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Kate Beckinsale, Luke Wilson, Frank Whaley, Ethan Embry, Scott G. Anderson ... see more see more... , Mark Cassella , David Doty , Norm Compton , Caryn Mower , Megan Godfrey , Kym Stys , Andrew Fiscella , Dale Waddington Horowitz , Ernie Misko , Bryan Ross , Chevon Hicks

A vacationing couple makes a terrifying discovery about the motel room they have just checked into in this thriller scripted by Mark L. Smith and directed by Nimród Antal (Kontroll). Their car broken ... read more read more...down and their prospects for finding a tow-truck driver at such a late hour slim to none, David (Luke Wilson) and Amy Fox (Kate Beckinsale) decide to make the best of their situation by resting out the night at a nearby motel. Left with few choices of entertainment for the evening, the pair soon settles down to enjoy one of the low-budget slasher films sitting atop their motel room VCR. Upon realizing that all of the films seem to have been shot in the very same room they currently occupy, David and Amy suddenly become the stars of a particularly sadistic fright flick. As hidden cameras track their every move, the hapless couple attempt to turn the tables on their would-be killer before they meet the same grim fate as the poor souls being butchered on television. Frank Whaley and Ethan Embry co-star in a thriller that's sure to keep leery travelers sticking to the main highway. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Flixster Users

46% liked it

283,953 ratings

Critics

56% liked it

120 critics

R, 1 hr. 25 min.

Directed by: Nimród Antal

Release Date: April 20, 2007

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DVD Release Date: August 14, 2007

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Stats: 19,982 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (19,982)

  • jmanard52
    August 23, 2008
    jmanard52
    Wasnt bad decent idea. I think the ending seemed just off a bit and not sure why.
  • phubbs1
    February 9, 2012
    phubbs1
    OK what's the point of this??? lol! its so stupid and hardly scary a tall. For a start it has Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale in it...now forgive me but Wilson is a comedy actor right? Beckinsale is an English rose with a vamp streak but hardly 'Hostel' style horror victim. Neith... read moreer of them fit the part of this film in the slightest, it just doesn't work, simple.
    The main baddie is laughable, not in the least bit scary, more 'Basil Fawlty' really lol! and his drones aren't explained either, why do they kill people? how they got into it, where they come from etc...they just turn up looking like 'Mike Myers'.

    There is no logic to the film, how could a motel survive when they kill their guests? where do they put the bodies? surely its abit suspicious? where do they put the dead guest's cars? the smell? and on top of that there are numerous occasions when Wilson and Becks could escape easily or take down some of the nutters, but all the time your just waiting for Wilson to say something silly and funny.

