The Innkeepers (2011)

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.

Director:

Ti West

Writer:

Ti West

Stars:

Sara Paxton, Pat Healy, Kelly McGillis

2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Sara Paxton	...	Claire
Pat Healy	...	Luke
Alison Bartlett	...	Gayle, Angry Mom
Jake Ryan	...	Boy (as Jake Schlueter)
Kelly McGillis	...	Leanne Rease-Jones
Lena Dunham	...	Barista
George Riddle	...	Old Man
Brenda Cooney	...	Madeline O'Malley
John Speredakos	...	Officer Mitchell
Sean Reid	...	Medic
Kurt Venghaus	...	Medic
Thomas Mahoney	...	Medic
Michael Martin	...	Medic
Michael P. Castelli	...	Medic

Storyline

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.

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Plot Keywords:

Hotel | Inn | Hotel Room | Dead Body In Bathtub | Drinking | 

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Taglines:

Come stay at the Yankee Pedlar ... For a night you WILL NEVER FORGET

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Genres:

Horror | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some bloody images and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 March 2012 (Russia)

Also Known As:

Hotel da Morte

Filming Locations:

Connecticut, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$750,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$29,557 (USA) (3 February 2012)

Gross:

$77,501 (USA) (24 February 2012)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dark Sky Films, Glass Eye Pix

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie is filmed at the actual Yankee Pedlar Inn, in Torrington, Connecticut.

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Quotes

Claire: Never skimp on bread; you'll always regret it.

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Connections

Features Solitaire (1981)
Claire plays Solitaire on her computer

User Reviews

Stephen King meets Walt Disney

"The Innkeepers" has a fairly simple plot: Claire (Sara Paxton) and Luke (Pat Healy) are two employees at the Yankee Pedlar Inn, a once-grand hotel that is in its last weekend of operation. With business extremely slow, Claire and Luke, both amateur ghost hunting enthusiasts, decide to spend their last weekend at the hotel finding proof of the ghost of Madeline O'Malley, a bride who killed herself there. With the help of a former actress-turned-psychic (Kelly McGillis) who is one of the hotel's only guests, Claire and Luke's weekend takes some unexpected and scary turns.

That's really all there is here; a paper-thin plot with all the hooks and gimmicks of classic ghost stories (old hotels, ghostly brides, psychics, voices at night), and yet, for some reason, this film WORKS. The atmosphere is rich and the scares are predated by a great deal of suspense and well-plotted anticipation; the acting is also very good and the performances are lively. I think these things alone give the film a distinct personality of its own.

Some have complained that "nothing happens" in the film for over an hour, which is partially true; there really isn't much momentum until the third act, but the first and second act are filled with a lot of surprisingly entertaining interaction between the characters (elevated by quirky performances from Paxton, Healy, and even McGillis), supplemented with the occasional ghostly activity and the gloominess of the old New England hotel. I was never once bored by this film, despite others' proclamations of boredom.

I'd also like to mention the goofy demeanor that runs through the film from beginning to end— there's a sense of lucidity and humor in terms of how straightforward and "by the books" the ghosts are in this film, which actually reminded me of something you'd find on the Disney Channel during the Halloween season. On the flipside of that, the dark and brooding atmosphere combined with the psychic plot twinges was reminiscent of Stephen King stories. It's an odd combination, but I think the quirkiness combined with darker plot elements is what makes the movie stand out.

By the end of the film, you may be asking yourself "what was the point?", and the answer is that there wasn't one, really. But that's besides the point, if that makes sense. "The Innkeepers" is the kind of movie you watch curled up by a fireplace on a cold night merely for the experience. It's like a classic, by-the-books ghost story translated to film; straightforward, atmospheric, sometimes uneventful, but ultimately a lot fun despite having any greater meaning. 8/10.