The Guest

It feels almost inaccurate to refer to this movie as The Guest when in reality it was entirely carried by a wonderful performance by Dan Stevens. I enjoyed it thoroughly, which isn't at all to say it's what I would normally call a good movie. The movie is highly campy, reminiscent of '80s-'90s action movies / thrillers, and Dan Stevens brings in an excellent all around tongue in cheek tough 80's anti-hero performance.

Stevens' acting is well matched by strong action that is to the point and not drawn out, as well as superbly chosen music, particularly in the climactic scenes.

For any gamers out there, if you enjoyed Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon for the nostalgia and humor, you'll likely love this movie as much as I did.

A young soldier called Dave turns up at the home of the Peterson family whose son has recently been killed in action overseas . Happy to see their late son's friend they invite Dave to stay longer and Dave quickly ingratiates himself in to the family's affection . But is Dave who he says he is and if not what is his agenda ?

!!!! SUGGESTIVE SPOILERS !!!!!

A familiar story , so much so that before seeing it I had it instantly nailed as a rip off from an episode of Brian Clemens THRILLER from the mid 1970s which had the exact same premise . Premise isn't the same as plot however and despite hitting the occasional plot turn with its bedfellows THE GUEST does have an idiosyncratic feel of its own

It's something of a film of two halves . The first half sets up Dave to both the Peterson family and the audience and right away Dave comes across a very likable guy especially when he sorts out some school bullies on behalf of young Luke and much of his likability is down to the way he's played by Dan Stevens and it wasn't until after seeing the film I found out that Stevens is a Brit .Keep an eye on the name Dan Stevens because you might just be hearing a lot more from him in the future . In fact Dave is so likable I did find myself in agreement with Luke that it doesn't really matter who Dave is or what he's done in the past because anyone who can maim a few school bullies can't be all bad

But THE GUEST has to follow a formula which means Dave has to be a bad man and a bad man is indeed what he is so when Anna Peterson contacts the military and Lance Reddick informs every spook in a fifty mile radius to shoot Dave on sight this gives a clue as to how bad he might be . Actually at this point the film might just be making a detour in to the science fiction genre but to be fair it's not as jarring or as leftfield as it could have been .From the outset Dave surprises people around him . He can run from the bus station to the Peterson house surprising Mrs Peterson , he can consume massive amounts of alcohol without getting drunk etc etc which suggests superhuman abilities along with the suggestion he's not human at all which means despite all the familiarity of the story and its flaws ( The ending is a bit over the top ) THE GUEST is a more intriguing film than you might have expected it to be

I've never watched Downton Abbey, but I'm guessing that Dan Stevens deliberately sought out very different roles after leaving the show. The Guest is the perfect advert for his abilities. He's convincing as the mysterious but charming visitor and equally capable in moments of action, suspense or humour. I hope the right roles come along for him as he's entertaining to watch and has got everything required to become a major star.

The plot unfolds in a fashion that renders a summary both unnecessary and unwanted if you're planning to see this, but after the initial set-up it progresses at a decent pace and with escalating tension.

A special mention is required for the soundtrack. The electronic score is one of the film's major strengths and is perfectly judged.

An entertaining and self-aware mix of action, suspense and dark humour, the Guest has a retro feel without being old fashioned (a quality that is encapsulated by the score), and features decent performances.

I moonwalked my way out of the dimly lit, Hong Sang-zooom overly meditative crypt of arthouse flicks - no shade to Apichatpong, definitely anticipating his Cemetery of Splendour, and I'm like, totally psyched for Zulawski's Cosmos, his comeback after, like, a decade! And Phil Stevens's Flowers (2015).

But my acid-wash soul yearned for a film with the visual fidelity of an 80's VHS tape. Enter "The Guest," a moniker so aggressively pedestrian, I half-expected a movie about a polite stranger who overstays his welcome, eats leftovers, flexes lame jokes to cousins (barf!), or does a plumber sleeps-with-cliched-clientele bit like in an Xhamster masterpiece, lol!

Anyway, I had already seen Joe Swanberg, the mumblecore guy's You're Next (2011), and it was Adam Wingard's gory fun direction that made the film worth watching. I got a small hint about the plot and thought Dan Stevens was gonna sacrifice his white butt for a soldier's family and pull off a Denzel Washington (totally radical!). I was wrong as this film is very laid out with a simple plot, crazy climax, with lots of blood, adrenaline that blends the sensibilities of classic John Carpenter (totally awesome!) with some really Giallo aesthetic and a little Nicolas Winding Refn vibe. I don't want to share more about the story or the character arc. But I guarantee this, an entertaining blood feast awaits for those who dig the classic exploitation genre, full of action with an insanely kickass soundtrack and an atmosphere that will keep you hooked until the final credit.

THE GUEST is a fun, if derivative, little movie from Adam Wingard, the guy who also brought us the familiar-yet-entertaining YOU'RE NEXT. It's a belated addition to that whole psycho-thriller sub-genre of the 1990s in which ordinary families were menaced by mysterious forces, and it achieves plenty on what is clearly a tight budget.

There are shades of THE TERMINATOR and the BOURNE trilogy here and it has to be said that the story is simplistic and straightforward. The denouement will surprise nobody, for example. However, like DRIVE before it, THE GUEST is all about the execution. It looks cool, it looks stylish, and it sounds cool too thanks to that thumping soundtrack. Dan Stevens is excellent as the suave and sophisticated guy who turns up to make a few waves, and Maika Monroe shows some of the promise that she displayed in IT FOLLOWS. Plus we get Lance Reddick, being exceptionally good again after his turn in JOHN WICK.

In fact, THE GUEST has quite a lot in common with IT FOLLOWS, especially the horror-style unfolding of the plot. These films share likable young cast members and a fresh feel despite the familiarities of the situations in which the characters find themselves. Certainly nothing about THE GUEST is original, yet it's thoroughly entertaining at the same time. And that's all I need from a movie.