These reviews will contain slight spoilers, but will not give away major plot surprises or reveals.
Host (2020)
There isn't a lot I can say about the movie Host, made this year during the heart of the (first) Covid-19 lockdown. That's because on the surface there doesn't seem like a lot to it. It's filmed entirely over Zoom, it's essentially about a virtual seance gone wrong, it's just under an hour long and it's a strong contender for my film of the year. Relatable due to it's UK setting, the universal nature of the current pandemic and the simple, primal nature of fear. That fear is scary in any form but somehow more insidious when it perversely invades the screens that have necessarily had to take over our lives and interactions.
The cast, such as they are, are unknowns. Well they're unknown to me, have very few credits and often use their real names. All of which contributes to establishing the reality they inhabit as the viewers' own, a very Blair Witch style blending of fiction to reality that's just enough to help you identify with them even closer, and perhaps fear for your own safety. Primarily young women (plus one man and one older lady running the seance) who all give some of the best performances I've seen in a while, especially when you consider the limitations that they're acting through. You feel every beat of their fear, are charmed by their relatable interaction and are terrified for them in tense moments when their fate may be unclear. This is something for which the virtual setting is used super effectively, we have all had our internet freeze or randomly give out. Whilst obviously not real the cast all completely sell that they are horrified at what might be happening "off-screen".
However, whilst the film does make effective use of the things that you can't see, the most surprising thing is how much the director, visual effects artists and cast are able to pull off that the audience does see, and that is truly terrifying. Knowing that this was filmed by multiple people in different locations at various skill levels I was expecting far less than the film actually gave me. As a result I'm beyond impressed with what the filmmakers pulled off and hope to see big things in their futures. I can only imagine what they may be able to do in perfect conditions with an actual budget but I'm both excited to see it and dreading it.
Honestly one of the scariest films I've seen ever. The film milks a lot of tension and truly visceral horror out of it's all too brief run time, so you won't feel short changed. Seriously I strongly recommend this film if you're a fan of horror or a student of film. Although maybe not if you have weak nerves...
*****(5/5)
Host is a Shudder exclusive. You can access Shudder through Amazon Prime video for £4.99 a month. Or you can do as I did and sign up for a 7 day free trial and watch this movie, along with anything else you can binge.
The Rental
Another film with a pretty relatable premise (at first) which goes deceptively deep, only this time examining the horror inherent in people that's not necessarily supernatural. Initially playing like a romantic drama, before transitioning to a thriller and then ending as a full blown horror/slasher. This movie is so well put together by director Dave Franco, and so well structured by writers Franco, Dan Swanberg and Mike Demski that it never feels at all disjointed and plays like another slice-of-life narrative of what happens to be the worst night of several people's life.
The film is about two couple's: Charlie (Dan Stevens) and his wife Michelle (Alison Brie) along with Charlie's brother Josh (Jeremy Allen White) and his girlfriend Mina (Sheila Vand), who also happens to be Charlie's business partner. You can already see how the strings that tie these people together could get complicated very easily. That aspect is sold by the performances of the standouts Stevens and Vand, who get the most to do admittedly, but absolutely make the most of it. Dan Stevens proves why he's one of the most consistently great actors working today, selling heartache, desperation, divided loyalty and loose morality whilst always seeming the same man and the one in charge. Sheila Vand is a revelation, a young woman with the kind of screen presence that's instantly captivating, with the acting chops to back that up. She's the audience surrogate and we feel what she feels, grounding the increasing horrors into our emotional wheel house firmly and tensely.
Perhaps the most interesting part of this film is that there are no real heroes. Everybody does something morally grey, unthinkable or downright diabolical. But we still feel for these characters. Whether it's Mina's tense fear that the man they're renting a house from may be racist (as an Iranian-American woman this is an all too real tension to begin the story with), to Michelle's inner turmoil at how circumstances have placed her in a seemingly inescapable web of darkness. Everybody shines, and even that which we perceive as evil can flip at any time.
Playing with fears of being watched, being morally weak, being trapped (in various ways) and ultimately being distressingly fallible, and mortal. The film takes in a lot, and is a little slow to show it's hand in terms of the horror genre. But the direction is breathtaking, especially for a first time director, with instantly iconic shots and compositions, true tension and a couple of shocks that I, personally, could never have seen coming. The ambiguity of the characters may rile some, as will the pace. Likewise the ending will, I suspect, be very divisive. I marinated on it for a while before deciding I really liked the choice made and the thematic possibility of why. Lots to recommend again, and another brief watch at just 88 mins. Not perfect but really good, and frequently impressive too.
****(4/5)
The Rental is unfortunately, and criminally, not available to watch in the UK. It is, however, available to rent on all digital platforms in the US so if you have a VPN and $6 (or it's equivalent) you can watch it at home.
The Witches (2020)
Oh boy, and we were doing so well. I'll be brief here. I know this isn't technically a horror film but it is dealing with similar tropes, and Nic Roeg's 1990 adaptation horrified me since childhood. That film may have slightly disturbed me but at least I remembered it. The only horrifying thing about this new adaptation is how bad it is. Nihilistic to a fault that's at odds with it's tone, the restoration of Roald Dahl's original, depressing ending from the book doesn't help. And yet this film isn't even bold enough to embrace it's darkness, frequently playing like, and looking like, a cartoon!
Anne Hathaway is competing to win a role in the Blackpool pantomime, and somehow still going over the top. The young actors are out of their depth and Viola Davis is written so badly that she seems as dizzy as we are trying to decipher what is happening to her, and more importantly why. She labours behind a fatal-sounding cough for most of the movie that's never explained and just goes away. But that's the kind of film this is, stuff just happens. As a result the outlandish, potentially horrific stuff has no weight. And the whole thing collapses like a badly made souffle.
Director Robert Zemeckis is the biggest disappointment, employing such uncanny and unrealistic cgi that it's like watching a real boy being chased by the cast of The Polar Express. One feels the indignity of poor Hathaway, already playing the part like an evil drag queen, as the director unnecessarily and unconvincingly turns her into Stretch Armstrong, a weird Chesire Cat demon and a creature that resembles a weasel that's minutes from death. Put this against Roeg's film and the argument for practical effects has never been clearer.
Is there anything good here then? Well Stanley Tucci is good in a virtual cameo role, there's some fun slapstick, and the set designer makes it slightly less painful to look at. Plus Dahl's prose always has little nuggets that sound like gems. But it's not enough to save this from being a less than bewitching experience.
*1/2 (1.5/5)
The Witches is available to rent from Video On Demand digital services everywhere for around £15. Save your money.
If I have time I may be back with a review later, but if not then it may have to wait until November. Have a safe and happy Halloween.
MM
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