The Guest is the latest film from director Adam Wingard and the team that brought you the home-invasion killer-thriller ‘You’re Next’ and surreal horror ‘Pop-Skull’ The Peterson family open their door the mysterious, handsome David (Dan Stevens) into their home. They are still grieving from the death of their son Caleb on duty in Afghanistan. David claims to be on a mission of the heart, with a personal message for each of the family from Caleb. Before he can say Bingo, David has been welcomed into the house with open arms and an open ended visa to the family’s life.
David charms his way to getting exactly what he wants but is regarded with some suspicion by siblings Anna and Luke (Maika Monroe and Brendan Meyer) who quite rightly question his motives for insidiously encroaching on their families’ grief. David becomes an embodiment of the Faustian pact. He could be the families’ saviour; the school bullies tormenting Luke get their comeuppance in one of the most entertaining set pieces involving cocktails. There is a hefty price for all the good he does the family and soon bodies start piling up.
Anna starts investigating to find out who David really is and what he wants with her family. The Guest is an incredibly stylish watch. The electro soundtrack giving it the gritty grindhouse vibes it has taken its inspiration from. I thought it was the work of one musician but the thumping tunes have been sourced from a wide variety of artists. Stevens is excellent as David, he wears a continuous apple-pie smile like a mask, only dropping now and again to show that something much sinister is going on behind the facade.
The film is set in the lead up to Halloween; the screen is littered with gaudy pumpkins and decorations reminiscent of classics like Halloween and Black Christmas. The lighting is bold with rich colours splashed across the screen evoking the gaudiness of a vintage holiday season. I thought the film was mostly successful, it is perfectly cast, beautifully filmed, has a fantastic score and some partial nudity that will please a large percentage of the films’ female viewers and a small percentage of the male.
The finale is where Stevens really gets to chew the scenery leaving no pumpkins unscathed in the completion of his mission. Despite this it felt very classy, and it’s clear the filmmakers have a real passion for the films they are paying homage to whilst creating a new genre film that’s stands alone. On the downside, the energy drops for the final act despite all the carnage coming to a head. Once the secret is revealed it loses steam. My cinema companion disagreed with me on this so maybe I’m being too picky. Go and see ‘The Guest’ on general release now.
OVERALL SUMMARY
A taught, classy grindhouse thriller with an excellent soundtrack
