The Innkeepers (2011) Movie Review - Cosy Autumnal Horror Fun

It’s time for another review in our Fall Themed Horror Series. Today’s movie is a slow burn horror with an obvious autumn vibe. Ti West’s The Innkeepers follows the story of hotel workers Claire and Luke. The Yankee Pedlar Inn is closing for good and the pair are holding down the fort for its last weekend. Fascinated by the paranormal and aware of the hotel’s sordid past. Clair and Luke attempt to contact the ghost of Madeline O’Malley.

Definitely not for everyone. This is a horror that focuses on its characters more than scares. It is slow moving and the slightly limited horror element may put some people off. For those of us who enjoy old fashioned ghost stories, however, it is a lot of fun. Set around October, there aren’t a tremendous amount of the usual fall tropes. We do have references to Halloween and there is a distinctly autumn vibe, however. With that in mind, let’s take a look.

An Old Fashioned Ghost Story

The Innkeepers follows the story of Yankee Pedlar inn employee Claire, played by Sara Paxton, working her last weekend before the hotel closes for good. Her and Luke, played by Pat Healy, are the only two employees left and their job is to ensure a smooth weekend of operation. Bored and wanting to get to the bottom of the location’s supposedly haunted past. Claire spends her time skiving off from work and wandering around the hotel exploring. Determined to uncover the truth about the ghosts and spirits apparently haunting the place. Claire might just get a lot more than she bargained for.

The Innkeepers is a good old fashioned ghost story. Slow paced, the star of the show is, very much, the location itself. The Yankee Pedlar Inn is one of the oldest buildings in town. With that age comes a lot of history. A jilted bride hanged herself and the owners hid her in the basement. Unfulfilled in life, she now haunts the place in death. Claire is completely determined to make contact.

Despite not being an overtly horrifying horror movie. The Innkeepers does a nice job of building tension over the first two thirds of its run time. Somewhat similar in pacing to Ti West’s previous movie, The House of the Devil. Character and scene setting are paramount.

Claire is a bit ditsy and somewhat lacking in direction. A college dropout, she suffers from asthma and is seen constantly huffing on her inhaler. Luke is something of a waster. Hitting middle age and with no prospects. He works on his prehistoric looking website, forever hoping that it will, somehow, lead him to riches. The two characters feel pretty well matched and play off of each other fantastically. For the majority of the time, however, we are sharing in the experiences of Claire. A very likeable woman who is a bit jumpy and feels somewhat vulnerable.

Light on the Scares

The first half of this movie has an air of lightness around it. Everything that happens is, mostly, inconsequential. It’s two bored co-workers trying to pass the time. The comedy elements are fun but not a lot happens. This is where the movie might lose people. It’s a Ti West trait, for better or for worse. As far as the horror goes, this film has a heavy second half. The first half has almost nothing and if you don’t enjoy the characters, you will likely find yourself checking out. Something that has been a problem, in general, when The Innkeepers is appraised. 

The Innkeepers divides viewers. At its heart, it is a traditional ghost story. Eschewing more modern horror techniques. This is a movie that is far more keen on suggesting scares than actually attacking you with them. There’s an almost campfire story feel to it and that is what I love about it. This is a cosy little horror movie that is never too intense and features just enough in the way of scares to keep you entertained. This is something that really splits people down the middle, however. Some people love it, some don’t get it at all.

The Innkeepers was, generally, well received by critics. When it comes to the public, however, it was far more mixed. Some people absolutely loved the bizarre mix of comedy, inconsequential drama and ghost story horror. Others hated it and found it to be incredibly boring. It is one of those rare horror movies that even fans of slow burn horror sometimes don’t like. It is worth keeping this in mind when watching. The setting here is supposed to do a lot of heavy lifting when it comes to the scares and that leads us on to a bit of a problem. 

Is This Setting Actually Scary?

The Yankee Pedlar Inn is absolutely stunning. Clearly steeped in history. The antiquated stylings and the obvious charm of the place let the atmosphere down. It’s just not a very scary setting. Sure, the basement is a little creepy. Most basements are unless you have a game room or a bar down there. Despite that, this looks like a place that is very much in business and incredibly desirable.

The fact that the hotel has so much history with hauntings undermines the plot just a bit. The Yankee Pedlar Inn is just not a frightening place. It doesn’t look haunted and it certainly wouldn’t be shutting down anytime soon. In fact, it would be absolutely bustling. Located on a main street next to shops. There is no way this place wouldn’t be booked up.

Hell, if it was haunted, haunting enthusiasts would flock here in their masses. That’s without mentioning legitimate customers who just need a well located hotel. I’d stay there for sure. Naturally, large opulent hotels can be scary locations. Just look at The Shining. This hotel, however, is just too small for that. It would have been better if they found a recently abandoned shit hole, in my opinion. We need dilapidation, we need large empty rooms, we need broken lights and creaky floors. The location is just not scary.

Excellent Acting and a Likeable Cast

Claire is more than a just a side character. In the first half of the movie she is, pretty much, the entire film and an avatar for the viewer. Your guide around the hotel, if you like. It is her curiosity that pushes events forward. Literally everything that happens takes place through her.

I am big fan of actor Sara Paxton, who plays Claire, and I think she does a great job here. She reminded me of an adult version of Kevin McCallister from Home Alone. The novelty of being in a large, almost empty, hotel is apparent to her and, for me, was reminiscent of Kevin roaming his abandoned house. It helps that a young Paxton looks something like a female version of Macaulay Culkin. Her varied facial expressions and ability to really sink into her characters helps tremendously. She will probably annoy a few people, though. Her childlike lack of seriousness can rob the movie of gravity, at times, though I found it charming.

Pat Healy is always great. Luke’s a fairly simple character. A bit of a deadbeat and something of a dreamer. We have all met people like him before and Healy does a great job encompassing it. Again, he is a likeable character and Healy’s chemistry with Paxton is noteworthy. An interesting turn by Top Gun star Kelly McGillis is very welcome. Playing a former actor that has developed a skill for psychic communication. She does a great job and adds some extra depth to the story.

Should You Watch The Innkeepers?

This is a tough one. If you enjoy cosy little campfire ghost stories, you should definitely watch The Innkeepers. If, however, you like a few more scares, a more developed plot and a little more focus in your horror. You may want to give this one a miss. The first half is little more than character and scene setting with Claire wandering the hotel. Things really don’t get going until later on and if you can’t invest into the slightly lacking first half you may find the second unsatisfying. I love The Innkeepers but I don’t think it is for everyone.

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