The Camp Host

Plot: When a young couple and their dog lodge at an "idyllic" campground, things turn terrifying when the owner reveals herself as a psychopathic killer.

So the plot is pretty Okay for a horror movie, but man oh man is this poorly done. Plus, the main lead stinks. Why didn't they cast the cute chick from the beginning of the movie who had a way better body and was way more interesting to look at for 90 minutes? I'm still thinking about her.

The lead they chose is annoying, as other reviewers said. She has no future in movies. And she kisses with her mouth closed like she never kissed before.

I'm not entirely sure what this was meant to be. Was it Horror/Thriller? Or was it a Horror/Comedy?

It ended up being nothing, really.

The poster itself tells us far too much by itself. We know exactly who the protagonist is and who the antagonist is, so there's absolutely no level of suspense or intrigue before we even watch the film.

Onto the actual film, and it's just not that good, and it's full of that overly annoying trope of 'stupid people doing stupid things'. It could've been an average film, had the part the characters were to play in this not been signposted before we watch the film.

It was just all too obvious how this was going to play out, though they attempted a twist ending, presumably with the hope of setting up a needless sequel. They need to leave this alone.

On its surface The Camp Host is a love letter to a genre that has become over saturated with cliches and trusted imitations.

Subtle nods to horror trailblazers are not obvious but are there for the true fan to smile at.

What's most impressive is the reassurance of what can be achieved on a small budget in the hands of a talented director who knows and loves their craft.

Without the aid of expensive cgi McComas achieves what most modern horror films fail at, creating an atmospheric environment that feels fraught with danger. Just like early Carpenter and Hooper he is able to present a threat that is grounded in reality but elevated to the extreme.

This isn't the full picture though, once all the blood, gore and, yes, feces has run off into the woods the question of 'What is wrong with the world?' lingers.

Not why are there crazy serial killers in the woods but why are we all so sure that our world view is right?

How can we be so unwieldy in our beliefs even in the presence of those with more reason and experience to comment?

In summary The Camp Host is a skillfully made modern slasher with a retro vibe in the truest form that takes a subtle dig at modern mainstream cultural values.

An exciting and clever horror romp. This Tubi original puts an emphasis on original. A relevant turn on typical slasher tropes. Takes it from the time honored yet truly tired 'teenagers at camp' and spins a yarn of post-pandemic millennial-malaise evocative of cinematic treasures like Lost in America. There are moments that are hilarious, moments that are anxiety attack inducing and moments of true surprise. There's so much culture and soul couched in the context of genre cinema. And though you know the titular villain from the jump, the twists and turns and character moments propel the plot with a voracious pace. The cinematography is splendid. Impressive how controlled the framing, blocking and movement are. The sound design is subtle yet strong when appropriate. Performances and tone are executed perfectly. Thematically as big as you want it to be but not overbearing or pedantic. It's there for the taking if you're the type. But even if you're not a comp lit major, it's still a smart, swift, surprising, thrilling and ultimately very satisfying watch. I'll be giving this another spin soon to see how it holds up on rewatch because damn it was fun the first time around!

I watch a lot of b- horror (especially on Tubi), this one is a step above normal. The 2 leads do a great job as a real couple and the bad person is very convincing as a psychopath. The premise used the quintessential campground, but uses it in a newer way. The cinematography is superb for this type of film and there are limited night scenes (which I can't stand). The semi-yuppie couple argue like one would expect. The kills aren't too gory, but they are creative. Again, this is a very unique Mar Vista film that I did not anticipate as being this good. The female lead is a perfect fit for this role.