""Vacancy,"" starring Kate Beckinsale and Luke Wilson, is a slightly less timeless version of the classic horror-thriller ""Psycho."" From the secluded setting of the motel to the unsettling personality of its manager, the film pays homage to its predecessor. Not, however, a mere remake of the original, a modern plot twist mixed with tried-and-true scare tactics makes it a nail-biter until the credits start rolling.
When an unhappily married Amy (Beckinsale) and David (Wilson) have car troubles on an unfamiliar country road, they are forced to stay at a dated motel to pass the night. Tired and irritated, they are interrupted in the first few moments of their stay by loud knocks on the walls and doors. After several minutes of contending with the noise, David heads to the office where the manager promises to do something about it.
Returning to settle in among the cockroaches, David turns on the TV to find nothing but static. However, there are several unmarked video cassettes on top of the VCR. The movies feature gruesome slasher scenes that David soon realizes take place in the room where they are staying.
The bulk of the movie is then spent watching Amy and David's attempts to escape from their motel room. The set-up is so elaborate that even their attempts to contact authorities through the pay phone are thwarted. The line goes directly into the hotel office.
Time after time the manager and his two cronies attempt to enter the room to film the characters' brutal murders. David, who stays remarkably calm, blocks off the cameras and studies the tapes to find a mistake in the killers' habits. He eventually pinpoints how they are able to enter the room: a trap door in the floor of the bathroom.
Given an advantage in the chase, the two spend the rest of the film struggling to stay one step ahead of the murderers. As the tension rises, their passion for one another becomes reignited as they vow to work on their marriage if they make it out alive.
The plot keeps the audience on the edge of their seats, but unfortunately lacks a satisfying ending. Contrary to true Hollywood horror movie style, it concludes on a hopeful note. The audience is left hungry for a final twist.
Beckinsale and Wilson, although both good in their own right, lack chemistry during the romantic (or at least less brutal) scenes. Their disdain for one another at the beginning of the film, however, is actually believable. There are times when the acting becomes a little shallow and feels as if the two are playing a child's game of hide-and-go-seek instead of being chased by people who want to sell tapes of their murders.
The lack of gore is a refreshing change of pace in a movie whose premise is killing the main characters. Among its peers, like ""Hostel"" and ""Turistas,"" it remains relatively tame in its bloodshed. It's rare to see a thriller these days and hide your eyes out of fright instead of disgust.
The fact that it is a crackerjack example of the genre makes it enjoyable because it is not overly clichAc. ""Vacancy"" may not be an instant classic, but it's not a disappointment.
