Director: Adam Wingard
Cast: Dan Stevens, Ethan Embry, Joel David Moore, Lance Reddick, Maika Monroe, Sheila Kelley, Brendan Meyer
Certificate: 15
Running Time: 99 minutes
Synopsis: A soldier introduces himself to the Peterson family, claiming to be a friend of their son who died in action. After the young man is welcomed into their home, a series of accidental deaths seem to be connected to his presence.
Adam Wingard, director of YOU’RE NEXT, serves up another plate of uninvited guests with this joyously over the top and violent movie that flits between the slasher genre, with added appreciative nods to the 1980’s. Fans of the film genre will get a kick out of the postmodern elements in Wingard’s latest project and although the film’s trailer doesn’t sell these great qualities, there’s a lot here to admire.
Dan Stevens is unrecognisable as the ex-army soldier David, and knocks it out of the park with a showy, dark and entertaining performance. His character is a cross between a more sociable Ryan Gosling in DRIVE with edges of THE TERMINATOR being both steely and appealing. To start with, David appears to be mainly harmless guy you could ever meet, who is welcomed without suspicion by the mother who takes him in. However the rest of the family are pretty reluctant but David manages to gain their trust by studying their weaknesses..and helping to beat bullies to a pulp.
Wingard is strongly in control of the camera, allowing the P.O.V shots and low-key lighting to give a sense of a probable dead-end for the family. The Halloween decorations throughout the film are finely placed to emulate the slasher horror genre from the late 70s and early 80s, that were typically set at that time of the year. Compared with his last film YOU’RE NEXT, this is a huge step forward for Wingard who also has a great ear for synth music, much like Nicolas Winding Refn and OBLIVION’s Joseph Kosinski. Despite the nature of the beast, it’ll certainly become one of those soundtracks to put on your playlist.
The only real downside was when the special-forces are called in, which feels somewhat tagged on and doesn’t fit into the spirit of the rest of the film but thankfully those moments don’t linger excessively. Although there might be a few questions left unanswered, THE GUEST finds a deeply gratifying place and may just find that cult status in years to come, it’s an essential viewing experience.
[usr=4] THE GUEST is released in UK cinemas 5th September 2014
