The Guest

While I certainly am no fan of Adam Wingard’s overrated Your’e Next, I did have a really good time with this fun and very 80s thriller. The story finds the Peterson family grieving over the death of their son Caleb, who died while serving overseas in the military. A man named David (Dan Stevens) shows up at the door unexpectedly, claiming to be an ex-soldier and a very close friend of Caleb’s, who he says asked David to check in on them before he died. They invite David to stay with them and he quickly bonds with the husband and wife (Sheila Kelley and Leland Orser) and their two remaining kids, teen Luke (Brendan Meyer) and twenty year-old Anna (Maika Monroe). Soon, though, when bodies start to pile up in town, it starts to become clear to Anna that the charming and handsome former solider may not be who he seems and is determined to find out just who they have welcomed into their house and what his real intentions are.First of all, if nothing else, this film has a great 80s vibe, especially with Steve Moore’s electronic score, that evokes Tangerine Dream, and Robby Baumgartner’s cinematography. Second of all, the film is just a lot of fun. We know right from his first charming smile that this guy is not who he seems and that this devil wears an angel’s face. The fun is watching him charm himself into the Petersons’ life, telling them exactly what they want to hear about Caleb, saving Luke from school bullies and helping make dinner…all the while giving us, the audience, little glimpses that there is something far darker and far more lethal behind that boyish grin. Wingard gleefully and skillfully, let’s us in on what this heartbroken family refuses to see…David is a dangerous and possibly unstable man. Once Anna starts to suspect, we know she is immediately putting herself in danger. And it’s even more fun when we find out just how much danger and just who David really is. I must say I didn’t expect the film to go in the direction that Adam Wingard and scripter Simon Barrett take this story and it’s a blast to see it play out. There are some fun and shocking surprises along the way, too. What really makes it all work, though, is that it’s makers know exactly what kind of movie they are making here. They know exactly when to play it cool and exactly when to have some fun and go a little over-the-top. And the 80s vibe is definitely deliberate as certain scenes evoked the glory days of Seagal and Norris, had they played more villainous roles. It’s not perfect. The Peterson’s seem a bit too eager to allow this stranger into their home, especially mom, Laura. Luke’s willingness to go along with David’s deception, even after Anna suspects him of murder seems a bit far-fetched and leads to a betrayal that’s a bit hard to swallow. Despite the two bonding, it seems quite a stretch that Luke would still trust David after all the suspicions and deceptions come to light. When we get the big reveal, we could have had a bit clearer picture as to what is going on with the ex-soldier, too. It’s not vague but, a few more details would have been nice. Flaws aside, though, it’s a good time with some nice suspense and a thrilling and action-packed third act that keeps you from dissecting things too much till it’s over…and by then you’ve had too good a time to be overly critical.As for the actors, the cast are all very good. Dan Stevens almost fools us with his charming ex-soldier but, let’s just enough of the devil in for us to know something is up. When the ‘cat is out of the bag’, so to speak, he is convincingly lethal when the bullets and blood start to fly. And it makes it even more fun to watch him keep the wool over the unsuspecting family’s eyes. Maika Monroe is a nice surprise as the sweet but, strong-willed Anna. She has the look of a young Brittany Murphy and may just have the acting chops too. She plays a tough girl willing to go up against a possible killer to protect her family. Meyer is solid as the meek Luke. He’s the one who bond’s tightest with David and obviously, is the last to believe David is dangerous to him and his family. Meyer convey’s the confused emotions well when it starts to be believed that David is not who he seems. Kelley and Orser are also good as parents Laura and Spencer. Two adults that are too wrapped up in their own grief and lives to see something is definitely off with their guest. They convey that obliviousness and yearning to believe something is real to soothe their inner pain, even though it’s increasingly obvious it’s not. A good cast who take their roles seriously and make this flick work very well.So, I really enjoyed The Guest. Even without some very heavy 80s influence on it’s story and style, this is just a fun movie that knows what it’s about and just goes with it in the right degrees…and at the right times. We have a solid cast and some good direction by Adam Wingard that makes this story work, even when it sometimes asks for a little suspension of disbelief. The key here is Wingard knows that we know something’s up and he respects that we’ve seen a lot of this before and so he just has a good time telling the familiar tale and takes us along for the ride. And yes, Mr. Wingard, I saw the Halloween III easter egg…well played. A fun retro movie with a great soundtrack of songs, too!

