Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- claustrophobic
- paranoid
- tense
- late night horror marathon
- stormy evening
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film taut and atmospherically effective, while faulting its thin characters, familiar B-movie clichés, and disappointing resolution.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Hidden cameras record David and Amy inside their motel room while an unseen filmmaker turns their ordeal into entertainment.
The motel television broadcasts slasher films that appear to depict the very room occupied by David and Amy.
The couple searches locked doors, crawlspaces, and underground tunnels within and beneath the remote motel.
David and Amy are stranded together while already emotionally estranged, forcing cooperation under lethal pressure.
Films like Vacancy, and why
Psycho
shared motel isolation, psychological horror, and escalating survival tension
Hush
shared trapped-couple dynamics, hidden surveillance, and claustrophobic thriller suspense
The Strangers
shared remote-location horror, killer pursuit, and stripped-down survival mechanics
Scream
shared slasher conventions, voyeuristic menace, and ordinary people confronting a hidden killer
Movie Details
- Director
- Nimród Antal
- Release Date
- 2007-04-20
- Runtime
- 85 min
- Rating
- 6.3 / 10 (1711)
Cast
- Kate Beckinsale
- Luke Wilson
- Frank Whaley
- Ethan Embry
- Scott G. Anderson
- Mark Casella
- David Doty
- Norm Compton
- Caryn Mower
- Meegan E. Godfrey
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Vacancy about?
- A stranded, estranged couple discovers that their remote motel room is a live set for a hidden-camera slasher film.
- What is Vacancy like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Vacancy as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Vacancy violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Vacancy as moderate.
- What did critics think of Vacancy?
- Critics broadly found the film taut and atmospherically effective, while faulting its thin characters, familiar B-movie clichés, and disappointing resolution.
- Which films are like Vacancy?
- Films with a similar feel include Psycho, Hush, The Strangers, and Scream.
- How long is Vacancy?
- Vacancy runs 85 minutes.
- Where can I watch Vacancy?
- In United States, Vacancy is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
