Vacancy takes a very different approach than most modern horror films. Instead of showing all the gore that most current films would, most of the actual brutality happens off screen (mind you, it's just off screen, but most of the stuff is left to your imagination), which always makes the horror much more frightening. This straying from the current trends is very reminiscent of more classical fright-tales when graphics and budgets weren't near what they are now. There were plenty of times while watching Vacancy that I felt like I was watching a classic Hitchcock film.
The basic premise is that a married couple who is all but divorced are driving away from her parent's 50th wedding anniversary. Their trip takes them through a desolate landscape and, of course, they end up lost. When Amy (Kate Beckinsale) and David Fox (Luke Wilson) have to pull over for directions, they turn into a small gas station with a motel next to it. Soon their car breaks down and they are forced to stay the night at this no-tell motel.
When the couple start going through the video tapes in the room (since there's no cable), they not only find an odd assortment of snuff films where people are being killed, but they realize that all of the movies take place in their hotel room. The rest of the movie involves the couple trying to stay one step ahead of the killers as they run from dark rooms to crawlspaces and even the shadow-filled parking lot.
The DVD's special features include a few deleted scenes that don't really add anything to the film and a behind the scenes featurette that is pretty interesting to watch, but like most special features, don't view these until you've watched the movie since there are a few spoilers in it.
Like I said, this was a great movie and I would recommend it to any horror fan. If you are looking for something to put you on edge and get you creeped out, then this film is what you are looking for. The cast credits have only a half-dozen names on them and the film feels very indy, which just adds to the overall atmosphere of Vacancy.
