director: Nimród Antal
writer: Mark L. Smith
American horror flicks these days have degraded into torture flicks with gratuitous nudity and inbred freaks. What happened to the threat of danger being more frightening than actually seeing it?
In comes Vacancy, a horror film reminiscent of classic horror movies, like Psycho. Although more visceral than a psychological thriller, the obligatory gore and screaming takes place ironically, mainly on a small screen.
The killers of the film don't need a convoluted backstory to reveal their motives. And in truth, Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale's characters didn't really need a sob story to garner further sympathy. One doesn't need to think too deeply at all to enjoy this horror movie, or most others. For example, the audience shouldn't think too deeply about how the attackers have been allowed to carry on so long. But all that aside, Vacancy is stylish enough in an old-fashioned way, right down to the credits, to deserve a view.
rating: ***/***** (a stylish horror)
recommendations: Identity, Dawn of the Dead