It was okay

I had never heard of this film, which is rare for modern films if they are good. It was not quite what I expected at first and had some surprises, but in the end it was somewhat predictable. However, still very enjoyable and the main actor is actually a really great actor super talented and his character was so intriguing and fun to watch. Definitely worth watching when you are in the mood for a thriller/suspense or Halloween film.

Is it predictable? Yes, but what action movie isn't these days?The more important questions is, is it fun and entertaining? Yes, it is. Sure, there are some typical unbelievable scenes and shaking your head in doubt moments. This is an action and suspense movie, after all. Along the same theme, you aren't going to be blown away by the acting or gripped by the story elements, either.Go in expecting an action movie and you will be fine and even enjoy yourself. Go in wanting to be amazed with an Oscar worthy story and performance and you will be disappointed.

Like it

I really like this movie 5 stars from everyone that had a chance to watch it at my place and our ages very from 21 to 67

Really loved this movie. Definitely intriguing!

I mean, I'm not sure if this review will pass the vibe check but the first hour of this movie was just a collection of steamy vanilla chaos dished out by talented and gorgeous Dan Stevens (He also starred in Downtown Abbey). The story follows a mysterious stranger who appears on the doorstep of a Gold Star family claiming to be a friend of their deceased son who served in the military. Nice, charming, he wins over the family quickly. He's like a McKinsey consultant as he solves problems for the family the first half of the movie - albeit violently - and just has an air of confident, sexiness about him. Then, of course, as the plot thickens - well - thins - everything just turns into a predictable melange of violence and chaos and becomes less enjoyable as the run time wears down. I knew the ending before it ended. I would have liked to see more of the first half and maybe had a more happy plot, but the way he sort of stares off into space at times, you know it's not happening. Overall fun film, lots of action, great characters.

Awesome movie that horror fans have adopted. Highly recommended if u like action and horror. Great performances by Dan Steven’s & Maika Monroe 👍. Arrived in perfect brand new condition. 5 ⭐️

Ottima edizione in DVD: qualità video veramente eccellente: lo vidi qualche anno fa e mi è subito piaciuto: non poteva mancare nella mia collezione! Calcolando che solo su Amazon si trova ad un prezzo ragionevole: un thriller action che non annoia un minuto: complice un cast azzeccato, lui in particolare recita davvero bene nella parte del soldato fuori di testa perché vittima di un programma militare: la colonna sonora mista di new Wave, rock and sinth coinvolge tutte le scene più importanti: è da cultori di musica anni 80: peccato si trovi solo a prezzi elevati in formato Vinile: cmq potete ascoltarla su YouTube ed altre piattaforme: è un film che incarna appieno il concetto di bene e male che spesso si trecciano: quindi stai dalla parte delle vittime e nello stesso tempo di lui: è questa la magia di questa pellicola! Non vi resta che vederlo!💪😉🖐️

The media could not be loaded. Très bien arrivé même assez vite pour le dvd, je suis très satisfaite de par le film et très bien avec des rebondissements et de l'action.

Dan Stevens no está mal en ni una sola escena ¿Queréis pasarlo bien sin tener que darle demasiadas vueltas a la cabeza? "The Guest" es vuestra película. ¿Queréis ver buen cine? Curiosamente "The Guest" también es vuestra película. La edición es espectacular de imagen y sonido por lo tanto EDICIÓN OFICIAL de A contracorriente Films, muy recomendable

En cuanto al servicio, me llegó muy pronto. En cuanto a la pelicula, es un concepto muy interesante, ya que va cambiando el tono de la pelicula conforme pasan los minutos, se me hizo como un homenaje a todas esas peliculas de slasher que se hacían en los 80s. Y la musica es una joya. Está recomendada