RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Check out the new RT Community
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | In Theaters
  • | Opening
  • | Upcoming
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / Vacancy
Vacancy

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Get this Movie
  • Buy Poster External Icon
  • Visit Official Site External Icon
  • Bookmark and Share

Vacancy (2007)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
55 %
Tomatometer

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted: 116

Fresh: 64

Rotten:52

Average Rating: 5.5/10

Consensus: Vacancy's restraint with gore is commendable, the thin characters and B-movie cliches less so.

Rated: R [See Full Rating] for brutal violence and terror, brief nudity and language.

Runtime: 2 hrs

Genre: Horror/Suspense

Theatrical Release:Apr 20, 2007 Wide

Box Office: $18,986,844

Synopsis: This riveting thriller features Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale as a couple whose car breaks down, stranding them at a very dangerous hotel. Director Nimrod Antal carefully builds the suspense as... This riveting thriller features Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale as a couple whose car breaks down, stranding them at a very dangerous hotel. Director Nimrod Antal carefully builds the suspense as the film gradually leads to horror when the hotel turns out to be a snuff film operation, with cameras everywhere and lots of truly horrific videos of past murders (shot in the same room) lying atop the TV set. The couple needs to think fast before they become the next victims. Beckinsale and Wilson play down their star wattage and get truly involved in their change-of-pace roles, sucking the audience into their situation far deeper than one might think possible. Meticulous use of the tawdry, low-rent motel setting--lots of rotted wood, stained wallpaper, and ugly sofas--provides a realistic sense of space. Intelligently crafted and unfolding practically in real time, VACANCY is edge-of-the-seat all the way. Other strong points are the punchy score from Paul Haslinger, a PSYCHO-ish credit sequence, a creepy Frank Whaley as the hotel clerk, and lots of references to films like TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE and HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER. Thanks to all this care and attention, the scares linger longer than you might expect, so don't watch it alone. [More]

Starring: Kate Beckinsale, Luke Wilson, Frank Whaley, Ethan Embry

Starring: Kate Beckinsale, Luke Wilson, Frank Whaley, Ethan Embry

Director: Nimrod Antal

Director: Nimrod Antal
Screenwriter: Mark L. Smith
Producer: Hal Lieberman
Composer: Paul Haslinger
Studio: Screen Gems

[See More Credits]

  • Trailers
  • Pictures
  • Trailer
    >
    Trailer #2
    >
    I Know Exactly Where We Are
    >
    Kate Beckinsale
    >
  • Luke Wilson
    >
1 - 4 of 5

See More Movie Trailers & Pictures

Get This Movie

Rent DVD
 
 

Click on the "ADD" button to put this movie into your Netflix queue.

 
 
Buy DVD
 
 
Release:

Aug 14, 2007

[DVD Details]
 
 
  • A suspenseful, classic thriller, in the tradition of Alfred Hitchcock, starring Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale, that will keep you on the edge of your seat and your heart pounding! When David (Luke Wilson) and Amy Fox's (Kate Beckinsale) car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, they are forced to spend the night at the only motel around, with only the TV to entertain them... until they discover that the low-budget slasher videos they find in their room were all filmed in the very room they're sitting in. With hidden cameras now aimed at them... trapping them in rooms, crawlspaces, underground tunnels... and filming their every move, David and Amy must struggle to get out alive before whomever is watching them can finish their latest masterpiece.
  • Source: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
  •  
     
     
     

    Reviews for Vacancy

    • T-Meter Critics
    • Top Critics
    • RT Community
    • My Critics
    • My Friends
    • DVD
     
     
    1 - 20 (sorted by date)
    Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 >> >|
    Arrange By: Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
     
     

    An unpleasant and hardly entertaining creepy horror road movie that comes up as vacant as an empty room.

    Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment 1 Comment
    09/30/08
    Dennis Schwartz
    Ozus' World Movie Reviews

    [Director Nimrod] Antal does such a good job that you almost overlook the absurdities built into the screenplay.

    Full Review Source: Cinefantastique | comment Comment
    07/17/08
    Steve Biodrowski
    Cinefantastique

    Vacancy is a no-nonsense, no ambition thriller, but sometimes that's more than enough to please.

    Full Review Source: Washington Times | comment Comment
    07/04/08
    Christian Toto
    Washington Times

    Very creepy.

    Full Review Source: JoBlo's Movie Emporium | comment Comment
    10/05/07
    JoBlo
    JoBlo's Movie Emporium

    All things considered, not half bad. Indeed, it's much less than half bad.

