"Hotel" is a German-language movie from 2004, so this one is already considerably older than a decade. It was written and directed by Jessica Hausner who is probably among Austria's most known filmmakers, maybe even top of the pile if we talk about females. This film received a pretty strong deal of awards recognition back then, for example also at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. It is a really short movie as it gets barely to the 75-minute mark and this already includes the credits. In terms of the cast, lead actress Franziska Weisz is among Austria's most known while Birgit Minichmayr made it even bigger and is really well-known here in Germany too. This film is the story of a young woman and we find out about her first days as a hotel employee. It is all about the mystery really. It is a film that is really uncomfortable to watch, but this atmospheric take also makes it so efficient. The woman who worked there before Weisz' character disappeared without a trace apparently and there are other creepy aspects about the film. I personally enjoyed the mystery more than supernatural references about witches, but that is of course just personal take. These parts (i.e. the middle part of the film) is where the movie does the least perhaps. The beginning is much better and the ending is really nice too, especially the very final shot and sound. The apparent dislike from the other employees towards the central character also add a lot to the story as you never know what is wrong with these people and what may be the reason for the reactions. The lost chain scene is one of the very best the film has to offer. So yeah, as a whole I can understand why this film was received so well, maybe not necessarily by critics, but by audiences. A lot stays in the dark and hidden here and this is exactly the approach I like. There is a reason why Blair Witch Project is my favorite horror film of all times. Sure this one here is not anywhere near that level or best of the year material, but it is worth checking out fur sure. It is also not really an actors' movie, but this is nothing new about horror films and frequently the case there. of course this doesn't mean that the actors were weak or anything. they are as good as the rest about it all. I suggest you watch it. Thumbs up.
Review of Hotel
