I was completely underwhelmed by Vacancy when I watched it. Despite having two decent stars in Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale, some stylish directorial touches by Nimrod Antal (Predators), and a good performance by Frank Whaley; it's combination of "torture porn" and the human race's voyeuristic nature just didn't work as well as it should have. Which was why it was surprising when I heard there was a direct-to-DVD sequel (excuse me, prequel) on the way. What's even more of a surprise is the fact that I actually ended up enjoying it more than the original.

Set three years before the events of the original, we head back to the Pinewood Motel and its humble hidden camera beginnings when a newly married couple arrives at the motel just so they can get rid of some pent-up sexual tension. Unbeknownst to them, they're being recorded and their naughty escapades sold. But the motel's business model is soon to change when serial killer Smith (Scott G. Anderson) rents a room and brutally stabs a hooker to death. Seeing this murder on their cameras, motel owner Gordon (David Moscow) and his staff capture the smooth-talking Smith who, in what is a pretty silly turn of events, strikes a deal with them to allow them to record his killing ways and sell them as "Snuff Videos".

Into the picture come Caleb (Trevor Knight), his girlfriend Jess (Agnes Bruckner), and their best friend Tanner (Arjay Smith) who are on their way to Jess' parents so they can finally meet Caleb. They choose to spend the night at our sinister motel and, not long after checking in, they discover the hidden cameras and soon find themselves involved in a game of cat 'n' mouse with Smith and his employers as they try to stay alive and escape the Pinewood.

Feeling more perverse and disturbing in tone than the original, Vacancy 2: The First Cut does tread some of the same ground as the first but the setting just seems to work better here with director Eric Bross using lots of hyper camerawork to keep things flowing and the script by Mark L. Smith (who also wrote the preceding entry) briefly taking the action away from the motel when our victims end up at a neighbouring house, giving Smith more victims as they do. And even though it's been used a couple of times before in various horror flicks, the imagery of our killers wearing pillow cases still manages to be mildly chilling.

As our heroine, Bruckner (The Woods) goes through the motions and does what's expected of a "final girl" while Moscow does a good job channeling the spirit of Whaley's Mason character from the original. However, the movie belongs to Anderson who steals the show and is pretty menacing as our slick, manipulative, and violent psychopath.

Perhaps its lowered expectations, but I enjoyed this second trip to the Pinewood better. Much like its fellow DTV sequel, Joyride 2: Dead Ahead, it benefits from a smaller-scale production and, removed from any bigger-name stars, feels like it was given more room to breathe. Smith has attempted to flesh out his back story a little, and it's mildly interesting, but thanks to decently done chase sequences and a brisk, streamlined running time, this is a perfectly acceptable follow-up that doesn't demand a lot and delivers some moderate entertainment to boot. (Chris Hartley, 10/12/12)

Directed By: Eric Bross.
Written By: Mark L. Smith.

Starring: Agnes Bruckner, David Moscow, Scott G. Anderson, Arjay Smith.