Premise: A lost couple get a room at a remote hotel where they are then terrorized by the owners.
This is a really clean setup for a horror movie. Kate Beckinsale and Luke Wilson are lost after taking a shortcut. Pretty quickly they end up at the hotel for the night. Right away, they discover the murder tapes and realize they are in danger. This is a familiar kind of movie, and I always have one question that needs to have a satisfying answer: Why don't they just run away?
The movie does some of the work needed to answer that. The car is broken. They don't know the area. It seems decently remote. It all takes them somewhat by surprise. Where it loses me is here. As soon as I see murder tapes that take place in my room, I'm leaving. There's a road. It eventually gets to the highway. There's brush by the road to stay concealed until morning. It's not the best plan, but it seems obvious. At a certain point, I do understand why Beckinsale and Wilson can't run away anymore. Before they reach that point though, I don't think the movie makes its case.
Otherwise, the movie has what you need. Beckinsale and Wilson are fine leads, although their bickering does get tedious. I love tunnels and secret paths. Local, remote motels really are scary places. The movie is delightfully short and to the point. I would've preferred less major studio glean on the production but they at least make a token effort to grime this thing up. There's a reason this movie is mostly forgotten. There are a lot of movies doing this thing better.
Verdict: Weakly Don't Recommend
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