Vacancy
Review by Peter Syslo

To be honest, Vacancy (2007), is one of those movies that I just wanted to see for the hell of it. Normally, I would just keep walking past a movie like this, in the video store, but I was curious and one of the reasons that I wanted to see it is that IT IS NOT A REMAKE. I really can’t stress how sick I am of remakes – I feel that I have to support any original script, at this point.

Vacancy is the story of a divorcing couple (Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale) who are driving back from visiting family (their back story is irrelevant, here and in the movie). One thing leads to another and they get lost in a small town, their car breaks down, and they walk to a nearby motel. At this motel, they quickly notice that things are a little off and when David (Wilson) views a video tape left by the TV, real danger becomes apparent. There are several videos of people, in that exact room, being tortured and killed. David and Amy (Beckinsale) then spend the rest of the movie trying to escape, as masked killers try to enter their room and film another murderous video.

I have to say that I liked this movie – it was enjoyable and I thought that the story wasn’t half bad. At first glance, it seemed like it was a derivative idea, but it turned out to be more of a slasher/thriller. The feel/atmosphere of the movie is kind of a combination of Break Down, Identity, and Near Dark and I was a little surprised.

There were only a few things I didn’t like about it. First off, Kate Beckinsale added nothing to the film – I like her in the Underworld films and in romantic comedies, but here, she was just bland or misused. Her character was just simply annoying and I think that any actress could have played that part – there was no real identity to that character. Second, I think that it ended much too abruptly; it could have gone a little further. I was actually anticipating a twist where David was in on the whole thing, but maybe I just have an overactive imagination. Not that I wanted a twist (I’m a little sick of that too), but I felt that something else needed to happen at the end. It is kind of like Penny Dreadful, where you know the killer is not dead at the end, the killer is going to get back up, and the heroine is going t o prevail against all odds. Penny Dreadful went against the slasher stereotype and didn’t let those scenes play out (I thought it ended too abruptly) – I know that it is predictable and expected, but I wanted to see it happen. It is sort of like people who like happy endings – I like “slasher” endings.

I really can’t knock this movie, though; it captured my attention and it did have some slasherific thrills to it (actually, Luke Wilson was a pretty good horror lead and Frank Whaley was unsettling). Like August Underground’s Penance, it did have a reality basis (although not as strong) and I will think to check for cameras in the next hotel room that I stay in. I don’t know, I always thought that motels/hotels were creepy places at night anyway – maybe it stems from watching The Shining, when I was young, or maybe it stems from the fact that they always have doors on the rooms that you could see light all around and are held closed by a toothpick of a deadbolt. Anyway, check your door, check the hallway for twin girls, check the elevator for gushing blood, and check out the movie