Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- Graphic
- campy
- irreverent
- grotesque
- cult horror night
- late night movie marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly agree that the film has memorable grotesque imagery and a dark comic premise, though its humor and execution are uneven.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Vincent cultivates kidnapped travelers in his garden and processes them as ingredients for his roadside food business.
The pastoral farm and roadside stand contrast with captivity, mutilation, gore, and cannibalistic imagery.
The film presents a rural serial killer and graphic attacks while explicitly parodying contemporary slasher movies.
Vincent's roadside stand functions as the respectable public face of a hidden kidnapping and food-processing operation.
Films like Motel Hell, and why
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
shared comedy horror, rural killer, graphic gore, and camp sensibility
The Return of the Living Dead
shared slasher parody, black humor, outrageous gore, and cult exploitation tone
The Hills Have Eyes
shared grotesque rural horror, dark satire, and heightened violence
Evil Dead II
shared B movie energy, macabre humor, and deliberately excessive horror imagery
Movie Details
- Director
- Kevin Connor
- Release Date
- 1980-08-14
- Runtime
- 102 min
- Rating
- 5.8 / 10 (275)
Cast
- Rory Calhoun
- Paul Linke
- Nancy Parsons
- Nina Axelrod
- Wolfman Jack
- Elaine Joyce
- Monique St. Pierre
- John Ratzenberger
- Gwil Richards
- Toni Gilman
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, AMC+, AMC, FlixFling, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Motel Hell about?
- A cheerful roadside farmer turns kidnapping, rural hospitality, and homemade sausage into a grotesque send-up of the slasher movie.
- What is Motel Hell like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Motel Hell as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as simple.
- Is Motel Hell violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Motel Hell as graphic.
- What did critics think of Motel Hell?
- Critics broadly agree that the film has memorable grotesque imagery and a dark comic premise, though its humor and execution are uneven.
- Which films are like Motel Hell?
- Films with a similar feel include The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, The Return of the Living Dead, The Hills Have Eyes, and Evil Dead II.
- How long is Motel Hell?
- Motel Hell runs 102 minutes.
- Where can I watch Motel Hell?
- In United States, Motel Hell streams on Amazon Prime Video, Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, AMC+, AMC, FlixFling, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
