by Samantha Scott
Daily Lobo
These days, cinematic horror is dominated by slash, gore and the no-end ending.
The directors of films such as "Hostel" and "Turistas" failed to create protagonists that the audience could identify with and root for. I don't know about you, but I don't have much sympathy for the prototypical ugly-American victims of "Hostel." Similarly, I can't sincerely cheer on the impossibly beautiful and highly sexualized multinational victims in "Turistas" as they try to escape their brutal fate. But "Vacancy" harkens back to an era when films were, well, shot on film; craftsmanship, nuance and implied horror, rather than vapid characters and explicit violence, provide the audience with good old-fashioned white knuckles.
Director Nimr¢d Antal has crafted a film reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock in his attention to detail and masterful manipulation of his audience. "Vacancy" rises to a crescendo of mayhem that occurs mostly in the mind of the filmgoer, using the fertile imagination of the viewer to accomplish its goals. There are no close-ups of severed body parts. Instead, storytelling and limited but potent use of shocking visuals turn the film into a riveting, 80-minute rollercoaster ride.
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Our protagonists, Amy and David Fox (Kate Beckinsale and Luke Wilson) are a married couple on a road trip - their "last great adventure." Somehow, through David's poor navigation skills and aversion to asking for directions, they find themselves on a lonely country road. Ultimately, they arrive at a desolate, neon-lit outpost. While this is a common horror film setting - in films ranging from "Psycho" to "House of 1,000 Corpses" - the version seen in "Vacancy" has an authentic feel, due in large part to excellent production values and understated acting. All of these factors combine to breathe life into a previously clichÇd premise. The worn-out neon signage, the dilapidated motel furniture, as well as the nerdy, underwhelmed hotel manager make the unfolding events deliciously believable.
Beckinsale and Wilson, as the dysfunctional couple, contribute their respective talents, making this lo-fi narrative convincing. Beckinsale's Amy is overmedicated but hypervigilant. Wilson projects casual and extreme emotion with realistic aplomb. Neither rise to the sort of hysteria that distracts from the plot's progression. Both actors move the story forward by depicting an ordinary couple in
extraordinary circumstances.
The cinematography is top-notch, and the camera gives the audience ample opportunity to explore the frightful environment that the Foxes stumble upon at the Pinewood Motel. The devil is in the details, and, here, the details deliver.
"Vacancy" is enjoyable because it places characters, plot and setting above ultra-violence. It uses violence as a means rather than an end; in today's blood-saturated horror genre, this is a welcome anomaly. There are plenty of shocking moments in this film, but they are delivered precisely rather than excessively. This simplicity makes for one of the scariest films of the year. Better yet, the film actually ends rather than positioning audiences for the release of "Vacancy 2."
"Vacancy"
Grade: B+
Available now on DVD
