THE INNKEEPERS
US, 2011, 101 minutes, Colour.
Sara Paxton, Pat Healey, Kelly Mc Gillis.
Directed by Ti West.
An old hotel in the 19th century style. About to close. A few strange guests. Two staff members who are investigating the alleged haunting of the hotel.
This is a ghost story which operates on the slow burn principle and techniques, building up atmosphere, popping in a few scares for us to jump, and an ending and explanation (or lack of) that is a bit of a flame flickering and being extinguished.
Sara Paxton and Pat Healey are Claire and Luke, caretaking the hotel and experimenting with discovering who the ghost is – and taping mysterious sounds and piano notes. How serious they are is hard to tell, especially when Claire has a session with an ageing actress (a welcome Kelly Mc Gillis) who has discovered she has healing and psychic powers. Claire may not be taking her too seriously.
She should have. An old man comes to the hotel for the final night, wanting a room that he stayed in for his honeymoon, long ago. He looks more than old, really ancient. And something dreadful happens in his room. Sara becomes more alarmed, a touch hysterical and goes down (why??) into the dark basement. She sees things. She sees people. But, is this real, are there ghosts, or is it all happening in Sara’s imagination?
Quite a lot of things going for The Innkeepers, but it relies more on its atmosphere than jolts and shocks.
1. A slow-burning ghost story, horror film? The director and his reputation?
2. The location, the Yankee Pedlar Inn (and filming in the actual Inn), the outside, the setting, the interiors, the ordinary rooms, the basement, the rooms and their being stripped for the closing down? The musical score?
3. Claire and Luke, the final weekend of business, Claire and her asthma, her personality, dropping out of studies? Luke, his working on the website, interested in hauntings?
4. The theme of ghosts, hunting ghosts, the hauntings, the history of the apparitions in the Inn? Madeleine, the bride hanging, the body in the basement? Her appearances?
5. Leanne, arriving, her past as an actress, going to a convention, the initial clash with Claire?
6. The noises from the garage, the episode, Claire and her locking the door, the recording equipment, picking up sounds, the piano mysteriously playing by itself?
7. The psychics’ convention, Leanne and her warnings, Claire and the apparition?
8. The visitor, getting the room, wanting the third floor, unavailable, the bed ready, putting out fresh sheets for him?
9. The investigations, and Luke’s searching?
10. Luke and Claire, the ghost, finding the man had committed suicide, Madeleine hanging again, the man later appearing as a ghost?
11. Claire, being trapped, her having locked the door, unable to get out? Leanne and warnings? Claire and her dying from an asthma attack?
12. And Leanne leaving – and the glimpses of Claire at the window as an apparition?
