The Guest House is an offbeat quirky thriller that puts a fresh twist on the Stalker Genre. Jake Roth, (Tom Alper), is kicked out of his house, and with limited funds and bad credit must find a place to live. Enter Max Foster, the seemingly perfect landlord with a cool-back house, (pool included), for rent. Jake and Max bond right away, becoming best of friends. That is of course, until Jake uncovers Max's dark secret. When Jake realizes he must distance himself from Max, the intensity truly begins.
This is clearly a low budget "indie", which is unusually well made for its seemingly modest budget. The acting is superb, with fine performances across the board, including some of the supporting roles by Daniel Baldwin who is perfectly cast as the arrogant-jerk boss. And Eileen Davidson, (Emmy award winning actress), who gives a rememberable performance as the "villians' therapist, who is put in an unenviable task of trying to provide therapy to a "psychopath".
The story is also very engaging, as it mixes dark humor, and plenty of action, into what is ultimately a psychological thriller. The film also features quite a compelling score that only adds towards the films appeal.
Perhaps if this movie was made by a big studio, with a big budget and big stars, The Guest House would have made of a lot more noise on a national, and worldwide level. But that is not to take away from this film. This is a fun, well made film, that won numerous awards at the Hollywood Reel Independent Festival. The Guest House keeps your attention, from beginning to end, and is well worth the hour and a half of your time.
