Vacancy

I wasn’t sure I wanted to watch this movie after seeing the previews. It looked like your typical, overproduced Hollywood horror film. It came out at the same time as Disturbia (which I haven’t seen but have heard is laugh-out-loud funny) and was overwhelmed by Shia Lebouf’s teenage popularity. I caught Vacancy during the last week of its theatrical run. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it.

The film’s premise is pretty straight-forward. A bickering couple, David and Amy Fox (played by Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale), is driving down a dark, desolate highway in the middle of the night. They experience some car troubles and are forced to spend the night at a roadside motel. Creepy stuff happens. The couple is forced to fight for their lives. It’s a simple story, but as is often the case in the realm of horror films, the simpler the story, the better the movie. It all comes down to convincing acting and a sense of direction that creates tension. This movie succeeds in both aspects.

Hungarian filmmaker Nimrod Antal competently directs this film using interesting angles and lighting to create a sense of unease. His technique evokes Hitchcock. In the opening scene of the movie, where Amy and David are driving, he films their reflections off of the car’s review and sideview mirrors. He uses similar camera tricks throughout the movie. I also really enjoyed the design of the opening credits and the film score.

My favorite character in this movie is Mason, the motel desk clerk. Frank Whaley plays this part perfectly. He’s creepy, but not overbearingly so. He’s the type of guy that doesn’t get out much because he’s too busy watching porn and/or anime and/or playing World of Warcraft. The child-molester glasses he wears complement his strangeness. Luke Wilson does a good job playing the husband. He still comes across as himself, but when he’s supposed to be scared, he seems scared. Kate Beckinsale does a great job playing the disgruntled, depressed wife. Plus, she is hot. Ethan Embry does an admirable job playing the friendly mechanic. That’s it for the main actors. This movie has a small cast and keeps it simple.

My favorite scene in this movie involves door-knocking. I’m not going to say much more than that. It is startling and unsettling. There are some good “scares” and some intense moments. I think the best section of the movie is the set-up…the introduction to the Pinewood Motel and the first few scenes in the room where Amy and David are watching the videos. The stalking scenes are pretty good, as well. My only complaint about the film is the third act. Once the movie becomes a cat and mouse chase, the tension is gone, and the resolution is not as good as I hoped.

Some dumbass reviewer (Larry Carroll of MTV) said that this movie is like Psycho meets Saw. I don't think he watched Vacancy. I can understand the Psycho reference, but nothing in this movie could be even remotely compared to Saw. If you hate the Saw movies, that is no reason to avoid this film. I think Larry just wanted his name and quote on the movie poster. Here is my tagline for the film: Vacancy is so intense it’ll make you vacate your bowels into your trousers. Put that on the DVD box.