Host: Chiamata mortale

REVIEW - HOST

As we all know over the past 4 months there have been very few new films because of the pandemic, which in a strange way actually made this film even more enjoyable.

Filmed during lock down and referring to the situation around the current pandemic a shot UK film was released that probably no one has heard of.

A group of teens do an online Zoom session with a medium to try and see what would happen, of course things go wrong when one of them doesn't take it seriously and summons........

Small budget, but hugely enjoyable and even actually made me jump in one place!

Definitely one to watch but just a word of caution, don't watch it on a windy night and leave your Windows open so your doors move on their own, spooky.

Rating 7 out of 10

Rob Savage's 'Host' plays out like the greatest hits of found footage. It takes the scariest elements of genre favorites like 'The Blair Witch Project' (1999) and 'Paranormal Activity' (2007) and delivers a shock every few minutes. It is edited, crafted, and scripted well. The relaxed, naturalistic performances from the actors immediately create a sense of believability that helps when things start getting scary. A deceptively simple yet downright terrifying thrill ride.

First of all, the reviewer who stated this movie is formulaic needs to learn the definition. I know what they are trying to say, but that isn't the correct word.

I enjoyed this movie, it was intense without music or an abundance of sound effects and the acting was very good.

It's pretty well done but a really shallow movie.

The Zoom angle adds a bit of freshness, but it's not as good as the first Unfriended.

lots of loud noises, shaky camera's and essentially a long series of jump scares knitted together - even at 60 mins it felt a bit too long

Inane chat, but fairly natural conversations, zero story, but what it does, it does well. Just don't come looking for something engaging - it's a ghostrain on film.

Definitely got my heart racing, although I did watch it in the dark, behind the computer and by myself :') I assume it's low budget, but it was scarier than most horror movies out there. Aside from some silly details (, like why would you bring your computer/phone with you if none of the others in the call are watching), it was very realistic. One of the few downsides is that it is relatively predictable (, but nowadays that's unfortunately common in horror).

One of its main plusses is the script and acting: the conversations are very much like I speak with my friends and there are hardly any dumb lines that can ruin the experience. They also behave in different ways that make sense if you're scared out of your mind.

Also a big plus is that it doesn't try to (over)explain what is happening: it simply is scary and claustrophobic. And last but not least, it's a short movie with good pacing. They refrained from using fillers just to make it one and a half hours long, but chose quality over quantity. If you're a fan of horror, I definitely recommend this hidden gem.