The Guest
3.5/4
Starring Dan Stevens, Maika Monroe, Brendan Meyer, Sheila Kelly, Leland Orser
Rated R for Strong Violence, Language, Some Drug Use and a Scene of Sexuality
It's a funny thing. This year, like seemingly every other year for the past half decade, is chock full of sequels, remakes/reboots and re-imaginings (basically, attempts to make lightning strike twice while changing as little as possible). Two, "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" and "The Purge: Anarchy," where infinitely better than their predecessors. While "The Guest" has no relation to director Adam Wingard's pseudo "wink wink nudge nudge" of a slasher movie (that wasn't a "wink wink nudge nudge" slasher movie) save for an Easter Egg, it's a significant improvement upon "You're Next," which I disliked intensely. And all things considered, it's the best of the three.
One morning, a man shows up at the door of an all-American family. His name is David (Stevens). He knew their son Caleb, who died in Iraq. David was with Caleb at the time of his death, and promised him to look after his family. Caleb's surviving family, which includes his parents Spencer (Orser) and Laura (Kelly), and younger siblings Anna (Monroe) and Luke (Meyer), react to him in different ways. Laura and Luke worship him, while Spencer is a little more ambivalent. Anna is the most guarded, but after she witnesses a phone call he makes, she gets suspicious enough to call the base that Caleb was stationed at and find out who exactly this guy is.
"David" is one of the great lunatics in cinematic history. In a statement I do not make lightly, he belongs on the upper echelon of psychos along with Hannibal Lecter and Heath Ledger's Joker. He shows up less than five minutes into the film, and as soon as he faced the camera, my blood turned to ice. Much of that has to do with the deliciously creepy performance by Dan Stevens, who has gained some fame as Matthew Crawley on TV's "Downton Abbey." I haven't seen the show, but marketed correctly, "The Guest" could earn him an Oscar nomination. If Anthony Hopkins and Heath Ledger won those coveted gold statuettes for their villainous portrayals, Stevens should at least get an nomination.
"Creepy" doesn't really do the character justice. He's flat out disturbing. An actor's appearance is usually a minor detail when it comes to acting, but here, Steven's features only add to the scare factor. The actor is handsome and looks like a small town's golden child. Except for the eyes. Steven's eyes, which Wingard highlights with the utmost care (credit must also go to the cinematographer and make up department), are viciously cold. One look from him is enough to make you cower in intense discomfort. I kept thinking of Lance Armstrong in "The Armstrong Lie."
If his appearance were the only successful element of his performance, "David" would still be chilling. But the role is well-written by Simon Barrett. "David" is a fierce protector and capable of startling violence. His moods are also volatile especially when someone gets too nosy. He can change moods in a flash, so there's always a sense of danger when he's on screen.
Stevens uses everything at his disposal to make "David" real, and the effect is intensely disturbing. He's surrounded by an able supporting cast, but they're mainly reactors for Stevens to play off of. Wingard, Stevens and the rest of the cast build the character carefully, and then stick him into a mysterious, if not terribly original, story.
I hated "You're Next," especially considering the insensitive release date. I loved this movie. It's truly chilling, occasionally quite funny, and highly entertaining. Wingard takes chances, mainly with the film's tone. It's understated and askew, and while it usually works, there are times, particularly at the end, when a straight approach might have worked better. The ending is also a tad on the weak side, with supposedly smart characters suffering from brain cramps and an ending that might fit in a less intelligent movie, but reeks of desus ex machina in this one.
Adam Wingard seems to enjoy mixing and matching genres and tones. For all its faults, "You're Next" tried to do for slasher movies what "Kick-Ass" did for the superhero genre. It misfired spectacularly, but fortunately, the same fate hasn't afflicted "The Guest." The film contains elements of film noir (this is a much better member of the genre than the year's earlier wannabe, "The Rover"), "stranger within" movies and conspiracy thrillers. I applaud filmmakers who take chances, and Wingard makes it clear that he's throwing away the safety net from frame one. As he himself proved last year, doing so can lead to a horrible movie, but fortunately that fate doesn't afflict "The Guest." The result of his guts and his skill, not to mention Stevens' impeccable work, make this the premier choice for those who are looking to satisfy their annual craving of terror and general creepiness.
