Writer-director Ti West is back with a new horror offering, The Innkeepers. The director of the underground horror fave The House of the Devil is said by attendees of the SXSW Film Festival to be back to his roots after the out of character fiasco Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever. The first trailer for The Innkeepers however, isn’t exactly indicative of what those critics have said.
The Innkeepers stars Sara Paxton (Shark Night 3D, The Last House on the Left) as Claire and Pat Healy (The Assassination of Jesse James) as Luke, a pair of co-workers at an aging New England hotel. The hotel is going out of business so Luke decides to enlist Claire to help him investigate the unusual goings-on that have led people to believe the hotel is haunted by the ghost of a jilted bride.
The Innkeepers co-stars an almost unrecognizable Kelly McGillis (Top Gun) as a former actress turned psychic. Also, upping the film’s indie cred, Tiny Furniture director Lena Dunham has a cameo as a barista. George Riddle of The Onion News Network rounds out the cast as an ancient hotel guest.
The Innkeepers has received terrific reviews since its debut at the SXSW Festival with Todd Gilchrist of ShocktilYouDrop.com calling the film a ‘celebration and deconstruction of jump-scare style horror.’ The Innkeepers has an 86% rating at Rottentomatoes with only one negative review thus far.
The trailer establishes a creepy atmosphere and offers more than a few jump-scares. What’s lacking in the trailer is a hint of the humor and dialogue that critics at SXSW praised. Take a look for yourself.
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