What’s that old saying? The waiting is the hardest part? That’s certainly the premise of F.C. Rabbath’s endearing little indie movie, The Waiting. While the film may not have the uber budget of a film like Halloween Kills or Malignant, it still manages to worm its way into your heart through its likable characters and creative narrative.

Nick Leali plays Eric, a fella down on his luck. His girlfriend suddenly leaves him for no apparent reason. He’s so hung up on the past that he keeps her picture on his phone. Eric tries online dating, but he can’t find a connection. He also struggles to find a job, but he eventually lands a gig working at a hotel called The Lodge. Two housekeepers, Sally (Laura Altair) and Michelle (Michelle Feliciano), befriend Eric and inform him about a ghost in room 101. If you stay in the room for longer than a minute, she appears. Eric eventually meets the ghostly lady, Elizabeth (Molly Ratermann), and forms a connection with her. He teaches her how to text, and he visits her nightly. As their relationship deepens, Eric also tries desperately to save the hotel from demolition after the owner threatens to sell it because it’s losing money.

The Waiting isn’t a straight-up horror movie. It’s not scary, nor is it meant to be. Yes, it has a ghost, but she’s not really one that spooks. More so, this film is like a character-driven indie drama with comedy mixed in and a love story as well. What works well are the performances. Leali is great as an everyman just trying to catch a break. He’s desperate for something to go right in his life. Altair and Feliciano are good in their roles, too, though I wish that they had more to do. They feel underutilized, even though they’re in the first scene. While Ratermann doesn’t say a word, she’s good as the lady creeping about room 101. There’s a profound sadness to her character’s story. She lingers in the room because a lover left her years ago. She never got over him, so she’s trapped, awaiting his return. Ratermann exudes the loneliness quite well.

Despite the low budget, there are a few scenes that exhibit clever camera work and cinematography. Because it’s unlikely there was much money for major special effects, it was a wise move to make the ghost look more human than anything else. In fact, early in the film, when they give her otherworldly qualities, including glowing eyes, it doesn’t work as well as when she’s simply dressed in all white with paler skin. Her human-like form makes her relationship with Eric more believable, too.

The Waiting shifts in tone at times, becoming especially heavy and serious in the last 15 minutes or so. But what anchors the film are the performances and the characters. Everyone is generally good in their role, especially Leali as the lead. Overall, it’s a cute film about a man who falls in love with a ghost. They text. They hang out. They wait a lifetime for each other.

7 Out of 10 Haunted Hotels