Watch Vacancy
- R
- 2007
- 1 hr 20 min
-
6.2 (109,130)
Vacancy is a gripping horror thriller from 2007 directed by Nimród Antal that stars Kate Beckinsale, Luke Wilson, and Frank Whaley. The movie opens with a couple, David and Amy Fox (played by Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale), traveling down an abandoned road somewhere in the middle of nowhere. The couple's marriage is on the rocks, and the uncomfortable silence between them during the car journey is palpable. After their car gets a flat tire, the Foxes are forced to stop at a run-down motel called the Pinewood Motel.
As soon as the couple checks into the motel, they find out that their room is full of hidden cameras. They realize this when they hear strange noises and notice that the room is plastered with creepy and violent snuff film tapes. To their horror, they eventually discover that they are the unwitting stars of the latest snuff movie, as the motel's manager, Mason (played by Frank Whaley), has rigged the rooms with hidden cameras and is murdering his guests while filming their deaths for an underground snuff film market.
With their lives on the line, David and Amy must overcome their marital problems and use their wits and strength to try to survive the night. The audience is on the edge of their seats as the couple desperately tries to find a way out of their room and out of the motel while avoiding Mason's traps and evading his murderous intentions.
Vacancy is intense and suspenseful throughout its runtime. The tension is built up gradually, and the movie keeps the audience engaged by using jump scares and showing us the violence only when necessary. The film benefits from the solid acting performances of its lead actors, Kate Beckinsale and Luke Wilson, who deliver convincing performances and make us care about their characters.
Beckinsale plays Amy with vulnerability and strength, conveying her character's sense of dread and fear as well as her resilience when fighting for survival. Meanwhile, Wilson's performance as David adds humor and charm to the film, without sacrificing his character's believability or the film's suspense.
Frank Whaley is also impressive as the psychotic motel manager, Mason. Whaley delivers an eerie and unsettling performance, portraying Mason as a man with a twisted sense of morality and a bright, calculating mind. He makes for an excellent villain, and his scenes with the Foxes are spine-chilling and intense.
The film's direction by Nimród Antal is spot-on, as he expertly creates a sense of claustrophobia and increasing danger for the characters. The cinematography is also noteworthy, with dark, shadowy lighting emphasizing the film's horror elements.
Vacancy is a solid horror-thriller that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. The characters feel real and compelling, and the pacing is well-handled. For fans of suspenseful horror movies, Vacancy is definitely worth checking out.
Vacancy is a 2007 horror movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 20 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.2 and a MetaScore of 54.