Horror Bites - The Innkeepers

There is a fine line that is walked when making a slow burn ghost story. They are usually a bit slower in nature and tend to be more mystery based. A good one doesn't want to reveal too much, but also doesn't leave the audience hanging on too long without anything of interest happening. There is a fear and dread that must be portrayed throughout the quieter moments that keep the audience tuned in and watching. It's the difference between a haunting mind horror, and a movie filled with jump scares, which is devoid of interesting ideas until the very end. The Innkeepers does a really good job at building that sense of fear, while also seeming real in its portrayal of characters. It offers an almost too slow burn of a story but manages to keep itself on the cusp, making for a solid ghostly experience. The Innkeepers follows the story of the last two employees at an old inn that is closing down after this last weekend. They are expecting a slow-paced, leisurely, and boring set of nights with only a few sparse customers. Luke, who runs a paranormal website, figures it's the perfect time to get more footage and pictures of the ghostly widow that supposedly haunts the inn. Claire is a bit more flighty and just seems a bit bored with the whole thing. She goes along with Luke's ghost obsession as a way to pass the time. As the two main characters talk, search, and investigate the ghost further, they start to believe that an eerie and sometimes scary force may be haunting the inn. They begin to question if the ghost may actually be real and coming after them. But is this just a work of fear and boredom, or is something truly sinister awaiting them? With at least one of the leads on screen for almost every scene in the film, The Innkeepers lives and dies on how interesting their characters are and their interactions with each other. Claire, played by Sarah Paxton seems lost in her world of boredom and carefreeness, while Pat Healy's ghost nerd Luke is a sarcastic, but not unsympathetic character who seems to have a bit of a crush on Claire. Both together and alone the pair are fun to watch and their interactions during mundane and more paranormal moments are never boring. The Innkeepers does a great job making you feel like they are really co-workers, as their interactions feel real enough. The movie does a great job slowly ramping up the tension, starting with some typical slow door closings in videos and bumps in the night, but moving up to nightmarish visions and dreams. It all comes together in a finale that makes you question what was real or not. The Innkeepers is far from perfect though and does tend to dip too much into the realm of the mundane. It could probably use a bit of trim off its runtime, especially when thinking of the side plot with a really mean woman and her small child, which doesn't seem to add anything of note to the story itself. I could have done without all her crap. Other than that, anything else I would consider a nitpick. The movie entertains enough while not going overboard with jump scares and never goes too slow to be underwhelming. This is an easy recommendation for those who love their ghost and slow-burn horrors. Great characters, tension, and even a few scares to be had makes for a fun night and a solid watch. Especially recommended for those alone in hotel rooms.