Vacancy 2: the First Cut

A straight-to-DVD prequel to 2007's hit horror proves a routine cash-in, as three obnoxious 20-somethings check in to a backwater motel, only to find themselves the intended first victims of a newly established snuff-movie ring. False jolts and creepy music provide most of the atmosphere in the cat-and-mouse chase that follows, with genuine tension offset by mediocre direction, rushed and throwaway deaths, and insufficient mystery involving the original film's killer (played by Scott G Anderson). Ultimately, it becomes more about the Meadow View Inn's twisted yet boringly talky employees than their unlikeably written and charisma-free prey, making it hard to care about the latter and their inevitable fates. Without the initial film's claustrophobia and star power, this origins tale is just underwhelming fodder, and there's not even a satisfying finale waiting as a reward for sitting through all the recycled ideas.