The Innkeepers

Magnet Releasing | Release Date: February 3, 2012

6.2	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 73 Ratings

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Tss5078Feb 22, 2013

I was looking for a good horror movie, that fell under the radar, to promote for halloween, and I was told that the Innkeepers was that film, but it wasn't. This film is so clique, stealing almost everything from other films of the sameI was looking for a good horror movie, that fell under the radar, to promote for halloween, and I was told that the Innkeepers was that film, but it wasn't. This film is so clique, stealing almost everything from other films of the same genre. They had the nerve to give this movie an R rating and call it the must see horror movie of the year, but truthfully, its slightly more scary than a Disney movie! An old hotel is going out of business and the two remaining employees decide to investigate the long history of ghost sightings at the establishment. There are only a couple guests, giving them the perfect opportunity to investigate. The only thing this film uses in order to frighten you is random things jumping out at you, which most of the time aren't what you expect them to be. There is also a creepy old woman staying there who can talk to the spirits and predict the future, but if that isn't bad enough, there is of course the investigations themselves. Using nothing but a old tape recorder, they go looking for EVPs, using every phrase and question they could steal from Ghost Hunters. Yeah, the Innkeepers really is that ridiculous and the only really shocking thing about this movie is that someone actually gave it an R rating! Was the MPAA associate a little girl or elderly woman, because honestly, Monster House was scarier than this thing was.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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NixySep 28, 2012

I found this film to be quite fun. Not scary, just quite entertaining. I liked the characters and, at times, found them pretty funny to watch. If you want a proper 'Jesus I'm not going to sleep for the next 3 weeks' sort of horror film, thenI found this film to be quite fun. Not scary, just quite entertaining. I liked the characters and, at times, found them pretty funny to watch. If you want a proper 'Jesus I'm not going to sleep for the next 3 weeks' sort of horror film, then this isn't the one. Sure, it made me jump a couple of times but it was nothing new and didn't do anything that you wouldn't expect from your standard haunted house sort of horror. It did rely on jump scares, which was a shame, because more subtle scares would have really upped the film for me. Fairly decent, not too heavy horror to watch with a friend but by no means has a classic been born.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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MeritzioMay 27, 2012

There is a true lack of personality in this film, if you've never watched a horror film this may be okay for you. If you do enjoy horror's expect a heavily recycled plot complete with bad character development and extremely long and drawn outThere is a true lack of personality in this film, if you've never watched a horror film this may be okay for you. If you do enjoy horror's expect a heavily recycled plot complete with bad character development and extremely long and drawn out anti-climactic suspense. The two main clerks don't act like real clerks would: Sarah Paxton has an extremely poor sense of acting and you will often find lines spelt out that would never naturally come from a human mouth. Characters often spell out what they were doing as if the visuals weren't enough for us to tell what was going on. Overall the film has very poor research into human behaviour for a low budget film: Character development is an absolute vital on a low budget because the point is to rely entirely on consistent dialogue.… Expand

3 of 4 users found this helpful31

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WriteFilmLive21Dec 1, 2012

"The Innkeepers", in brief, is an hour and a half of slow-paced minimalism interrupted briefly by moments of genuine, unnerving suspense. The characters are shallow and pretty boring - we never learn very much about them, we don't become"The Innkeepers", in brief, is an hour and a half of slow-paced minimalism interrupted briefly by moments of genuine, unnerving suspense. The characters are shallow and pretty boring - we never learn very much about them, we don't become attached to them, and so you're not very interested in what happens to them. They feel more like outlines of characters than actual, believable, fully-developed ones. The story behind the ghosts is left almost entirely unexplained, so we don't understand anything of the few "happenings" that occur and are teased with a twist to the facts that never comes to light. With so much potential in this concept and setting, it's sad that the film is so wholly vacant of substance - the only thing it's got going for it is that the spare moments of slow suspense are pretty effective, and sometimes leave you painfully nervous about whatever's about to happen. However, this also means that director Ti West is capable of making a decent horror film, yet somehow he pulls off only scraps of a decent horror film, mixed in with a somewhat impressively limp arsenal of filler and empty storytelling. If you enjoy slow-paced movies with little to no payoff, perhaps you'll enjoy "The Innkeepers" - otherwise, your hour and forty minutes is better spent with something else.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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MyffubsJun 7, 2012

The Innkeepers occasionally rises to the occasion and manages to be a worthwhile horror film. It could have been a great one were it not for one unfortunate problem: its lead. When the role is as central as this one, it requires a goodThe Innkeepers occasionally rises to the occasion and manages to be a worthwhile horror film. It could have been a great one were it not for one unfortunate problem: its lead. When the role is as central as this one, it requires a good actress. Sara Paxton could be best termed serviceable, but does not hold interest for long and has some regrettable scenes. In many other ways The Innkeepers is quite good; it features a slow build up to some startling sequences and a thrilling climax. Paxton stars as Claire, an employee at a closing hotel. She and her co-worker Luke (Pat Healy) ponder the story of Madeline O'Malley, whose ghost supposedly wanders the building's hallways. The two are attempting to document her existence with audio (not video) recording devices. For the most part, not much happens. Claire and Luke converse and are generally likable, and every so often one of the few guests appears. These scenes may seem slow, but director Ti West uses them to lay the groundwork for genuine scares and suspense. If the set up sounds similar to Paranormal Activity, the results are different and decidedly better. Dingy surveillance footage is replaced with good cinematography (and a plot), the characters come off as fleshed out individuals instead of pawns for a jump scenes, and the conclusion ultimately satisfies. If only the lead had been more capable. Still The Innkeepers is mostly enjoyable, and hearkens back to the times when horror films were actually scary.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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Blackthorne20Nov 5, 2012

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This movie is boring and predictable. Why is it that the ghosts NEVER move? Why do the characters who have just had a panic attack suddenly decide to split and never show up again, even if they say they'll be back in a minute? If your colleague saw a piano being played right in front of her, and she ran up to your door and started banging on it, begging and screaming, don't you think you'd get out of bed and open it with some urgency? In the movie, we are told that Madeline wanted to live. So, what did she gain by killing Claire? I kinda thought she was going to possess her and take over her body or something. Also, I noticed how Claire carried around an inhaler, meaning she had asthma. Right away, we as an audience can already tell that that spells her imminent doom. But it's not played very well. How about a scene where she has an attack and realizes she lost her inhaler by dropping it? That would have been tense watching her frantically looking around for it and therefore potentially putting herself in harm's way. The old man was possibly the only scary scene, which I must admit, I thought he was a full bodied apparition from Madeline's time (or maybe that was the case). Leanne was a completely useless character. If she were removed from the story, it wouldn't have changed it one bit. Oh well, this movie was disappointing. It hurts to see all the opportunities that could have been fleshed out. We need better writers because I'm honestly starting to get sick of all these lame budget movies ruin one of my favorite genres. I guess the difficulty with storytelling is that it all has to reach a climax and when your movie deals with ghosts, that's kinda tricky to pull off. The one here feels contrived and ineffective because the rest of the movie is just boring.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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JLuis_001Sep 7, 2017

A film of suspense and horror extremely different from what is currently consumed, that is perhaps the main strength of The Innkeepers, the atmosphere catches you and manages to keep you until the end. Of course if you like that style. If youA film of suspense and horror extremely different from what is currently consumed, that is perhaps the main strength of The Innkeepers, the atmosphere catches you and manages to keep you until the end. Of course if you like that style. If you like direct terror and violence then this is not the movie you should be watching.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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