Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Well-crafted haunted hotel movie has drinking, some gore.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 17+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Innkeepers
What's the Story?
The Yankee Pedlar Inn is closing its doors for good. During the inn's final weekend, employees Luke (Pat Healy) and Claire (Sara Paxton) agree to sleep at the hotel and take turns working. At the same time, they hope to hunt for the ghost of Madeline O'Malley and capture her on tape. Meanwhile, there are the guests to attend to, including a crabby mom and her young son, a mysterious old man, and a burned-out actress-turned-medium named Leanne (Kelly McGillis). The latter warns Claire not to go into the basement, but that's just where the ghost seems to be hiding out. ...
Is It Any Good?
Horror fans who like a little something extra will appreciate this. With his last movie, The House of the Devil, director Ti West earned many fans but turned off many more. His unique rhythms are very simply not for everyone. Like Quentin Tarantino and Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive), West clearly draws on classic movies of the 1980s and earlier for his inspiration. Rather than delivering blood and gore and jump-shocks on cue, he's more like a magician, deflecting expectations and switching around the payoff.
With THE INNKEEPERS, West has both perfectly followed up his previous film and improved on it. The movie is focused more on brightly lit corridors and rooms than on shadowy darkness. Likewise, this time he has loveable characters, as well as warmth and humor, to help pass the time between unexpected shocks. Paxton is especially good, turning in a disarmingly goofy performance that, in a more mainstream movie, would make her a star.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about The Innkeepers' violence. What's scarier -- the stuff you can see or the stuff you can't? Does the movie have scary moments without violence?
Does it seem like nothing is happening in certain scenes? Were you interested by these scenes or bored? Does something need to happen during every moment to make a movie interesting?
What's the appeal of scary movies and/or horror movies? Why do some people like them while others don't?
Movie Details
- In theaters : February 3, 2012
- On DVD or streaming : April 24, 2012
- Cast : Kelly McGillis , Pat Healy , Sara Paxton
- Director : Ti West
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Magnet Releasing
- Genre : Horror
- Run time : 100 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : some bloody images and language
- Last updated : February 15, 2023
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate