Leah Sturgis' work on Trapped Inn shows her ability to mix suspense, supernatural elements, and thought-provoking social themes into a film that is as emotionally engaging as it is thrilling. As the director and writer, she brings a fresh perspective to the genre, focusing not only on building tension and delivering scares but also on exploring the bigger issues at play, particularly the growing role of technology in our lives.
In terms of direction, Sturgis does an excellent job of using the film's setting to enhance the feeling of isolation. The remote hotel and surrounding mountains provide a beautiful yet haunting canvas for the story. There's a deliberate slowness to the pacing at times, which might feel like a lull for some, but it's in these quiet moments that the unease truly builds. Sturgis knows how to make silence feel heavy and how to inject an underlying sense of dread that doesn't always need a jump-scare to be effective.
As a writer, Sturgis takes on some heavy themes with a level of depth that you might not expect from a genre film. The way she weaves in discussions around AI, the fears of space colonization, and the consequences of unchecked technological progress feels both timely and alarmingly prescient. Instead of diving into these ideas in a heavy-handed way, she allows them to emerge through the characters' experiences, making them feel real and tangible. The characters themselves are well-written and grounded, with their individual struggles and fears serving as a reflection of the larger societal anxieties at play.
Leah Sturgis might not have created the perfect film with Trapped Inn, but there's a clear sense of purpose behind it. She offers a refreshing take on the genre, one that doesn't just aim to entertain but also invites viewers to consider the very real implications of our current and future technological landscape.
