Host is a supernatural found footage horror film directed by Rob Savage, and the cast includes Haley Bishop, Jemma Moore, Emma Louise Webb, Radina Drandova, Caroline Ward, Edward Linard, Seylan Baxter, Jinny Lofthouse, Alan Emrys.
2020 was a awful year, and a proper dumpster fire, as the COVID-19 pandemic turned everything upside down, throwing the world into chaos, and lockdowns, isolation, and an overwhelming sense of uncertainty became our new reality.
If we could erase a year from recent history, this one would be top of the list, and the only thing we could do was sit on our arses at home, trying not to cough in case the neighbors called the authorities and it was also a time we all worried about a major toilet paper famine hitting our world..
Host was filmed during this period of isolation, a product of its time in the most literal way, and was directed entirely remotely and the actors were left in charge of everything their end, such as the lighting, make up, sound etc, and with a brisk run time of under an hour, it fits a lot in and Rob Savage has crafted a pretty solid film.
The film is shot 'found footage' format, via zoom, so not really 'found footage' but it seems to count, where a group of mates, bored out of their skulls, decide to hold a Zoom séance, and shockingly, things go tits up real fast.
Instead of contacting their dearly departed, they accidentally invite a demon into their virtual happy hour, and from there, well, things get increasingly fucked, as they start experiencing creepy, progressively more violent events.
At less then a hour long, as mentioned, the film wastes little time, and pretty much just goes straight into the good stuff, and builds the tension really well, as it figures out and plays with simple execution that even if you work out what is going to happen, it still gets you, and uses an environment we all became painfully familiar with at the time - endless Zoom calls, glitchy screens, and staring at our own reflections while trying to focus on the people talking.
The usual horror tropes are in force, such as doors slamming, chairs moving, all the classic tricks, but because it’s all happening on Zoom, it actually works really well, as they play around with the glitchy screens, creepy backgrounds, and those weird-ass filters no one knows how to turn off.
At one point, there are six different screens going at once, and you get this “choose your own nightmare” effect, and you always have this nagging feeling that something’s creeping up on someone you're not paying attention to, as you try and catch every detail so you don't miss anything.
The cast in the film are also actual real life friends, and they naturally have good chemistry on screen, which makes a huge difference, and this makes their interactions feel genuine, avoiding the awkward, stilted dialogue that sometimes plagues low budget horror films, and the reactions to the unfolding terror feel believable, which helps sell the horror and keep the tension high.
Most of the effects used in the film are practical, too, which is impressive, considering how much they pull off, and despite its low budget, nothing ever really looks or feels cheap, and the actors all know how to make their scenes land, and never over do anything.
Rob Savage clearly understands the mechanics of horror, as he knows exactly when to tighten the tension and when to give the audience a brief moment to breathe, and it never drags, so I’d be genuinely surprised if anyone found themselves bored while watching it.
Host is so simple in many ways, but it works really well and is a really effective zoom based horror film, and a film I like and respect a lot, and is a film I actually recommend not watching on your big screen TV, but watching it on a laptop, and that is something I very rarely say.
Sure, it is a bit cliche, but if you don't mind that, we have a lot to like about Host, and is well worth a watch as it knows exactly what it is and doesn’t overstay its welcome, and Rob Savage has managed to craft a tight, well executed horror film that delivers far more than its modest budget and unconventional production might suggest.
[Host on IMDB] [Where To Stream Host]
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