Movies

"We're going to get something good. I can feel it," says perky Claire (Sara Paxton), about her plans to spend the weekend seeking to document evidence of ghosts in the old hotel where she works. Cue the ominous music! And, for heaven's sake, don't go down to the basement!

Actually, Ti West's thriller "The Innkeepers" is more subtle than that, but you still can't help giggling just a bit at the way horror-movie bait is tossed up for us to nibble at. Hmm, Claire uses an inhaler — that won't eventually be a problem, will it? An old man shows up and wants to stay in a particular room on the hotel's last night in business — nothing strange about that, is there? The hotel (played by the venerable Yankee Pedlar, a real-life Connecticut historic inn whose owners are clearly very good sports) is full of weirdly twisting hallways and rooms that seem as if nobody's breathed there in a long time — and things turned out nicely in "The Shining," didn't they?

West, who previously directed "The House of the Devil," has fun playing with the suspense that all these details create, though it's dragged out for almost too long; "The Innkeepers" doesn't get truly scary until its last moments. For most of it, we follow hotel employees Claire and Luke (Pat Healy) as they try to figure out, on their last weekend of employment, whether the place truly is haunted. The quest is a bit of a joke for both of them at the beginning — they're slacker types who aren't particularly engaged in their jobs or much else, from what we can tell — but gradually becomes more serious, as strange goings-on begin to pile up and the duo enlists the reluctant assistance of a visiting psychic (Kelly McGillis).

Though the film's low budget doesn't always serve it well (the makeup effects are disappointingly cheap-looking), "The Innkeepers" should appeal to those who like a bit of story with their scares — and a bit of vintage atmosphere. The Pedlar quickly emerges as a more interesting character than any of the humans, with its dusty woodwork and hodgepodge of wallpaper and creepily quiet corners. It's a nice place to visit, the film shows us, but you wouldn't want to sleep there.

Moira Macdonald: 206-464-2725 or mmacdonald@seattletimes.com