A quick and dirty grind-house movie of its own, Vacancy stars Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale as a squabbling couple whose car breaks down near a creepy motel on what might as well be a dark and stormy night. The build-up here is the best part, as the pair begins to suspect that the disturbing tapes in the VCR are not only actual snuff films, but appear to have been made in the very room in which they are staying. Considering that twist and the direction most horror films lean these days, Vacancy is thankfully light on gore and violence and heavy on atmospheric suspense. It spends more time scaring its audience than grossing us out.
