The Host

The Host is the name of a couple of different films, so when I got the chance to watch this one, I wasn't sure if it was a remake of some kind or an entirely original flick. Turns out it's neither. The Host, directed by Andy Newberry, borrows from some of the most iconic films in the mystery/thriller category and creates an intriguing modern tale of misadventure and murder.

I admit, I was sceptical when I saw Dougie from McFly in the trailer, but it turns out he's one of the best parts of The Host. Dougie plays Steve Atkinson, the younger brother of Robert - also Atkinson. Robert is a serial f*#k up, who just can't seem to catch a break. And following a string of consecutive missteps, Robert finds himself forced to run an errand to Amsterdam for a Chinese Mafia boss. And it quickly becomes apparent that this might not go so smoothly for him.

On arrival to his international destination, Robert finds his hotel is double booked. Of course it is. He's then ushered into another movie as the hotel owner suggests he can stay at another place he knows. Turns out it's the Town House home of "creepy-hot" Vera Tribbe (Maryam Hassouni).

Despite being a member of one of the most powerful families in Amsterdam, Vera lives with her "sick" Father as a recluse. To all intents and purposes, Vera inhabits and maintains the huge place all by herself. The sequences shot of her townhouse are some of the most cinematic and attractive moments of The Host. And as the film shifts gears it's easy to forget its opening premise. As it morphs into an eerie thriller, The Host flirts with greatness, and I found myself willing it deliver. Unfortunately it resisted my pleas. Before I get into the verdict, I want to make it clear, I enjoyed this film. But it frustrated me. It doesn't fully commit to any of the moments that it dips into. If it did, it could have made this film a breakout success.

The Host - Verdict So how do we rate it? Given the frustrations, The Host is actually an entertaining film if you can forgive its obvious flaws. Not everything you watch needs to be Sixth Sense or The Shining. Some films are just neatly self-contained stories that don't need a sequel and don't need to leave a big impact. The Host is that.

I didn't like Robert, the film's protagonist, not at all. But I found myself invested in the other characters, even the Chinese gangsters. And I wanted to know how its oddball twists would be concluded. The Host is a perfect film for an evening in, and we have a lot of those right now. It's meandering and mysterious and surprisingly watchable. I just wish it hit went for it in the parts that mattered. The Host doesn't give you the most, but it's glad you came and wants to freak you out!

Rating 6.5 out of 10

What a mess I guess it's my fault for not being thorough, I wanted to watch the movie Host (2020) and ended up watching this instead... Don't make the same mistake I did, this is a trainwreck, poor all the way around, except perhaps good filming equipment... Acting IMHO was flat and kinda rubbish, dialogue started kind of alright then went downhill from 1/4 of the movie and plot was stolen from another famous movie (the decent part), characters were lame and like half of the plot they didn't steal was also a trainwreck, they dropped part of the plot halfway through and went with the stolen one from that point on... I don't know what else to say, find something else to watch, you've been warned.

This film starts with an interesting premise but quickly spirals toward the absurd when two unrelated story lines intersect, at a place where the viewer should just stop watching.

If the intent of the film was to have a plotless outcome - it's succeeded, and as improbable as the story-line is, it is somewhat plausible. The characters are underdeveloped and lack history or purpose, almost like being stuck in an airport and people watching.

A good idea badly executed.

Maybe I should get it a higher mark because it kept me entertained enough to actually watch the entire film because it SO bad. I can't think of anything that was done well in this film. The cinematography was fair, acting pretty bad, screenplay yikes.

This film looks good with London and Amsterdam locations, has some good performances, but is seriously let down by a fragmented and disjointed story. What starts as a thriller turns into a horror film about half way through, it's like watching two separate movies in the one.

This film had potential, all the film-makers needed to do was keep the plot consistent. The whole experience is ultimately unrewarding and disappointing. Perhaps they were trying to make it quirky, but it just comes across as silly.

This film is best avoided.