    The bottom line is the film just ain't scary, tense, creepy or gory in anyway and that includes the somewhat lame snuff movie clips you see, the whole film sinks with no survivors.
  • aquateen2
    February 2, 2012
    aquateen2
    It has a genius premise and a good director, you mix that in with the Hitchcock style of suspense and bloodshed restraint and what you get is Vacancy. The execution wasn't fantastic because it was very predictable and I thought the ending was deeply flawed but it's not a bad film... read more. It may be more than a bit silly but it made me jump and it creeped me out and these were the films intentions.
  • murphmann93
    June 23, 2011
    murphmann93
    The men in this were really scary... that's what made it terryifying. The acting wasn't really that great and neither was the story!
  • ajaymuthecooldevils
    July 29, 2010
    ajaymuthecooldevils
    Well, a little surprise knowing that the critics like it better than ordinary people for a type of movies like this... As a horror thriller movie, Vacancy was pretty good... At least the terror they gave in here was scary and I thought that the audiences can feel that too... Cast... read moreing Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale for this movie was a brilliant strategy, their performance were good in this movie, even the supporting cast that just a small number was giving their best in this movie... I can't say Vacancy was a good movie, but it wasn't a bad one too... So an average rating was a good deal because I was enjoy while watching this movie, even the story could be a little much better...
  • TheDudeLebowski65
    June 10, 2010
    TheDudeLebowski65
    Vacancy is one awesome film to watch for a good scare. The Concept is very creative, and is one chilling and original film. Kate Beckinsale and Luke Wilson deliver strong performances and so does Frank Whaley who plays the creepy motel clerk, he's no Norman Bates, but he's still ... read morepretty good. Vcancy is an awesome horror film with tense, creepy moments, this is one of Kate Beckinsale's better films as she hasn't done anything that great in the past. Vacancy is definitely not without it's flaws, but for the most part it's a film that returns to the roots of classic horror, meaning the film doesn't use any special CGI effects and trick. The film relies primarily on a solid story, filled tension and suspense. A good enough film to enjoy, and a fine return to classic horror.
  • 3niR
    May 19, 2010
    3niR
    It was a bit lame. Not that good.
  • TheGame90
    April 24, 2010
    TheGame90
    I seems like a average This-seems-like-a-wierd-place-and-we-want-to-leave-but-we-stay-and-oh....there's-a-killer movie. But it was pretty good...and a little scary. Really captures the feeling of being deserted at the begining of the movie. It feels like your stuck there with the... read morem in the middle of nowhere (It's not a pleasent feeling). And it's a good thing that there isn't a lot of characters introduced at the begining. It really helps the feeling of being alone. So overall it's a good movie....but come on...Kate Beckinsale, Owen Wilsons brother...and a Gary Oldman wanna be (never can be) You Can't go wrong with that....It's set up for succes...
  • matertenebraum
    April 18, 2010
    matertenebraum
    Vacancy has Alfred Hitchcock's finger prints smeared all over it, in fact at several times, especially the quite nifty looking opening credits, seems a lot like a homage to the great horror maestro himself. Its true, that even many years after Hitchcok finished making movies, tha... read moret his movie still stay in memory for longer than most of the recent Hollywood horror that has arrived. The Birds and Psycho are far more memorable than the House of Wax remake or The Reaping. Hitchcock's movies worked because he had great characterisation and also a great sense of atmosphere, you could sit and watch a Hitchcock movie and be terrified for half an hour before anything scary actually happens. The sense of foreboding and incredibly skilfully done atmosphere did that to an audience. Nowadays we get cheap jump out of your seat scares and torture scenes designed to sicken. Initially my thoughts towards seeing Vacancy were not great, the trailer looked alright, but my guess was it would just be another lame, modern slasher flick. So what a great surprise to say that Vacancy is a good little movie that actually has some genuine scares in it. The movie isn't gory, nor is it jumpy, the movie is unsettling and creepy. Now this is what a true horror movie should do in my eyes, if a movie can unsettle without resorting to jump scares then it is a success. Vacncay pulls this off, well it pulls this off for a majority of the time. The movie is an absolute success until the ending, at the ending it seems to flounder a bit and leaves a bitter taste in the mouth. But everything up until the ending is a joy to watch.

    What surprised me most about Vacancy has to be the actual acting. When I saw the trailer and saw that Kate Beckinsale and Luke Wilson were the leading couple I nearly burst out laughing. For starters Luke Wilson is a comedy man, he's designed to make funny movies. Well when I say funny movies I mean if he has the right material as just recently I've found him as unfunny as can be. Kate Beckinsale just doesn't seem the type to be in a horror movie. But its this bizarre casting that pays off so well. Luke Wilson really proves himself in this movie, to the extent I want him to focus more on a serious acting career, he seems to be more at home here than he has in years with his comedy movies. Kate Beckinsale also proves herself admirably. The pair are believable, and you actually start to care for them. Wishing that they will escape the nightmare, hoping that they find a way out. Their performances are so much different from the usual stupid teenagers we see in horror movies today, its refreshing to see adults in this horrific situation. The villains of the movie are also quite menacing for the majority of the time, the hotel manager played by Frank Whaley is a good character. He's not on screen too often, but he does play a creepy little man very well.