Starring Dan Stevens, Maika Monroe, Brendan Meyer, Sheila Kelly, Leland Orser
Rated R for Strong Violence, Language, Some Drug Use and a Scene of Sexuality
It's a funny thing. This year, like seemingly every other year for the past half decade, is chock full of sequels, remakes/reboots and re-imaginings (basically, attempts to make lightning strike twice while changing as little as possible). Two, "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" and "The Purge: Anarchy," where infinitely better than their predecessors. While "The Guest" has no relation to director Adam Wingard's pseudo "wink wink nudge nudge" of a slasher movie (that wasn't a "wink wink nudge nudge" slasher movie) save for an Easter Egg, it's a significant improvement upon "You're Next," which I disliked intensely. And all things considered, it's the best of the three.
One morning, a man shows up at the door of an all-American family. His name is David (Stevens). He knew their son Caleb, who died in Iraq. David was with Caleb at the time of his death, and promised him to look after his family. Caleb's surviving family, which includes his parents Spencer (Orser) and Laura (Kelly), and younger siblings Anna (Monroe) and Luke (Meyer), react to him in different ways. Laura and Luke worship him, while Spencer is a little more ambivalent. Anna is the most guarded, but after she witnesses a phone call he makes, she gets suspicious enough to call the base that Caleb was stationed at and find out who exactly this guy is.
"David" is one of the great lunatics in cinematic history. In a statement I do not make lightly, he belongs on the upper echelon of psychos along with Hannibal Lecter and Heath Ledger's Joker. He shows up less than five minutes into the film, and as soon as he faced the camera, my blood turned to ice. Much of that has to do with the deliciously creepy performance by Dan Stevens, who has gained some fame as Matthew Crawley on TV's "Downton Abbey." I haven't seen the show, but marketed correctly, "The Guest" could earn him an Oscar nomination. If Anthony Hopkins and Heath Ledger won those coveted gold statuettes for their villainous portrayals, Stevens should at least get an nomination.
"Creepy" doesn't really do the character justice. He's flat out disturbing. An actor's appearance is usually a minor detail when it comes to acting, but here, Steven's features only add to the scare factor. The actor is handsome and looks like a small town's golden child. Except for the eyes. Steven's eyes, which Wingard highlights with the utmost care (credit must also go to the cinematographer and make up department), are viciously cold. One look from him is enough to make you cower in intense discomfort. I kept thinking of Lance Armstrong in "The Armstrong Lie."
If his appearance were the only successful element of his performance, "David" would still be chilling. But the role is well-written by Simon Barrett. "David" is a fierce protector and capable of startling violence. His moods are also volatile especially when someone gets too nosy. He can change moods in a flash, so there's always a sense of danger when he's on screen.
Stevens uses everything at his disposal to make "David" real, and the effect is intensely disturbing. He's surrounded by an able supporting cast, but they're mainly reactors for Stevens to play off of. Wingard, Stevens and the rest of the cast build the character carefully, and then stick him into a mysterious, if not terribly original, story.
I hated "You're Next," especially considering the insensitive release date. I loved this movie. It's truly chilling, occasionally quite funny, and highly entertaining. Wingard takes chances, mainly with the film's tone. It's understated and askew, and while it usually works, there are times, particularly at the end, when a straight approach might have worked better. The ending is also a tad on the weak side, with supposedly smart characters suffering from brain cramps and an ending that might fit in a less intelligent movie, but reeks of desus ex machina in this one.
Adam Wingard seems to enjoy mixing and matching genres and tones. For all its faults, "You're Next" tried to do for slasher movies what "Kick-Ass" did for the superhero genre. It misfired spectacularly, but fortunately, the same fate hasn't afflicted "The Guest." The film contains elements of film noir (this is a much better member of the genre than the year's earlier wannabe, "The Rover"), "stranger within" movies and conspiracy thrillers. I applaud filmmakers who take chances, and Wingard makes it clear that he's throwing away the safety net from frame one. As he himself proved last year, doing so can lead to a horrible movie, but fortunately that fate doesn't afflict "The Guest." The result of his guts and his skill, not to mention Stevens' impeccable work, make this the premier choice for those who are looking to satisfy their annual craving of terror and general creepiness.
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