    Full Review Source: Antagony & Ecstasy | comment Comment
    09/20/07
    Tim Brayton
    Antagony & Ecstasy

    Un pasatiempo eficaz que recupera parte del espíritu de la clase B al servicio de un relato tenso y por momentos perturbador, sin mayores pretensiones.

    Full Review Source: Uruguay Total | comment Comment
    09/08/07
    Enrique Buchichio
    Uruguay Total

    Vacancy isn't a commentary, just another graphically violent horror movie, traveling a well-worn path -- urbanites wandering into the countryside and being accosted by rural weirdos.

    Full Review Source: Philadelphia Daily News | comment Comment
    08/04/07
    Gary Thompson
    Philadelphia Daily News

    It's only in the last act that things begin to get a bit flaky but up till then VACANCY does what it sets out to do without any pretenses.

    Full Review Source: Murphy's Movie Reviews | comment Comment
    07/14/07
    Ted Murphy
    Murphy's Movie Reviews

    Vacancy may not be the most wholly original thriller but it has some heart to it and is directed with gritty, old school style by Nimród Antal. Coupled with the good work done by the leads, Vacancy is worth checking into.

    Full Review Source: IGN Movies | comment Comment
    06/22/07
    Stax
    IGN Movies

    Vacancy is an enjoyable, pleasingly old-fashioned thriller with strong performances and some expertly handled suspense sequences. Recommended.

    Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
    06/15/07
    Matthew Turner
    ViewLondon

    This more than slightly familiar scenario doesn't give the principals much scope for acting.

    Full Review Source: This is London | comment Comment
    06/15/07
    Derek Malcolm
    This is London

    Vacancy’s an audience divider – a predictable yet occasionally classy film. Depending on your mood it’s an efficient exercise in popcorn frights, or a cynical B-movie...

    Full Review Source: Total Film | comment Comment
    06/15/07
    Jane Crowther
    Total Film

    director Nimrod Antal settles for a more generic horror-ride as the imperatives of stalk-and-escape take hold. For a while, though, this is first-rate second-hand material.

    Full Review Source: Independent | comment Comment
    06/15/07
    Anthony Quinn
    Independent

    Terrific turns by all make this a tense, if slightly predictable, treat for terror fans.

    Full Review Source: Sun Online | comment Comment
    06/15/07
    Johnny Vaughan
    Sun Online

    With shades of Psycho and The Birds, Vacancy sure isn’t up there with The Master’s finest work but, given that we haven’t had a decent horror all year, it’s a pleasantly creepy surprise.

    Full Review Source: Daily Mirror [UK] | comment Comment
    06/15/07
    David Edwards
    Daily Mirror [UK]

    Kit out the Bates Motel with surveillance cameras, replace Anthony Perkins with the ineffectual Frank Whaley, and you'd have the location for this irritatingly cheapjack snuff-horror thriller, starring Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale as a depressed couple

    Full Review Source: Daily Telegraph | comment Comment
    06/15/07
    Tim Robey
    Daily Telegraph

    well, however much I wanted to love it, the same old sorts of things happen, and the rigorous plausibility and consistency on which everything depends are thrown away.

    Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
    06/15/07
    Peter Bradshaw
    Guardian [UK]

    I know, you couldn’t make it up. But someone did.

    Full Review Source: Times [UK] | comment Comment
    06/15/07
    Kevin Maher
    Times [UK]

    An effective assembly of familiar chills diminished by its unfortunate mainstream feints.

    Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
    06/15/07
    Matt Glasby
    Channel 4 Film

    This stripped-down chiller has some decent jump-frights, but a dearth of memorable moments.

    Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
    06/15/07
    Nick De Semlyen
    Empire Magazine
     
     
    1 - 20 (sorted by date)
    Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 >> >|
    all

    Latest News for Vacancy

    June 07, 2007: Box Office Guru Preview: Lucky "13" Hopes for Full Houses
    The stars come marching out to do battle with the pirates for the number one spot this weekend. More...

    May 06, 2007: Box Office Guru Wrapup: Spider-Man 3 Demolishes Records in Historic Debut
    In the most lopsided box office victory in history, the hugely anticipated super sequel "Spider-Man 3" swung into theaters and monopolized the marketplace breaking the... More...

    April 29, 2007: Box Office Wrapup: "Disturbia" Threepeats Over Dead Weekend
    Awaiting the arrival of their webslinging hero, North American audiences avoided the multiplexes and held onto their money rejecting the slate of new releases that Hollywood... More...

