Ghost hunting for the minimum wage – a tagline we can all get on board with. Common people trying to figure out uncommon sometimes paranormal things. That is where The Innkeepers takes us in Ti West’s third installment starring Sara Paxton as Claire and Pat Healy as the amateur perverted ghost enthusiast.
The Yankee Pedlar Inn will be closing its doors for good after 100 years of service to the weak, weary passing through town. In the final week of the Inn's existence Claire and Luke decide now would be the perfect time to try and capture proof of the hotels haunted history. But they catch much more than they bargained for.
We’ve all had a job that bored us to tears and we experience that same mentality with Claire and Pat as they watch the clock waiting for their shift to end day, after day. I loved the spastic nature of Sara Paxton’s character. It brings a feeling of panic without ever seeing any ghost. Perhaps that is what Ti West wanted us to feel without showing anything creepy. If the characters themselves feel bored to the point they feel on edge it makes the paranormal scenes that much more intense. Luke’s character is the perfect counter balance to Claire. A level headed ghost enthusiast that plans to cash in on any paranormal activity the Inn has to offer. The character development was crafted carefully piece by piece while keeping things pretty light-hearted and sometimes comical.
The Innkeepers did a perfect job of driving home the characteristics of the amateur ghost hunter. This is not a knock on all of you ghost hunters in training out there – but the simplistic bare bones website complete with animated ghost GIF hit the nail on the head. I see these kind of websites all the time. In fact my ghost hunting uncle has a website exactly like that! So it hit pretty close to home with me. I chuckled a bit.
As the film progresses the comical aspect falls off a ledge in the last 25 minutes of the movie to give us a spooky treat. This is not an over the top film, nor would I expect that from Ti West. His slow burning methodical storytelling is his best trait as a filmmaker. All the special effects were done in a practical manner, no CGI elements were used, or needed for that matter.
Last but not least the sound design is phenomenal. I watched it via Video On Demand but if you get a chance to see the film in theaters please do so. It will be much more appreciated seen in theaters rather than on your home televisions set. That being said even watching at home in the pitch black dark with the volume turned way up made for a great film experience.
From the poster design to the sound design I really did enjoy this film. My only complaint is that it does move a bit slow from beginning to end but I felt the final scenes were worth the wait. If you have seen House of the Devil then you'll see the comparisons between the two films. Ti West uses the same formula for this movie but tells us a new haunting story.
An interesting fact about the film is that it is based on actual experiences West and his crew had while staying at the Inn during the filming of House of the Devil.
“We had more weird things happening at our hotel than we did on set while filming House of the Devil.” West said.
The Innkeepers is good old fashion storytelling that is well crafted with the perfect blend of humor, tense moments and great practical effects. “So come stay at the Yankee Pedlar…For a night you WILL NEVER FORGET.”
