The Innkeepers (2011)

Coming on the heels of his flawed, but enjoyable tossback to the 80s "Satanic Panic", The House of the Devil, Ti West again delves into the realm of classic horror tropes, this time the haunted house, and brings a fresh and modern perspective to the table. The Yankee Peddler Inn is finally closing its doors after struggling to stay afloat. On the last weekend it is in business, only twentysomethings Claire and Luke are there to helm the ship, or rather, what is left of it. Claire and Luke are also amateur ghost hunters, raised on a steady diet of shenanigans in the dark "reality" shows. They plan to try and capture some direct evidence that the hotel is haunted by the ghost of a woman who committed suicide a century earlier. Most of the film is rather cheeky, spending most of its time focusing on the lives of these everyday heroes while casually sending up the cliches so prevalent in movies targeted at the demographic its protagonists belong to. But the last third is among some of the most chilling and downright frightening cinema produced in the past couple of years. By no means is The Innkeepers a masterpiece, but it is a film that succeeds in what it sets out to do, that is telling a fun story with energy and aplomb. Ti West is certainly a director worth watching, and it will be interesting to see where he goes next.