Vacancy (2007)

Note Générale:

6,3/10   

Réalisateur:

Nimród Antal

Scénariste (WGA):

Mark L. Smith (written by)

Date de sortie:

20 avril 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Horreur | Mystère | Thriller

Accroche:

How can you escape...if they can see everything?

Intrigue:

A young married couple becomes stranded at an isolated motel and finds hidden video cameras in their room. They realize that unless they escape, they'll be the next victims of a snuff film

Plot Keywords:

Motel | Trapped | Slasher | Hidden Camera | Stars

Récompenses:

1 nomination

Avis des utilisateurs:

Gripping and tension filled; the kind of movie that really puts the "thrill" in "thriller".

Ensemble

Kate Beckinsale	...	Amy Fox
Luke Wilson	...	David Fox
Frank Whaley	...	Mason
Ethan Embry	...	Mechanic
Scott G. Anderson	...	Killer
Mark Casella	...	Truck Driver (as Mark Cassella)
David Doty	...	Highway Patrol
Norm Compton	...	Snuff Victim
Caryn Mower	...	Snuff Victim
Meegan Godfrey	...	Snuff Victim (as Meegan E. Godfrey)
Kym Stys	...	Snuff Victim
Andrew Fiscella	...	Steven R
Dale Waddington Horowitz	...	Brenda B
Ernest Misko	...	Snuff Victim (as Ernie Misko)
Bryan Ross	...	Snuff Victim

MPAA:

Rated R for brutal violence and terror, brief nudity and language.

Durée:

85 min

Pays:

USA

Langue:

Anglais

Couleur:

Couleur

Rapport de forme:

2,35 : 1

Son:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Classification:

USA:R | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | Ireland:16 | Singapore:NC-16 | UK:15 | Portugal:M/16 | Germany:16 | Italy:T (with warning/VM12) | France:-12 | Australia:MA | South Korea:18 | Malaysia:18PL | Singapore:M18 (DVD rating) | Spain:18 | Argentina:16 | Finland:K-15 | Japan:PG-12 | Netherlands:16 | Ireland:18 (DVD rating) | Italy:VM18 (tv rating)

Lieux de tournage:

Santa Clarita, California, USA

Société:

Screen Gems

Anecdotes:

Sarah Jessica Parker was originally selected for the film, but dropped out and was replaced by Kate Beckinsale.

Goofs:

Continuité: When David discovers the trap door in the bathroom floor, the mat is flat over the door, however one of the bad guys had already been in and out of the room through the trapdoor. There would be no way for them to lay the mat back flat after the door was closed.

Guillemet:

[first lines]
David Fox: [after swerving while driving] Son of a bitch!
Amy Fox: What are you doing?
David Fox: It was a goddamn raccoon in the middle of the road!
Amy Fox: Well, better to kill us than get a little roadkill on the car, huh?
David Fox: Well, we're still alive. I can tell by the pissy look that you're giving me.

Connexions:

Références Psycho (1960)

Gripping and tension filled; the kind of movie that really puts the "thrill" in "thriller".

A couple, David (Luke Wilson) and Amy (Kate Beckinsale), whose relationship is obviously under severe strain, have car trouble, wouldn't you know it, in the back of the beyond, where they end up staying in one of those motels common to movies where the concept of "checking in, but not checking out" applies. The only form of entertainment in their extremely filthy unit consists of snuff films caught on tape; David catches on fairly quickly that the films were shot in that same room, and from then on the two are fighting for their lives.

Although it succumbs to the standard genre pitfall of "stupid people doing stupid things" early on in the movie (I would have tried to leave a lot sooner), it's amazing how well this taut, well-crafted thrill ride delivers the goods. It's paced incredibly well, and actually succeeds in delivering not only real suspense, but jump scares that really work.

It's a novel twist to have your heroes / victims not be sympathetic from the get go; it makes their ultimate need to rely on each other in order to survive more compelling. Wilson and Beckinsale are both credible (I'm very struck by how well Beckinsale can play an American), but veteran Frank Whaley steals the show as the motel manager whose geeky demeanor is an all-too-obvious mask for an insidious and evil nature.

Filmed in a very dark fashion, and taking place mostly during one night, the film-makers, led by a capable director named Nimrod Antal (I hope to see much more from him in the future) are a stylish group of people; it's simply a well made film from beginning to end. I particularly liked the masks that the killers wear; they're kind of Michael Myers-like, and are done by a company called Almost Human, who also did the makeup effects.

Even the main and end titles are pretty striking.

8/10