The True Death: The Innkeepers (2011)

The Innkeepers is a 2011 film written, directed and edited by Ti West, starring Sara Paxton, Pat Healy and Kelly McGillis. The story takes place at The Yankee Peddler Inn, a once grand hotel than is about to go out of business. Claire and Luke are the only two employees working on the final weekend. Both are ghost hunting enthusiasts and with only a few guests staying there, they do a little investigating into the legend of Madeline O'Malley. The legend goes that Madeline's husband ran out on their honeymoon and she hung herself.

I had heard rumblings that the movie was pretty good. It should have been an earthquake I heard. This movie is very good. If you're looking for gore, it's not here. If you're looking for a slow burn with lots of tension, it's here. For the first 40 minutes not a lot happens. You get a little comedy and learn about our Innkeepers. Then things start to pick up.

She obviously had a rough day.

West does a good job with lingering shots and when the scare arrives it packs a punch. He does an excellent job building the characters early on and then adding a creepy atmosphere that delivers in the end. That's the best part of what he gives us in this film. He takes his sweet time, building the mood instead of trying to scare us every minute. The audience gets invested in the characters.

Sara Paxton and Pat Healy are both excellent in their roles. They have a natural chemistry and play off of each other very well. They show the mundane nature of running a collapsing business with the type of dialogue you may find in a Tarantino movie. Ok...it's not quite on that level but you get the point. The banter between the two seems natural and Paxton steals the movie with her charm.