The Innkeepers is a ghost story. No doubt about that. The film opens with actual photos of the building, the movie was shot in, throughout the years. Right away you get the feeling that this is an old building with plenty of history, so naturally, your mind already accepts the possibility of ghosts and sets the tone before the opening credits are even done rolling.
The movie centers around the innkeepers of the Yankee Pedlar Inn, Luke (Pat Healey) and Claire (Sara Paxton). A nerdy un-attached couple finishing their last weekend working at the inn before it goes out of business, with an interest in ghosts. Particularly trying to find one at the inn before it closes for good.
Healey and Paxton fit perfectly into their roles. Luke, who for whatever reason looks like Tin-Tin, is a not-overly-brave slackerish kind of guy who doesn’t give the impression of being much aid against any type of supernatural force. Claire has a fun-loving air about her. However, her fragile looks, and constant use of an inhaler give her an added sense of vulnerability. You just want to protect this girl! Four inn guests and one coffee shop attendant round off the rest of the cast.
One of the guests, Leanne Rease-Jones (Kelly McGillis), is an older movie star who now is more involved with metaphysics and giving lectures in that field. She notices Claire trying to contact the ghost of the hotel and offers to help. And while Leanne does not open any doorways, she does an excellent job of interjecting a feeling of impending danger into the film. Now you know these two innkeepers are in trouble. And it effectively gave me a feeling of pathos towards the unsuspecting innkeepers.
Maybe part of the classic “feel” of the movie has to do with it’s being filmed on actual film! The beautiful lighting is captured in all it’s shadowy gloominess. Many of the scenes are accentuated by Jeff Grace’s fantastic score which sounds at times like a John Carpenter film and Alfred Hitchcock at others. And the wonderful thing is that it always swells and leaps in at the appropriate time. It serves to enhance, not distract. For the most part, the overall sound of the movie is somewhat low-key. Not in volume, but in attitude, making the peaks that much more effective. Before the movie even starts, this is the first thing you see: “FOR OPTIMAL SOUND REPRODUCTION, THE PRODUCERS OF THIS BLU-RAY DISC RECOMMEND THAT YOU PLAY IT LOUD.”. I did, and there were quite a few moments when I thought my heart exploded, and other moments when the silence was so deafening that I was on the verge of passing out from holding my breath.
I did, however, find one element missing in this movie that is so prevalent in most movies today, CGI. I’m sorry, but as soon as I see that a creature, or even just blood, is CGI, it takes away a lot of the belief I had in the movie. No matter how good it’s rendered, you can still tell it’s fake. There was none of that in The Innkeepers. The makeup artists, the lighting department, and Ti West all worked together to create a scenes that not only scared you, but made you uncomfortable. You believed that what you saw was organic and supernatural at the same time. That is a noteworthy accomplishment.
The Innkeepers seems to follow such a simple formula that I can’t understand how so many other directors make such crappy “horror” movies. West’s writing is believable, his directing is right on target, and his editing is flawless.There were no cop-out ending or situations here. The movie left me with a feeling of satisfaction that I haven't felt with a movie in quite a while.
The Innkeepers is right up there with The Shining and The Others as one of the best, if not the best, ghost movies I have ever seen.
Technical Stuff
This blu-ray is presented in anamorphic widescreen in a 2.40:1 aspect ratio.
Audio is presented in dts-HD Master Audio 5.1.
There are two additional audio tracks. One with Ti West and Stars Pat Healey and Sara Paxton. The other with Ti West, Producers Peter Phok and Larry Fessenden, and 2nd Unit Director/Sound Designer Graham Reznick.
Included in the Bonus Section is a Behind the Scenes Featurette and film trailer.
Website: The Innkeepers
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