We know that terrible things are going to happen to the neighbours, and that's pretty much it in terms of a background story. Within minutes we know what is going on, thanks to the creative use of a news report, we know the couple are the latest victims of a demonic plague. Much of the success of the film's directional success could be down to their experiences of music video production, but either way, this is a directing duo, that have great things ahead of them.Īs mentioned above, in term of plot points and narrative structure this is, at its heart, a pretty simple movie, which is by no means a criticism, I particularly loved how there is very little time given over to unnecessary, heavy-handed exposition. No scene outstays its welcome, there isn't a point in the film where your attention wanders, waiting for the story to move to the next stage. Their direction also has impeccable timing there are scenes in this film where the driving beats hit that massive bass drum sending booms of terror right into the middle of your gut. But as soon as they enter the house, the tension is layered on with a precision we normally only expect from a seasoned horror director, with every element of the cast and production team working in perfect unison to create a genuinely unsettling experience.Īdam and Richard's direction is tight, and on point throughout the film, but respectful enough to allow the small cast of characters to riff of each other's performances. From the low key opening scene, up to when the two possessed neighbours enter the house we are lulled into a false sense of security, yes we know there is going to be something nasty on the horizon otherwise, this wouldn't be an horror film. While the film itself is relatively simple in concept, mashing a home invasion thriller like The Strangers with a demonic possession film such as The Fallen, its execution on all levels is nothing short of scintillating.
(it's been just over a week since I watched Hosts, and I am still mulling it over in my mind such is the effectiveness of this film).
However, a horror film shouldn't be judged on scene alone, we all know that for a horror film to work, we have to be engaged from the first shot to the final shot, and if it is terrific, we are still engaged long after the final credit has rolled. The timing, in terms of the lead up to the scene, and how the scene plays out were a perfect example of a director, cast and writer working together and knowing exactly what was needed for the film to ensure anyone, even a jaded horror fan like myself, would be shocked to the core. It was so powerful and shocking that I had to pause the screener I was given and get up, to go for a walk and quick smoke. One scene, in particular, left me with the same cold, numb and stunned feeling that I felt after watching Once Were Warriors for the first time. There are several crucial scenes whose impact will be significantly lessened if you are waiting for them to happen.
#HOSTS MOVIE FULL#
This is going to be a hard review to write, not because of my feelings towards this film, hell I loved it, but more because it is one of those films that you need to watch knowing as little about it as possible, to gain the full effect. When a family invites their neighbours, over for dinner on Christmas Eve, they do not realise that their friends are now hosts (see that's where the name comes from), to demonic forces, and they soon find themselves fighting for their lives as their neighbours decide that this will be a Christmas nobody forgets.
#HOSTS MOVIE CRACKED#
Now pay attention here this is Hosts not Host, confusing I know, but Hosts had finished production before Host was even first heard off on the horror social media scene, but leaving aside any confusion, what we as horror fans are left with is, is two films with similar-sounding titles that should both rank in everyone's top ten horror films of the year.įirst conceived by writers and directors Adam Leader and Richard Oakes in 2018, Hosts confirms the well-known notion that Christmas is not what it is all cracked up to be. And now heading to a screen near you is the latest film to get the Ginger Nuts of Horror's seal of approval, Hosts. With such greats as VFW, Relic, Sea Fever, The Wretched, The Platform, and Host.
#HOSTS MOVIE MOVIE#
Thankfully, though for the horror movie fans 2020, has been an exceptional year, one of the best vintages for a long time. If it was a horror movie, 2020 would have been laughed out of the cinema for being far too unbelievable, stupid, and filled with a cast of characters so unrelatable that no one would want to spend a minute in their company, let alone 90 minutes or more. Well, 2020 has been the year that came the closest to breaking me and so many of the readers of the site.
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