 HOSTS Directed by: Adam Leader and Richard Oakes Written by: Adam Leader Distributor: Dark Sky Films Produced by: Gillan Williams and Craig Hinde Cast: Neal Ward (Two Graves, To Dream), Samantha Loxley (Election Night, Skin Deep), Frank Jakeman (A View to Kill, Rise of the Krays), Nadia Lamin, Lee Hunter (Vikings, Eastenders), Jennifer Preston, Buddy Skelton a lean, mean, uncompromising, brutal film that will leave the viewer wishing they had a bigger sofa to hide behind, and double-checking the door locks before heading off to bed. Well, 2020 has been the year that came the closest to breaking me and so many of the readers of the site. If it was a horror movie, 2020 would have been laughed out of the cinema for being far too unbelievable, stupid, and filled with a cast of characters so unrelatable that no one would want to spend a minute in their company, let alone 90 minutes or more. Thankfully, though for the horror movie fans 2020, has been an exceptional year, one of the best vintages for a long time. With such greats as VFW, Relic, Sea Fever, The Wretched, The Platform, and Host. And now heading to a screen near you is the latest film to get the Ginger Nuts of Horror's seal of approval, Hosts. Now pay attention here this is Hosts not Host, confusing I know, but Hosts had finished production before Host was even first heard off on the horror social media scene, but leaving aside any confusion, what we as horror fans are left with is, is two films with similar-sounding titles that should both rank in everyone's top ten horror films of the year. First conceived by writers and directors Adam Leader and Richard Oakes in 2018, Hosts confirms the well-known notion that Christmas is not what it is all cracked up to be. When a family invites their neighbours, over for dinner on Christmas Eve, they do not realise that their friends are now hosts (see that's where the name comes from), to demonic forces, and they soon find themselves fighting for their lives as their neighbours decide that this will be a Christmas nobody forgets. This is going to be a hard review to write, not because of my feelings towards this film, hell I loved it, but more because it is one of those films that you need to watch knowing as little about it as possible, to gain the full effect. There are several crucial scenes whose impact will be significantly lessened if you are waiting for them to happen. One scene, in particular, left me with the same cold, numb and stunned feeling that I felt after watching Once Were Warriors for the first time. It was so powerful and shocking that I had to pause the screener I was given and get up, to go for a walk and quick smoke. The timing, in terms of the lead up to the scene, and how the scene plays out were a perfect example of a director, cast and writer working together and knowing exactly what was needed for the film to ensure anyone, even a jaded horror fan like myself, would be shocked to the core. However, a horror film shouldn't be judged on scene alone, we all know that for a horror film to work, we have to be engaged from the first shot to the final shot, and if it is terrific, we are still engaged long after the final credit has rolled. (it's been just over a week since I watched Hosts, and I am still mulling it over in my mind such is the effectiveness of this film). While the film itself is relatively simple in concept, mashing a home invasion thriller like The Strangers with a demonic possession film such as The Fallen, its execution on all levels is nothing short of scintillating. From the low key opening scene, up to when the two possessed neighbours enter the house we are lulled into a false sense of security, yes we know there is going to be something nasty on the horizon; otherwise, this wouldn't be an horror film. But as soon as they enter the house, the tension is layered on with a precision we normally only expect from a seasoned horror director, with every element of the cast and production team working in perfect unison to create a genuinely unsettling experience. Adam and Richard's direction is tight, and on point throughout the film, but respectful enough to allow the small cast of characters to riff of each other's performances. Their direction also has impeccable timing; there are scenes in this film where the driving beats hit that massive bass drum sending booms of terror right into the middle of your gut. No scene outstays its welcome, there isn't a point in the film where your attention wanders, waiting for the story to move to the next stage. Much of the success of the film's directional success could be down to their experiences of music video production, but either way, this is a directing duo, that have great things ahead of them. As mentioned above, in term of plot points and narrative structure this is, at its heart, a pretty simple movie, which is by no means a criticism, I particularly loved how there is very little time given over to unnecessary, heavy-handed exposition. Within minutes we know what is going on, thanks to the creative use of a news report, we know the couple are the latest victims of a demonic plague. We know that terrible things are going to happen to the neighbours, and that's pretty much it in terms of a background story. The effectiveness of the film would have been hampered if there was any attempt at trying to expand on this. Those of you looking for a nice neat, thoroughly explained film might have to leave your expectations at the door. Hosts plays its cards very close to its chest and keeps its poker face unflinching until it's time to reveal the royal flush (note I have no idea if that's the best hand in poker). The film also looks stunning, the use of the limited locations is used to their full potential, with some fantastic shooting angles and repeating motifs, the Stag head, in particular, is a stroke of genius. I loved the way it was used as a sort of a scene break, and a foreboding precursor for the things to come. The colour-grading used throughout the movie is also excellent, with a special shout out to the outdoor scenes, the electric blue wash given these shots lends the film an otherworldly sense of dread and disorientation. Wrapping up everything that we see on the screen is a sumptuous score by Benjamin Symons. The mark of a great score is one that never becomes obtrusive, but understands that its purpose is to lift what is happening on the screen without it taking over. Symons' score adds a wonderful layer of creepy tension to the film complementing each scene to the fullest. But all of this is a moot point if the acting can't live up to the technical production side of a film. When a film relies on the performances of seven actors, for its entire run, there needs to be a strong sense of compatibility between the actors. The ensemble cast of Hosts is a tight knit entity, Frank Jakeman (A View to Kill, Rise of the Krays), Nadia Lamin, Lee Hunter (Vikings, Eastenders), Jennifer Preston, Buddy Skelton, deliver accomplished performances of the family brutalised by their neighbours. The nuanced acting allows the viewer to become completely immersed in their plight, and even allowed for a suspension of disbelief with regards to how the characters react to a specific scene. I was initially a bit put off by it, but after dwelling on the scene, and those leading up to it, I can now see it as a refined portrayal of shock and grief. A great horror film needs a great monster or two, and with Neal Ward (Two Graves, To Dream), and Samantha Loxley Hosts has two gloriously gruesome monsters. Whether they are coming across as cold faced emotionless dinner guests, or when they kick it up a gear to the utter embodiment of psychotic killer, you can see that they are relishing the opportunity to flex their acting muscles. They say it's in the eyes, and both Neal and Samantha, have that cold, cold stare of a real killer. And yet even when they are maxing out on the psych front, their performances remain wholly grounded. One of my biggest gripes in horror films where the monster is human is far too many times the depiction drifts into pantomime villain territory. Thankfully both Neal and Samantha have the acting chops to prevent this from ever coming close to happening. There is a scene in the attic of the house that displays their refined acting ability correctly, but you will be captivated by their performance throughout the film. Also of note, the chemistry between Nadia and Samantha was another highlight of the film. There is a sort of ying-yang thing going on here with Nadia's emotionally charged depiction of a doe eyed victim contrasting perfectly with cold unflinching portrayal of the possessed killer. There is a underplayed fragility to Nadia's performance, more than matches the psychotic performances from Samantha and Neil. I'd hate this year to be the year where two films went head to head just for the sake of having similar titles, I loved Host, and I love Hosts, they are two completely different films that share nothing other than their names. And this reviewer is not going to do either film a disservice by saying which one they preferred, even if they both feature in my top 5 films of the year. What I will say though, is this, Hosts is a triumph of filmmaking, acting and storytelling, a lean, mean, uncompromising, brutal film that will leave the viewer wishing they had a bigger sofa to hide behind, and double-checking the door locks before heading off to bed. read our interview with Richard and Adam here  |
Archives
April 2023
|
RSS Feed
|
|