Host (2020)

The whole COVID-19 pandemic has thrown everything out of whack, hasn't it? Businesses are either closed or have severely limited what services they can provide, pretty much every sort of gathering and event for the rest of the year has been cancelled or indefinitely postponed, and "social distancing" has entered the public lexicon.

And since this is a movie review blog, I'd be remiss if I talked about the pandemic without mentioning how much of an effect it's had on Hollywood. Pretty much all of this summer's big releases have either been pushed back to 2021, or skipped a theatrical release altogether and been released on-demand.

While most movies that were in production have shut down until the pandemic blows over, it's also caused some filmmakers to get more creative. Such is the case with the new movie Host, which debuted today on the horror streaming service Shudder. Shot exclusively by its actors using their cell phones and laptops, it basically combines the setup for Unfriended with the no-budget, DIY aesthetic of The Blair Witch Project. And it's a pretty fun little flick to boot.

While quarantined at home due to the pandemic, a group of friends come together on a weekly basis through Zoom conference calls so they can still keep in touch. The call we're privy to is a bit different than their usual calls, however, as group member Haley (Haley Bishop) has brought in a medium (Seylan Baxter) into the call to conduct a seance.

But despite Haley's best efforts, she's the only one really taking it seriously. Emma (Emma Louise Webb) and Caroline (Caroline Ward) would rather drink wine and goof around with the Zoom app's features, Radina (Radina Drandova) is too busy arguing with her boyfriend, and Teddy (Edward Linard) just leaves altogether after only a few minutes to go hang out with his girlfriend instead.

And then there's Jemma (Jemma Moore), who decides to alleviate her boredom by concocting a fake story about being contacted by a spirit. But she'll soon wish she'd listened when the medium told them not to disrespect the spirit realm. Her prank draws the ire of a malevolent entity from the spirit realm, and this entity is going to take its anger out on everyone.

Clocking in at a slim, trim 56 minutes long, Host doesn't waste any time trying to accomplish its goals. It's a fun movie that never has the opportunity to wear out its welcome, instead choosing to lure you in with its simple premise before trying to spook the pants off you. It's a lot like a really good haunted house theme park attraction; you might not think too much of it at first, but Host can surprise you if you let it. There's some genuine scares and suspense to be found here. It's not perfect, but it's enjoyable, and sometimes that's all I'll ask for.

Host was the brainchild of director Rob Savage, who was approached by Shudder with the idea of turning a two-minute video he'd tweeted back in April into a full-length movie. And despite the logistical nightmare that I'm sure making a movie in the United Kingdom while the country was locked down had to be, the whole thing was written, shot, edited, and presented to Shudder in a span of only twelve weeks. I mentioned the movie feeling very DIY, and I wasn't kidding. I was genuinely impressed with how well everything came together, considering that there was practically no crew and Savage was never actually in the same room as any of the actors. The cast set up their own makeup, stunts, and practical effects, filming everything on cell phones and webcams while Savage coached them remotely.

Taking that into consideration, I was blown away by just how much Host was able to accomplish in its brisk running time. The movie spends much of its first half setting up its characters and their dynamics with one another, and lets us feel like we're a part of their group. It all builds up to a second half where things really start getting wild. The movie ramps up the creepiness fast; there's no wasted time here. It goes from spooky to tense to frightening all in the span of half an hour, leading up to a completely balls-to-the-wall climax.

It's during this climax that Savage makes the most of his "haunted Zoom call" concept. For example, goofy camera filters are a lot less goofy when they're attached to an invisible malevolent entity. One character having a jokey backdrop of themselves walking into the room behind the real person starts off funny, but becomes frightening and a bit melancholy once we realize that the supernatural creature is picking everyone off one by one.

I honestly don't feel like I can say a whole lot about Host without risking spoiling it. That said, it's a fun, scary good time that I'll definitely recommend to anyone interested in watching it. I don't know how well it'll age once the whole COVID thing stops being topical. But as it stands now, Host is well worth the watch, especially if you watch it on a computer monitor instead of a big-screen TV. So go sign up for Shudder and check it out. And if I may quote the movie, "Happy spookies!"

Final Rating: ***½