    So what of the scares then? Well as I've said the movie is at times pretty scary. Not for the first twenty minutes mind you, that is dedicated for set up and too increase the atmosphere. Those scenes work very well and once again its refreshing to see genuine character development in a horror movie, made better by the fact the two leads are great. However, the minute the couple enter the hotel room the focus shifts. Bangings on the wall and doors begin, the phone rings with nobody on the other end. From that point onwards the movie gets terrifying, the bangings on the wall really starts to creep you out at one point. Once the big bad secret about the motel is discovered, after watching some tapes, and the lights suddenly go out. The movie succeeds in terrifying. After the lights go out I guarantee you will be sitting on the edge of your seats. The movie does a couple of jump scares here and there, but it focuses mainly on the unseen terror. The minute the bangings stopped you aren't relieved, you're even more terrified because then you don't know what the people are up to. Its this sense of terror that makes the movie worthy of a recommendation. Its nice to see a horror movie try scaring and unsettling the audience once in a while. Its nothing a hardcore horror fan can't handle, but it definitely will unsettle the general population of people.

    As I've said the movie isn't perfect. The ending being the major setback of the movie. After the brilliant set up, and the scary middle section, the ending seems to run out of steam. In fact it seemed like the writers wasn't sure what to do anymore and did a few obvious things and quickly ended the movie. It feels rushes and unlike the rest of the movie, unskillfully made. Its the ending that fails in making this a complete homage to Hitchcock, Hitchcock could deliver an ending, this movie doesn't really get an ending. The ending is enough to leave you satisfied, but in a movie that exceeds all expectations you expect more from the ending.

    Vacancy is a good old fashioned horror/thriller. Its only let down by its pretty disappointing ending. The run time is pretty short, making the experience short and sharp enough to pack a real punch. Its really worth checking out just for the brilliant set up and middle section. But the ending really does make the movie suffer a little bit. Still this is definitely a good horror movie, and more horror movies made in this style would be a welcome relief.
  • fb733768972
    February 5, 2010
    fb733768972
    Yes! It is filled with a cliche ridden script, however, I found myself mildly enjoying this piece of film!

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Critic Reviews

Steven Rea
April 20, 2007
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer

Vacancy, in the end, simply offers a particularly aggressive brand of couples counseling. Full Review

Scott Bowles
April 20, 2007
Scott Bowles, USA Today

It's welcome to see another movie that relies more on apprehension and suspense than torture chambers. Vacancy might not get Mr. Hitchcock smiling from above. But he won't be spinning in his grave, ei... Full Review

Lou Lumenick
April 20, 2007
Lou Lumenick, New York Post

Packs a lot of old-fashioned shocks into its taut 80-minute running time. Full Review

Peter Howell
April 20, 2007
Peter Howell, Toronto Star

The point of Vacancy is the terror, not the torture. Horror is vastly more effective when left to the mind's eye and it is what we can't see in Vacancy that truly frightens. Full Review

Roger Moore
April 20, 2007
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

Strictly by-the-numbers horror. Full Review

Elizabeth Weitzman
April 20, 2007
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News

Short, sharp and to the point, Vacancy has a single goal, and that is to scare the hell out of you. It's not as gleefully sadistic as, say, Hostel, but it will give you one very rough night's sleep. N... Full Review

Tom Long
April 20, 2007
Tom Long, Detroit News

Passable spook-show nightmare scary fare. Full Review

Michael Booth
April 20, 2007
Michael Booth, Denver Post

A quick and dirty job, a mean little movie ripping off the atmosphere and decorations of Psycho and a half-dozen other horror-thriller classics. Full Review

Teresa Budasi
April 20, 2007
Teresa Budasi, Chicago Sun-Times

You start to think you're going to get a first-rate psychological thriller and instead you get third-rate schlock, with some legitimate scary moments but no insight into the motivation behind [Frank W... Full Review

Ty Burr
April 20, 2007
Ty Burr, Boston Globe

There's no agenda in Vacancy other than to keep you in a state of nervous collapse for 85 minutes, but [director] Antal fulfills it honorably for the most part. Full Review

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