Vacancy 2: The First Cut

"If the camera is on, you're dead."

2008 1h 26m EN

😐

5.3

MID

★5.3TMDB · 306

HorrorThriller

Synopsis

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Three young people check into the Meadow View Inn for a night's rest, fully unaware of the inn's sick-minded employees and their nefarious intentions.

“If the camera is on, you're dead.”

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Cast

Agnes Bruckner
Jessica
Trevor Wright
Caleb
Arjay Smith
Tanner
David Moscow
Gordon
Brian Klugman
Reece
Beau Billingslea
Otis
Nelson Lee
Groom
Gwendoline Yeo
Bride

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Eric Bross
Writers: Mark L. Smith
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

86 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $3.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 18 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Vacancy Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Eric Bross, shot by Horacio Marquínez. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Angela M. Catanzaro shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Agnes Bruckner and Trevor Wright and Arjay Smith carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "If the camera is on, you're dead.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Eric Bross directs. Horacio Marquínez behind the camera. Angela M. Catanzaro cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

186 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Shot for just $3.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
3Released 18 years ago.
4Part of the "Vacancy Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
5Directed by Eric Bross, shot by Horacio Marquínez. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Editor Angela M. Catanzaro shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Agnes Bruckner and Trevor Wright and Arjay Smith carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "If the camera is on, you're dead.".
9IMDB entry: tt1204979 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 12 themes, including "motel", "snuff", "sequel", "prequel".

The technical file

Cinematography: Horacio Marquínez
Editing: Angela M. Catanzaro
Production design: Stephen McCabe
Makeup / hair: Eleanor Sabaduquia
Sound: Nello Torri
Stunt coordinator: Peewee Piemonte
Runtime: 86 min · 1h 26m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $3,000,000
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Vacancy 2: The First Cut (2008)

Part of

Vacancy Collection

Vacancy is a 2007 American horror film directed by Nimród Antal and starring Kate Beckinsale and Luke Wilson. It was released April 20, 2007, by the distributor Screen Gems. Vacancy 2: The First Cut was released in 2008. Written by Mark L. Smith, and directed by Eric Bross, it serves as a prequel, and focuses on how the motel's employees started their tortures. The film stars Agnes Bruckner and Trevor Wright. Terror Trap (stylized in some countries as Vacancy 3), is a 2010 American horror film written and directed by Dan Garcia. The third film stars David James Elliott, Michael Madsen, and Jeff Fahey, and is similar to the original film in that it also features a couple being terrorized by a motel's owner and his employees while being recorded.

Also by

Eric Bross

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Community reviews

What people are saying

JPV8522026-09-20
★ 6/10
Actually not a bad thriller, at least by direct-to-video standards. Like the first one, this has a short running time and the director does a decent job with the tension even if some moments didn't always work. Still, I like Agnes Buckner in the lead while the killer, played by Scott Anderson, aka Temu Michael Shannon, wasn't terribly memorable. All in all I was entertained which I can't ask for more for a DTV prequel. 2.75/5