Host (film)

Host is a 2020 British found footage horror film directed by Rob Savage and based on a script written by Savage, Gemma Hurley, and Jed Shepherd.

Not to be confused with The Host (2006 film) or The Host (2013 film).
Host
Film poster
Directed byRob Savage
Produced byDouglas Cox
Craig Engler
Emily Gotto
Rob Savage
Jed Shepherd
Samuel Zimmerman
Written byGemma Hurley
Rob Savage
Jed Shepherd
StarringHaley Bishop
Jemma Moore
Emma Louise Webb
Radina Drandova
Caroline Ward
Teddy Linard
Seylan Baxter
Edited byBrenna Rangott
Production
company
Shadowhouse Films
Distributed byShudder
Release date
  • July 30, 2020 (2020-07-30)
Running time
57 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Plot

While under quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a group of friends have decided to hold weekly Zoom calls in order to stay in touch. For this week's call Haley has hired a medium, Seylan, to lead them in a séance. One friend, Teddy, intentionally leaves the chat because his girlfriend Jinny keeps interrupting. During the séance one of the members, Jemma, claims to have made contact with a friend who committed suicide, Jack, only to later admit that it was all fake after Seylan drops out of the call. The remaining people begin to experience strange, terrifying phenomena.

Haley receives a call from Seylan and informs the medium of everything that has happened. Seylan believes that Jemma's prank could have summoned a demonic spirit and begins to give them instructions on how to close the séance. The spirit interrupts this by causing more phenomena and Seylan's call drops out. The spirit kills Caroline and then Radina and her boyfriend Alan. Haley and Jemma argue, only for Haley to be pulled offscreen. Frightened, Jemma immediately leaves to check on Haley in person. Teddy then returns to the call, only for the spirit to kill both him and Jinny. Emma is killed next.

Jemma makes it to Haley's home but is attacked by the spirit while other supernatural phenomena occur around her. She manages to find Haley, only for the demonic spirit to attack the two of them as the Zoom call timer expires.

Cast
  • Haley Bishop as Haley
  • Jemma Moore as Jemma
  • Emma Louise Webb as Emma
  • Radina Drandova as Radina
  • Caroline Ward as Caroline
  • Alan Emrys as Alan
  • Patrick Ward as Caroline's Dad
  • Edward Linard as Teddy
  • Jinny Lofthouse as Jinny
  • Seylan Baxter as Seylan
  • Jack Brydon as Legs
  • James Swanton as The Spirit

Development

The film has its basis in a short video created by Rob Savage in early 2020. The short featured Savage investigating strange sounds in his attic while on a group video chat with others. It was initially intended as a prank, as the others were unaware that a frightening visage would pop up on camera, and Savage placed the video online, where it went viral.[1][2] Savage found the format easy to watch and chose to apply it to a feature length film. He has stated that the short's success enabled him to create Host.[1]

Host was filmed while quarantine restrictions were in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Savage had to direct the actors remotely while they had to set up their own cameras, lighting, and stunts.[3] Practical effects were also handled by the actors and a virtual workshop was held on how to set up effects such as "moving doors, making things fly off shelves". Savage has stated that the movie took twelve weeks to complete, from conception to its delivery to Shudder.[4]

Release

Host was released as a Shudder exclusive on July 30, 2020.[5]

Reception

Critical reception for Host has been positive. The film holds an approval rating of 100% on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes based on 38 reviews, with an average rating of 7.9/10. The site's critics' consensus states: "Lean, suspenseful, and scary, Host uses its timely premise to deliver a nastily effective treat for horror enthusiasts."[6] Common praise for Host centered around its themes of social separation and anxiety.[7][8] Comparisons were made between the film and the 2014 horror film Unfriended, which also featured supernatural activity occurring during a group video chat, by outlets such as the New York Times and Rue Morgue.[9][10] RogerEbert.com's Simon Abrams rated the film at 2 1/2 stars, comparing Host unfavorably to films with the same format, stating that "Savage and co-writers Gemma Hurley and Jed Shepherd do a fine enough job setting up their movie’s better set pieces, but it’s hard to overlook some obvious foreshadowing here, and some ham-fisted symbolism there."[11]

References
  1. Munday, Rob. "From Zoom prank to feature: The story of Rob Savage's 'Host'". Short of the Week. Retrieved 2020-08-06.
  2. "How new horror film 'Host' was made on Zoom in lockdown". Yahoo Movies UK. Retrieved 2020-08-06.
  3. Ramos, Dino-Ray; Ramos, Dino-Ray (2020-07-07). "Shudder Invokes Quarantine Spirits With Remotely Filmed Horror Film 'Host'". Deadline. Retrieved 2020-08-06.
  4. Johnson, G. Allen. "Behind the scenes of 'Host,' a British horror film shot on Zoom". Datebook (San Francisco Chronicle). Retrieved 2020-08-06.
  5. "First Trailer for Smash Hit Horror Film 'Host' Made Entirely on Zoom". FirstShowing.net. Retrieved 2020-08-06.
  6. "Host (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes.
  7. Lee, Benjamin (2020-07-31). "Host review – surprisingly effective Zoom-based horror". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2020-08-06.
  8. WHITTAKER, RICHARD (July 31, 2020). "Movie Review: Host". Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 2020-08-06.
  9. "Review: "Host" Is The Socially-Distanced Séance Of Your Nightmares". Rue Morgue. Retrieved 2020-08-06.
  10. Turner, Kyle (2020-07-30). "'Host' Review: A Zoom Séance Channels Spirits and Melancholy". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-08-06.
  11. Abrams, Simon. "Host movie review & film summary (2020)". Roger Ebert. Retrieved 2020-08-06.
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