While Shudder has been a phenomenal home for the horror genre, their work with TV series remains largely underrated, even with theirsuperb work revivingCreepshowfor a new generation, and the surprisingly effective continuation of theCreepfranchise withCreep Tapes. Now, their latest comes in the form ofHell Motel, which offers a nice mixture of slasher whodunnit and engaging character drama, even if it occasionally proves to be a little overlong.
Hailing from creative duo Ian Carpenter and Aaron Martin,Hell Motelis set at the Cold River Motel, once the site of a brutal massacre meant to be part of a Satanic ritual 30 years prior, now renovated by a couple looking to capitalize on its dark history. To kick off its new life, the pair invite a group of true-crime obsessives to the motel for a specially themed opening weekend, though their festivities are hampered when someone begins killing the guests one by one, creating a sense of paranoia among them.
Hell Motel Is Just As Much About The Characters As Its Horror
It Really Makes It Difficult To Pinpoint The Killer
With Carpenter and Martin having had success with the subgenre aftertheir previous Shudder series,Slasher, the pair certainly know their way around said storytelling.Hell Motelfurther cements their skills with the slasher genre as they effectively deliver one red herring after another to keep us guessing as to who’s the actual killer. Even better is the early reveal of the perpetrators of the original massacre, who are in attendance at the motel’s opening, but it’s still made clear they’re not the current killers.
However, whereHell Motel’s story ultimately left me feeling a bit underwhelmed was in its actual pacing and its ending.
What further setsHell Motelapart from being a run-of-the-mill slasher is the way it also offers a meaningful focus on every character’s backstory before they arrive at the titular locale. Whether it’s Atticus Mitchell’s Blake having already survived another massacre, albeit at the traumatic expense of another person’s death, or Shaun Benson’s Crow having previously found a lead in the original Cold River Motel massacre, only to point to the wrong suspect and lead to their death. Where a film might share these backstories in dialogue, Carpenter and Martin make good use of their series' real estate to properly tackle these.
However, whereHell Motel’s story left me feeling a bit underwhelmed was in its actual pacing and ending. Once the killings begin, Carpenter and Martin largely maintain a suspenseful grip. At the same time, the show begins to move at somewhat of a sluggish pace and could have been trimmed by a couple of episodes. This is no more felt than in the show’s finale, which left me feeling as though there was no definitive answer about the killer’s identity, particularly with its multiple endings being split between being commentary on the cyclical nature of the true-crime genre and an unexpected suspect.
Hell Motel’s Production Values Are Simultaneously Big & Small-Scale
The Show’s Direction Is A Very Stylish Offering
Acrossall five seasons ofSlasher, director Adam MacDonald showcased some great work behind the camera, and that certainly continues withHell Motel. Every second we strolled through a hallway with a character, I found myself waiting for the chilling Baphomet Killer to pop up and attack a member of the group, while also pondering whether there would be a sudden supernatural twist to the proceedings. Even with the production seemingly only utilizing a handful of sets, each one feels appropriately lived-in and so well-designed that they feel part of a genuine motel rather than a soundstage.
One of the biggest highlights of the show’s production are the kills themselves, which are suitably gruesome and also stylishly shot. Without getting into spoilers, one death that comes near the middle of the show’s run feels all the more effective given just how intimately it’s shot. It never pulls away from its victim as they endure one of the more horrific on-camera kills in the series, but it also does not directly show the brutality to make it feel over-the-top in lieu of emotional.
The Show Has Assembled A Mostly Solid Roster Of Performers
Some Stars Actually Feel Underutilized
With 10 actors serving as its main ensemble, Carpenter and Martin did a largely effective job putting together theirHell Motelcast. Mitchell does an excellent job of hiding his trauma by channeling it into his podcasting, Brynn Godenir and Genevieve DeGraves showcase some meaningful character growth as they recognize the questionable morality of their ghoulish tastes, and Gray Powell and Yanna McIntosh do a great job of keeping us guessing their characters' motivations.
One star who I wish had gotten a little more time to shineis Paula Brancati as Paige Harper, a scream queen known for starring in a horror movie franchise adapting the events of the original Cold River Motel Massacre. WithHell Motelfeaturing some meta commentary on the slasher and true crime genres,much in the way of theScreamfranchise, it was somewhat of a missed opportunity to not only utilize her character’s backstory throughout the series, but also essentially make her a damsel-in-distress for most of it.
