Motel Hell

19801 hour 42 minsREnglish

HorroRated pick

HorroRated verdict

Legendary

1980sHorror ComedyCannibalSlasherCampy

Directed by: Kevin Connor
Written by: Robert Jaffe, Steven-Charles Jaffe
Produced by: Robert Jaffe, Steven-Charles Jaffe, Herb Jaffe, Austen Jewell

Collections

Hidden Gems Slashers Practical FX Cult Classics Dark Comedy Cannibalistic

Why it’s HorroRated

Farmer Vincent knows exactly what he's doing and so does Rory Calhoun, who plays him with this cheerful sincerity that makes the whole thing work in a way it probably shouldn't. Motel Hell is dark, it's weird, and it doesn't take itself too seriously without fully tipping into parody. A real cult classic that sits comfortably alongside its more famous peers.

Synopsis

Vincent and his sister Ida welcome travelers to their modest operation and turn nobody away, though not entirely out of hospitality. Motel Hell plays its premise as dark comedy and it works almost entirely because Rory Calhoun plays Vincent with such cheerful sincerity. A gleefully nasty piece of rural horror that sits comfortably alongside its more famous peers.