    April 28, 2007: Trailer & Poster review Opens in new window
    More...

    See More Topics...

    Related Forums for Vacancy

    Click here to be the first to post a message on this forum.

    See All

    More DVDs

    Close
    Top Rentals
    Tomatometer Percentage Movie
    79%
    79%
    Gran Torino
    30%
    30%
    12 Rounds
    23%
    23%
    Confessions of a Shopa…
    —
    The Code
    39%
    39%
    Inkheart

    More Rentals…

    New On DVD This Week
    Tomatometer Percentage Movie
    22%
    22%
    Push
    12%
    12%
    The Unborn

    More New Releases…

    RT On Current TV

    What’s Hot On RT

    Deconstructing Harry

    Deconstructing Harry

    Pt. 3: Cuaron's darker Prisoner of Azkaban

    Best Mockumentaries

    Best Mockumentaries

    From Borat to Spinal Tap, this one goes to 11

    Humpday Clip

    Humpday Clip

    An exclusive peek at the indie comedy!

    Half-Blood Prince

    Half-Blood Prince

    How good is the 6th Harry Potter?

    Other News

    Close
    • Top Stories
    • Popular
    • Interviews
     
     

    Comments

     
     
    Top Stories
    Headlines Comments
      
    • Weekly Ketchup: T.J. Hooker Film in Development
    40
    • Warners Shortens Green Lantern Wishlist Source: Hollywood Reporter
    144
    • Harold Ramis Talks Ghostbusters 3 Source: MakingOf.com
    48
    • Spider-Man 4 Gets Its Third Writer Source: Latino Review
    60
    • Warners Wins Favorable Ruling in Superman Case Source: Variety
    20
    • Remo Williams Rides Again Source: Risky Biz
    10
    • Mortal Kombat 3 Filming in September? Source: Slashfilm
    82
    • MacGruber Gets a Director Source: Variety
    39
    • PG-13 Turns 25 Source: VideoETA
    8
    • Weekly Ketchup: Universal Takes on Asteroids
    92
    Popular
    Headlines Comments
      
    • Deconstructing Harry, Day 3: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
    100
    • Deconstructing Harry, Day 1: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
    67
    • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Transformers and Ice Age Tie for Top Spot
    59
    • Deconstructing Harry, Day 2: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
    53
    • Total Recall: Mock Docs That Rock
    52
    • Tomatometer Watch: How Good is Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince?
    52
    • Critics Consensus: Bruno is Certified Fresh
    44
    • Five Favorite Films with Kathryn Bigelow
    39
    • RT on DVD: Knowing, Push, The Unborn Unleashed
    28
    • Five Favourite Films with Jaime Winstone
    20
    Interviews
    Headlines Comments
      
    • RT Interview: Director Carlos Cuaron on Rudo and Cursi
    0
    • RT Interview: Tony Scott on The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3
    10
    • Cannes 2009: RT Interview - Sally Hawkins on We Want Sex
    2
    • RT Interview: Tilda Swinton on Julia
    5
    • Hollywood Legend Debbie Reynolds Reflects On her Life in Showbiz
    10
    • Exclusive: McG Talks Terminator Salvation
    24
    • Georgia Groome - Fresh Talent on RT
    5
    • RT Interview: Reading The Reader with Stephen Daldry
    11
    • RT Interview: Oscar Nominee Melissa Leo
    7
    • Carey Mulligan - Fresh Talent on RT
    7
     
     

    Sponsored Links

    Around The Network

    • Vacancy at Rotten Tomatoes
    • Vacancy at IGN
    • Vacancy at AskMen

    Fresh Links

    Featured
    Point-Counterpoint: Bruno
    Point-Counterpoint: Bruno External Link

    MSN's David Fear and Frank Paiva go head to head discussing the pros and cons of Bruno star Sacha Baron Cohen.

    The New Cult Canon
    The New Cult Canon External Link

    The AV Club's Scott Tobias takes a second look at David Lynch's cult classic, Lost Highway.

    Tom Cruise's 10 Best Roles
    Tom Cruise's 10 Best Roles External Link

    TIME takes us on a 25-year long journey into the superstar's career, giving us a look at his 10 best roles.

    A Baywatch Comedy?
    A Baywatch Comedy? External Link

    BuzzSugar reports on Paramount's plans to rebirth the iconic TV show as a comedy film.

     
     
    About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Games| Celebs List| Newsletter
    IGN Logo

    IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
    TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
    AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


    By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
    Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
    IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
    Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.