film himself, then I would be under the strong impression that this was yet another one of his movies that was taken away from him, only to be recut by the "big bad" production company. Final Thought: "The Innkeepers" must be what amateur film hell is like; and West isn't even an amateur. Cringe inducing dialogue, a plot which slowly paces forward to a lackluster conclusion and a movie monster (ghost) that visibly looks cheap and old fashioned(like a zombie out of the original 1968 "Night of the Living Dead") does not a fun time at the movies make. And while I do understand that West may have been trying to create a Sam Raimi (Drag Me to Hell, The Evil Dead) type of horror camp atmosphere, the end result is a movie that is severely lacking in the entertainment department, while simultaneously lacking in scares. And to think, there are a large number of critics that loved this film for some reason. Unbelievable! Written by Markus Robinson, Edited by Nicole I. Ashland Please visit my page on Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/x-52464-San-Jose-Indie-Movie-Examiner and leave any comments you have about this or any review. The more hits I get the better. Thank you Follow me on Twitter @moviesmarkus

• Emil K

  
  With his recent two entries into horror-genre director/writer Ti West has become one of the most promising names in the whole filmworld and The Innkeepers is his best and most effective film to date. Here is good old haunted house film which has style to burn and some of the most… More
  With his recent two entries into horror-genre director/writer Ti West has become one of the most promising names in the whole filmworld and The Innkeepers is his best and most effective film to date. Here is good old haunted house film which has style to burn and some of the most scary moments i've seen in films in last ten years. West truly knows how to make you feel uncomfortable. Like in his House of the Devil, he also spends here most of the time building the creepy atmosphere and when when the horrifying and suspenseful climax finally arrive, it is just pure edge of your seat entertainment. I think that Ti West is truly a name we gonna hear more in future. This guy is young and he is way more talented than dozen of the hacks in Hollywood. Best thing is that West does not need money to make his films look good or to make them effective. He knows that if you handle your material with style you will get an response wanted from your audience. I love the way how West is capable of adding so much comedy in his film and still not losing the tension. He has this tongue in a cheeck approach to his material, but he also knows when to go more serious with his stuff. Balancing between comedy and horror, West has truly succeeded here. The Innkeepers is entertaining as hell and a must see for all the fans of the horror-films. Do not skip this one.

• A.D. V

  
  Well made and all but a painfully slow film that by its conclusion reveals it to also be an utterly pointless waste of time.

• Walter M

  
  In "The Innkeepers," the Yankee Pedlar Inn is closing its doors for good in a few days. Its desk clerks, Claire(Sara Paxton, who is possibley a genetically engineered clone of Alexis Bledel) and Luke(Pat Healy), are camping out in the hotel for the weekend, what with the… More
  In "The Innkeepers," the Yankee Pedlar Inn is closing its doors for good in a few days. Its desk clerks, Claire(Sara Paxton, who is possibley a genetically engineered clone of Alexis Bledel) and Luke(Pat Healy), are camping out in the hotel for the weekend, what with the boss being in Barbados and all. They are hoping to get one last good look at the resident ghost. Instead, Claire gets to meet Leanne Rease-Jones(Kelly McGillis), one time sitcom star, who she nearly squees herself into an orgasm over. Now, this is the kind of nostalgia that I can usually get into, especially as it involves old hotels, not part of a corporate chain, but each with their own distinctive charm and history. But atmosphere, cheap thrills and a sense of dread on their own can only get you so far. And unlike his previous film, the finely tuned "The House of the Devil," Ti West with "The Innkeepers" displays a distressing lack of decisiveness, feinting along any number of possible storylines before just bringing the movie to an unsatisfying close.

• Mike N

  
  Solid ghost movie from Ti West (director of House of the Devil). It's not nearly as good as House, and I found myself wondering whether West had invested a whole lot into this project for much of the first half, but it really gets going in the last half. Which is, like, how he… More
  Solid ghost movie from Ti West (director of House of the Devil). It's not nearly as good as House, and I found myself wondering whether West had invested a whole lot into this project for much of the first half, but it really gets going in the last half. Which is, like, how he made House of the Devil. Slow, sometimes-meticulous setup, toying with our attention and atmosphere, before turning up the volume to a breathless crescendo. Fun stuff.

• The Movie W

  
  Ti West is regarded by many as the best American horror director of this generation and with such poor competition it's hard to argue this claim. I appreciate his approach to the genre, favouring atmosphere over cheap shocks yet with all his films there comes a point around the… More
  Ti West is regarded by many as the best American horror director of this generation and with such poor competition it's hard to argue this claim. I appreciate his approach to the genre, favouring atmosphere over cheap shocks yet with all his films there comes a point around the hour mark when you realise the purposely slow build up isn't actually leading anywhere. His latest effort follows this pattern but the improved pacing and lighter tone makes it his most accesible yet. Unlike most horror films featuring young people the characters here are quite likeable and believable, as someone with experience of minimum wage jobs Paxton and Healy seem all too real. McGillis however, continuing her career revival in horror, plays a character who seems to serve no real purpose, and adds nothing worthwhile to the narrative. Another problem is the hotel location, it just looks too modern to generate any creepiness. Maybe it's European snobbery but to me old means centuries not decades. The highlight is a sequence near the end involving Paxton trapped in the basement. It's probably the creepiest scene since the climax of "Rec". I view West as a low budget M Night Shyamalan, his skill as a writer is in no way on a par with his directorial abilities. While "The Innkeepers" is overall average fare it does at least show he's moving in the right direction but I believe his future hangs on whether he's willing to direct other writer's work.

• Joey S

  
  I was pleasantly surprised by this movie. I wasn't a fan of Ti West's previous movie, The House of the Devil, and despite seeing a great deal of potential in the director, I didn't expect The Innkeepers to be much better. However, I actually enjoyed this movie, and I… More
  I was pleasantly surprised by this movie. I wasn't a fan of Ti West's previous movie, The House of the Devil, and despite seeing a great deal of potential in the director, I didn't expect The Innkeepers to be much better. However, I actually enjoyed this movie, and I see it as an improvement on The House of the Devil in a number of ways. It's far from perfect, as the movie still has pacing problems for the first half hour and there's occasionally cheesy dialogue, but this definitely impressed me enough to possibly watch The House of the Devil again. The movie is very creepy and suspenseful once you get past the dull beginning, which consists of relatively uninteresting character development, and the ending is flawed but somewhat unexpected. Speaking of the ending though, although it is slightly different than that of many other horror movies, it is relatively anticlimactic. After so much build-up, you would expect some sort of very intense finale, but it goes by so quickly that you feel a little cheated. The one thing I did like about The House of the Devil was the ending, which is what initially made me believe that Ti West had talent. That movie ended in a very interesting way, while The Innkeepers has less of an ending and more of just a brief scene that doesn't last nearly long enough to be completely satisfied. To be fair, the only reason I'm at all bitter about the ending is because the rest of the movie is actually very good. Within the context of the rest of the movie, the ending isn't that bad, it just could have been better. As a whole though, The Innkeepers provides some smart scares and overall creepiness while still leaving much of the horror to the imagination. If you can make it through the slow beginning and don't mind creepiness rather than in-your-face horror, I'm sure you'll enjoy The Innkeepers.

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