A gripping haunted house horror movie with terrific performances and twist filled story, Night at the Eagle Inn showcases filmmaker Erik Bloomquist’s ability to conjure scares with minimal resources and creative flair.

Just like Bloomquist messed with vampire tropes in Ten Minutes to Midnight, the prolific New England based filmmaker gives a twist to the haunted house movie, resulting in perhaps his best film yet and one of the best horror movies of 2021.

 

Night at the Eagle Inn stars Amelia Dudley and Taylor Turner as Sarah and Spencer, fraternal twins who travel to a sleepy hotel near the Canadian border called The Eagle Inn. Once there, the pair investigate the whereabouts of their father who disappeared on the night of their birth.

Outside of the eccentric hotel manager (Greg Schweers) and handsome maintenance man Dean (Beau Minniear), the Eagle Inn proves to be an empty nest voice of anything interesting, until the hotel’s true presence awakens and ensnares the meddling twins within its walls.

Bloomquist creates a sort of purgatory in Night at the Eagle Inn, with the films two protagonists of snoopy-youth-filled-naivety forced to endure their own living hell in pursuit of a mystery that perhaps should never be solved. An effective score from Gyom Amphoux (Long Lost) and excellent sound design creates a creepy atmosphere, heightened further by the palpable cold air chill of the northern climate setting.

Both Dudley and Turner deliver fine turns as twins of attitude and arrogance, messing with dark forces that are beyond their comprehension. The pair, complete with a bug-eye, pale skin aesthetic of the Tim Burton mould, play up the terror of their characters’ situation with convincing flair. Complementing is Greg Schweers who bring the right amount of delirium to the proceedings.

Bloomquist’s handle on the films twist filled third act is done well, creating a horror movie that is as much a cautionary tale about being careful about what you wish for. Smart and scary, Night at the Eagle Inn is the kind of indie horror worth seeking out and experiencing.