An uncommon sort of horror movie

Rating: 10/10 (26 June 2007)

There are plenty of horror movies that have come out recently, that rely on people being tortured in a gory and messy manner. Go back a bit further, and its easy to find all sorts of blood baths. It is much harder to find a movie that simply relies on tension and creating a sense of terror and unease.
There is something very Lovecraftian about this movies approach. There is no monster, and no murderer. Just one 'very f*cking evil room', to quote the hotel manager. And once the clock starts to run, the main character is subjected to a relentless assault on his mind. This movie creates a palpable sense of malevolence and does so without an on screen villain.
The movie is very entertaining without resorting to the same sort of tricks that most horror movies rely on, and for that alone it is well worth watching.