With nothing playing on the TV, David shuffles through those videos and pops one into the player. As Amy tells him to tune it down, he slowly recognizes the "set" in the tape looks awfully like their guest suite. Bingo! Vacancy now shifts into gear and the hairs stand on the back of your neck just as his do.
The fight to stay alive begins, and while Vacancy is not a blockbuster, it does have its share of shocks and nerve-wracking mayhem to make it all worthwhile. No wimpy victim-fodder here, either. Even as Amy and David panic and bicker and scramble to find a way out of their dire situation, they suck it up and work on staying alive. Horror film victims that actually don't want to be victims is another refreshing change of pace from the usual "hurry up and slowly die" fare inundating us these days, don't you think?
Ironically, as they struggle to find a way out of their terminal accommodations, they invariably find themselves scrambling back into them, again and again. They can't run and they really can't hide for long. Will they survive? And who can they trust? Who is involved in the deadly room service that goes on at the Pinewood Motel?
An interesting twist has David and Amy alternately take the lead in saving their necks, and director Nimrod Antal goes against horror movie type by playing with our expectations toward the end as the small body count goes higher.
Vacancy is an entertaining homicidal psycho-buddies along the "road less traveled by" scenario often used in horror. What helps it stand out are the performances by Frank Whaley, Luke Wilson, and Kate Beckinsale that provide tense moments of terror, anguish, and momentary triumph in a straightforward and suspenseful mix of classic horror elements.
And I like rooting for the would-be victims: payback can be such an entertaining b*tch after all.
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Article comments
1 - Chris Beaumont
I was very impressed with this, much better than I had expected.
2 - Iloz Zoc
It's a good horror flick that reminds us there's more to the genre than torturing tourists to death. I found the most chilling part of it the scene in the office, with all that monitoring and editing equipment.
3 - Chris Beaumont
Yeah.... reminded me of college. LOL
I loved how tightly focused it was and how well it built the tension, It was not as in your face as it could have been, and it was better off for it. I actually cared about the Foxes and rooted for them to get out.
I have to go check out Kontroll now.
4 - Lisa McKay
Congratulations! This article has been selected for syndication to Boston.com, where it will be enjoyed by even more readers.
5 - Iloz Zoc
Super, thanks!
6 - Livia
how long is it? since u all saw it? cause we did not
7 - livia
hey hey hey ! is livia who is here! omg shoes!
8 - k-dizzog
2+8 = monkey