Second Sight continues its effort to bring attention to Ti West's filmography beyond the “X” trilogy by releasing a 4K Limited Edition box set of The Innkeepers. Perhaps even more of a pared-back low-budget affair than The House Of The Devil, The Innkeepers invites us to spend the night in a haunted hotel during its final open weekend.
The two staff members, Claire (Sara Paxton) and Luke (Pat Healy) spend their long night shifts walking the halls of the hotel with a microphone trying to record the ghosts that are rumoured to roam there. Luke also maintains a website filled with videos of alleged sightings of these same ghosts.
There are very few guests, one of whom is a retired actress (Kelly McGillis) who claims to have some skill as a medium. As the two staff split their shift and take turns to sleep, Claire becomes increasingly anxious that there is some sort of mystical force there that means her harm. Claire, Lee (McGillis) and Luke attempt to get through the night peacefully, albeit unprofessionally, but the ghosts have other ideas.
The Innkeepers is fundamentally a very simple 101 minutes where very little happens. There are a lot of scenes of either Claire or Lee holding a microphone, and even more of them just chatting and hanging out for what is likely to be the last time. Aside from a lot of the ghost stuff, what rings true here is the loneliness anchoring each of the characters to the Yankee Peddlar Inn. Claire and Luke have clearly worked together for a long time and get on well, but it takes a few beers on their last night together to really communicate. Lee is avoiding her failing career and awkwardly exploring her skills as a medium, compelled to do so by Claire's pleading despite her real desire to be left alone. Other visitors too have their own motivations and awkward reasons for being there; a crumbling hotel making for a good reflection of their own problematic lives.
Stepping into The Innkeepers expecting a traditional chiller is likely to leave you disappointed. While there are some spooky scenes, it is more of a play-like character piece. The halls and dark skies outside trap our characters in their conversations and with their worries, forcing them to address the elephants they've avoided for years. It is creepy, and it is unsettling, but it is also much more.
4K Ultra HD Blu-Ray Special Features
- Dual format edition including both UHD and Blu-ray with main feature and bonus features on both discs
- New Second Sight Films 4K restoration approved by Director Ti West
- UHD presented in HDR with Dolby Vision
- Audio commentary with Writer/Director/Editor Ti West, Producers Larry Fessenden and Peter Phok, and Sound Designer Graham Reznick
- Audio commentary with Ti West and Actors Sara Paxton and Pat Healy
- A Lasting Memory: a new interview with Ti West
- Let's Make This Good a new interview with Pat Healy
- Our Dysfunctional World: a new interview with Larry Fessenden
- Living in the Process: a new interview with Director of Photography Eliot Rockett
- Cast a Wide Net: a new interview with Composer Jeff Grace
- A Validating Moment: a new interview with Line Producer Jacob Jaffke
- The Innkeepers: Behind the Scenes
- Trailer
The Innkeepers is out now in a limited edition Blu-ray and 4K Box Set from Second Sight.
