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VACANCY |
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By : Suzanne Philips |
Movie Reviews List | |
| VACANCY Written by: Mark L. Smith Directed by: Nimrod Antal Starring: Luke Wilson, Kate Beckinsale, Ethan Embry, Frank Whaley Running Time: 1 hour 25 min. Rated: R Estranged couple Amy and David Fox (Kate Beckinsale and Luke Wilson) are driving back from her parent's anniversary party when an accident on the freeway causes them to take a secluded back road. Their car breaks down and they are forced to spend the night in a creepy motel. They find that the owner and his partners have been filming themselves killing guests and selling the tapes as snuff films. Amy and David try to avoid being the stars of their next film. VACANCY is a very scary film with a classic Hitchcockian feel. From the opening credits to the directors choice of shooting angles, you can see a tribute to the classic psychological thrillers everywhere. Lots of twists and turns abound and many jump out of your seat moments can be found here. What I really liked about the script was that unlike many of the recent "slasher"-type horror films, the main characters Amy and David actually have brains and use them to try to survive and outsmart their attackers. No screaming helpless woman and idiot moves from the man in VACANCY. The script is well thought out and the pace moves along at a nice speed. The scenes with David and Amy fighting in the car and on the way to the motel are completely believable and realistic and should resonate to anyone who has had these types of fights with their significant others. Beckinsale and Wilson are both really fantastic in their roles and are both completely flawed individuals but also have a great deal of humanity, which makes the audience identify with them easily. There is some gore, particularly in the scenes of the Fox's watching the tapes of the prior murders, but the fact that the violence is mainly implied more than shown actually serves to make the film that much more horrifying. A really scary, creepy film that would be a good movie to watch on a date! Rating: 3 3/4 out of 5 |
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