Lex (Biana Haase) is an aspiring writer with a keen interest in the paranormal. Her work-in-progress book is focused on a hotel on Hawaiian island of Kilahuna. The resort has been closed off from the world for a number of years after a spate of strange occurrences. Knowing that the best way to get into the right creative space would be to take a walk through the deserted hotel itself, Lex’s friends arrange a secret tour for her Birthday. The trip soon takes a deadly turn however, as the dangers of the stories quickly reveal themselves to be true.
The premise itself isn’t the most original, but the approach taken in The Resort has an interesting point of difference. So many times this scenario is played out within the found footage arena; writer and director Taylor Chien opts for a different tact. Told via flashback, with Lex recounting the ordeal she and her companions endured to a local police officer, The Resort misses its easiest opportunity for creating dramatic tension. Knowing that at least one of the quartet makes it out alive dilutes the nervous energy that could otherwise have been generated. The Resort also takes its time getting going, building the momentum up slowly. The bulk of the run time is spent with Lex discussing the trip to the island, and the fun they all had together; the actual encounters with horror are kept strictly to the finale. When both creative decisions are mixed together they almost cancel out one another. It’s frustrating to spend so much time slowly building up to something for which we already know at least part of the conclusion. Similarly, a story that is being recounted provides ample time to pepper in some dread-inducing moments, but that opportunity is disappointingly missed here.
Once the group arrives at the hotel, things begin to pick up, the hotel itself acting as a fifth character. It’s an imposing building that dominates the screen. There is something sinister to its appearance, a feeling that is amplified when you consider that most holiday resorts around the world have been similarly desolate during the pandemic. These eerie thoughts seep in and unconsciously imbue the building with the paranormal qualities necessary to put the viewer into the right state of unease. This unease is quickly rewarded when all Hell eventually breaks loose in some unexpected ways. It is here that The Resort really finds its voice, and boy is it grim. Suddenly we shift from eerie ghost story to an inventive gore-fest. The last few moments offer a fun spin on what has come before, with Chien embracing the practical effects and railings some genius gore gags. These moments offer plenty of eye-wateringly grotesque set-ups that gore fans will love, the film once again proving that practical effects will always reign supreme over CGI.
At seventy-five minutes long, The Resort suffers from some pacing issues. Much more time is spent on the build-up than the actual good stuff. It does however, manage to skirt the found-footage tropes in favour of a different method of story-telling. Quite how wise that decision was, is debatable, but once the gore begins to flow freely, some of its past sins are (almost) forgiven.
The Resort will be released on Digital and On Demand from 30th April 2021. It will be available on Sky Store, Virgin, iTunes, Amazon, Microsoft Store, Google Play, and Chili.
The Resort
Summary
A hotel on a paradise island has never felt so creepy, The Resort might get off to a wobbly start, but eventually finds its (bloody) feet.
