Ti West supernatural thriller set at an allegedly haunted hotel in its last weekend of operation. West is the new King Of The Slow Burn horror thriller these days, and this one is no exception---maybe even moreso than his other works. Part of the charm of watching this movie is the expectations of something happening...and then it doesn't! A lot of it is like watching a PARANORMAL ACTIVITY movie without the shakycam POV shots---this one is shot slick narrative style and kind of has a SHINING vibe (one of West's favorite movies, btw) with the Hotel becoming a character all of its own. Lead actors Sara Paxton and Pat Healy (who later team up again in the brilliant CHEAP THRILLS) are fun and capable in their parts, and a horribly aged and nearly unrecognizable Kelly McGillis (yep, THAT Kelly McGillis from TOP GUN) shows up as...a horribly aged movie star who is now a psychic. I liked the end of the movie- some ghosts, ghouls, suicides, and other creepy haunting do finally mix into the proceedings, but very little is explained in terms of the Hotel's history, other than a jilted bride-to-be killed herself in one of the rooms when she saw her fiance frolicking outside a window with another slutty lady. (This seems to be a pretty common story or myth for haunted houses, as I've heard this one myself at multiple locations over the years that claim to be "haunted.") Anyway, nothing special here, but this is a serviceable, creepy, tension filled offering that's fun to watch if you're recovering from a hangover or late at night if you're tired. Nothing spectacular, but definitely has that Ti West flavor and that's a good thing.
Ti West supernatural thriller set at an allegedly haunted hotel in its last weekend of operation. West is the new King Of The Slow Burn horror thriller these days, and this one is no exception---maybe even moreso than his other works. Part of the charm of watching this movie is the expectations of something happening...and then it doesn't! A lot of it is like watching a PARANORMAL ACTIVITY movie without the shakycam POV shots---this one is shot slick narrative style and kind of has a SHINING vibe (one of West's favorite movies, btw) with the Hotel becoming a character all of its own. Lead actors Sara Paxton and Pat Healy (who later team up again in the brilliant CHEAP THRILLS) are fun and capable in their parts, and a horribly aged and nearly unrecognizable Kelly McGillis (yep, THAT Kelly McGillis from TOP GUN) shows up as...a horribly aged movie star who is now a psychic. I liked the end of the movie- some ghosts, ghouls, suicides, and other creepy haunting do finally mix into the proceedings, but very little is explained in terms of the Hotel's history, other than a jilted bride-to-be killed herself in one of the rooms when she saw her fiance frolicking outside a window with another slutty lady. (This seems to be a pretty common story or myth for haunted houses, as I've heard this one myself at multiple locations over the years that claim to be "haunted.") Anyway, nothing special here, but this is a serviceable, creepy, tension filled offering that's fun to watch if you're recovering from a hangover or late at night if you're tired. Nothing spectacular, but definitely has that Ti West flavor and that's a good thing.
