The Killer in the Guest House

Marcus Rosner is back as the homicidal psychopath who charms women with his good looks and muscles. Sequel to The Killer Downstairs, The Killer in the Guest House has a dark vibe, but is actually more laughable in comparison. The general setup is the same: woman in her 30s (she's 29 when the film starts and has a birthday in the story), parents left the house to her, and she rents out a part of it for extra money. She also has a close female friend who's by her side through her ups and downs. Only difference is, unlike in The Killer Downstairs, where the main character was an out-of-work lawyer, Gina Larson (Chelsea Hobbs) is a fashion photographer who's low on cash, and she's treated poorly by her ex-boyfriend, Levon, who she's still in contact with for business purposes. In the Killer Downstairs, the main character was being harassed by her boss. She discovers the profile of a handsome man on a renter's website, Mark James, and reaches out to him. He arrives at the house, posing as a divorced pilot with a 7-year-old daughter. She shows him to the guesthouse in the backyard, and she immediately falls for him.

I'll be the first to admit - this movie is garbage. Murdering people simply for not liking them. There's really no purpose to a film with that type of storyline. And I'm not one for watching things that don't have a purpose. The only reason I watched this, and kind of liked it, is because I'm a sucker for a tall guy with abs. But alas, I'm still ashamed of myself. Honestly, Marcus Rosner is much hotter in this than he was in The Killer Downstairs. He doesn't look all that good with facial hair. Not saying that excuses murdering people. His appearance creates a weird feeling for the film-watcher, you know? Because it's like, are we supposed to sympathize with him? Are we supposed to cheer for him even in his darkest moments? He's morally deprived, but then it's also like hmmm, he is sexy. I don't like having mixed feelings about a character. He's much less menacing in this sequel than he was in the original, so that could be contributing to why you might find yourself more focused on his appearance than him being a murderer. It's kind of like the writers wanted to make it seem like his killing was justified. Like he murders any man who commits a wrongdoing to Gina, such as her ex-boyfriend. But then he also kills men who he thinks is trying to make a move and start a relationship with her, because he wants her all to himself.

It's predictable, surprise surprise. The characters make the same idiotic mistakes as they did in the last film. Of course Gina sleeps with him, so it was like she willingly crossed a boundary, and then gets upset when she discovers he's a weirdo and a liar (putting cameras throughout the house, using a fake drawing that he took a picture of with his phone to make it look like he had artwork from his nonexistent daughter). It was ridiculous they would portray a 30-year-old woman as acting like she has zero experience with men. Overall, with the exception of the murdering Mark does (which, I must say as a warning, is quite gruesome), this movie is funny in a way. The characters are so dumb that you have to laugh. Well, except for Gina's friend. She was kind of annoying. But still, this can't be taken any seriously. I personally just like to watch it to look at Marcus Rosner. Besides eye candy, it doesn't offer anything special or groundbreaking. If you're okay with that, then you'll enjoy this sequel.

The movie was somewhat entertaining but too many dumb moves, especially toward the end. And speaking of the end, what a stupid ending!

If you are familiar with LMN/Lifetime movies then you know the title tells you what the movie is about. In this movie, Marcus Rosner is Mark James, the psycho in the guest house. Chelsea Hobbs is Gina, the pretty photographer who rents her guest house to Mark.

Why am I giving this movie a mediocre review. Well, this movie moves very slow. Some of the things the killer did were dumb, like the ncident with the USB drive. There are some entertaining scenes, like Gina's birthday party, but not enough to prevent the boredom. I don't care if it's a Lifetime/LMN movie, my expectation is always the same, to be entertained. I was not entertained.

Kudos to the main actors. I thought both Marcus Rosner and Chelsea Hobbs gave good performances. Rosner (Mark), was believable as the psycho. I think his whistling added a little creepy vibe to the movie.

I was perfectly fine with the ending. I was just glad it was over.

This is a LMN movie that did keep my attention - admittedly I had a couple Vodka spritzers.

My thoughts:

1. Marcus Rosner plays a good psychotic - not everyone can pull that off.

2. The murders as shown were graphic and gruesome.

3. Gina appeared to be genuinely kind person.

4. The ending was satisfying, and the last scene was poignant.

Note: Anyone who rents a room in his or her house should check the tenant's background!!!!

The movie is pretty much a replica of the Killer Downstairs. At the end of the movie we find out that the killer's name is actually James Brewer. Which is the same character as in "The Killer Downstairs"