Vacancy

Starring: Luke Wilson, Kate Beckinsale, Frank Whaley, Ethan Embry
Directed by: Nimrod Antal
Rating: R
Genre: Horror, Thriller
2007

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A husband (Luke Wilson) and wife (Kate Beckinsale) reluctantly stay at a motel after their car breaks down. They soon discover that a series of murders have occurred in the room they're staying in, and they are next.

Review:

Tim: This probably should have been a silly, forgettable horror thriller. It certainly has a number of flaws. However, for reasons not entirely clear to me, I found myself enjoying it. Some of this comes from the unlikely casting of Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale in the lead roles, some comes from the fact that in a very simple and basic way, this movie keeps you in a state of suspense.

Wilson and Beckinsale actually are more believable than I would have expected. They aren't the most likable of characters, and they spend a good portion of the first half of the movie making snide remarks towards each other. They truly seem like a couple that has fallen out of love, and are just trying to put up with each other. I give them both credit for making this believable. Frank Whaley is also good because he could have so easily made his role over-the-top. However, he manages to be both creepy and odd without ever approaching the realm of silliness. This is a credit to his acting skills and his intelligence. I was disappointed Ethan Embry had only a worthless role- I've always liked him, and I wish he had more to do.

I was struck by how simple this entire film was told. There weren't any special effects, the villains didn't seemingly die only to defy logic and remain alive. This is a straightforward thriller that gains credibility because something like this could actually happen. Director Nimrod Antal (wow, what a name) does great work behind the camera by keeping the story small and realistic. He wasn't trying to make the horror-movie-to-end-all-horror movies, and because of that, his film can be forgiven for some of its flaws.

I do want to spend just a minute or two clarifying that while I was pleasantly surprised with this film, it's not exactly great. Horror thrillers are so often terrible movies, and I was impressed that this film (which, quite frankly, didn't seem to have a whole lot going for it) wasn't all that bad. There are still some large gaps in logic and plot holes, but these aren't of the glaring variety. While the movie is thrilling, it never really gets to the point where you're hanging on every word and movement. Your heartbeat might get raised, but by a nearly imperceptible amount.

Still, Vacancy is better than it had any right to be. I found myself with minimum negative feelings toward it, and shocker-of-all-shockers-I wouldn't mind seeing it again.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Van Helsing, Psycho, Soul Survivors, Underworld