The narrative structure emulates Tarantino as it profiles the origin stories of its eccentric team, with ingenious commentary on bad parenting. Along with wearing hats for director / writer / composer and producer, Ignatius—who has a combined Tom Pelphrey and Adam Driver vibe that he attractively makes all his own—delivers a sympathetic portrait of Cliff who is basically trying not to be a bad parent and hoping to help his daughter apply to a good college. This accounts for some poor choices on Cliff’s part, like being talked into stealing a bag of diamonds from an unforgiving boss who sends his somewhat psychotic hitman Hal to retrieve same.
Also wearing a pile of hats (directing, writing, editing and producing) Psinakis convincingly embodies the crisp and cold-blooded hitman Hal who enjoys his Necco wafers while exacting retribution on anyone obstructing his assignment. Hal’s learned how to be a detached and efficient killer from his mom (Janie Sharon) who’s passed on her profession to her son.
Also inheriting some bad habits from their parents are Lester and LouAnne who prey upon random visitors to their Valley View Motel just the way Mom and Dad taught them to do. And finally, Young Ja-Kang is such a hectoring mother that it’s easy to sympathize with her daughter Sunny’s fantasies of running away first chance she gets. Laura Im, who plays Sunny, is outstanding as the browbeaten daughter who amps up the whole notion of final girl. She was rewarded for her perfectly-pitched performance with a Best Actress nod at the North American premiere of Valley View Motel at the 26th edition of Screamfest in Los Angeles (after the film’s world premiere at London’s Frightfest).
A testament to Kevin Ignatius and Nick Psinakis’s remarkable and completely embodied teamwork, Valley View Motel is thorough stylistically-realized entertainment that balances its seedy narrative with conclusive heart and humor.
