Vacancy (2007)

 Suprisingly good
After reading all the negative reviews and putting aside my fears of wasting my time with this film, I was actually quite surprised with how good it was. While some of it is formulaic, I believe that this "horror" movie contains two of the smartest protagonists ever. Luke Wilson's character does not act with the usual "let's separate and go into the woods" mentality. Wilson's performance was pretty good as well - quite believable. May not be for the Saw and Friday the 13th or gorefest fans - but a nice little flick which packs a couple of thriller punches. I recommend spending the 85 minutes. May 1, 2008

 Solid Entertainment
This was a pretty good movie. It's not that long only about a hour and twenty two minutes, but it's pretty exciting from start to finish. The atmosphere is pretty creepy and the movie provides suspense throughout. I would Check this movie out if you havent already seen it. The acting is solid as well. April 29, 2008

 The worst horror movie ever
This may be the worst movie I have ever seen. I love horror movies, but I was ready to walk out of the theatre. Luke Wilson must have really needed the money to make this film. I would only rent this if you have seen everything else....twice. April 19, 2008

 What is that Vacant look in your eyes Ms. Beckinsale?
A different straight forward tense movie full of suspense. The characters are a little dumb, but that's nothing new. Kept me guessing. Kept my husband on his feet pacing around. Nothing new here, but not a bad rental either. Kate Beckinsale spends most of the movie being pretty annoying.
March 29, 2008

 The best horror film I've seen in a long time
First let me just say that "Vacancy" is not a comedy. Not even a horror-comedy. The fact that this film stars Luke Wilson, Kate Beckinsale and Frank Whaley, all of whom have a history of appearing in comedies, had me confused, right up until the moment that I put this movie into my DVD player. There is no tongue planted firmly in cheek here. It is a straight-up horror film and it is genuinely frightening. It also happens to be one of the best horror films that I have see in a long time.

Wilson and Beckinsale play a couple on the verge of divorce who stumble upon the modern day equivalent of The Bates Motel when their car breaks down in the middle of nowhere. Shortly after being assigned the honeymoon suite, the couple discover a pile of home-made snuff movies which look as though they have been made in the very room that they are occupying. Knowing the fate that awaits them, the couple realize that they must put aside their differences and work together if they ever hope to leave the motel.

Although only about 85 minutes in length, director Nimrod Antal manages to fill every one of these minutes with suspense while making the audience genuinely care about the fate of the two protagonists. This is also a function of good script writing. Unlike most horror films, the script is not filled with disposable characters, making you focus on the few characters that are in it. The script is also not as predictable as some of its genre counterparts. The acting is also surprisingly good. Wilson demonstrates that he is just as effective in a serious as he is in comedies, but for me, the true star of the show was Frank Whaley as the creepy, Norman Bates inspired motel manager. Hopefully this film will pave the way for more horror roles for Whaley because I have been a fan of his since "Swimming with Sharks" and he doesn't seem to have been getting many film roles recently.

"Vacancy" went straight to DVD in Australia, which suggests that it probably didn't do all that well at the US box office, which is a shame because it is a really great film. Here's hoping that it develops a cult following on DVD.
March 24, 2008

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