"Blood-soaked action trash of the highest grade."
There's no denying that film fans are living in a golden age where information is everywhere.
One look at your phones can give you an endless amount of trailers, news, and reviews while websites like Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic provide us with a pretty decent barometer regarding overall quality.
This being said, in an environment where spoilers and plot details are becoming more and more frequent, there's something glorious about watching a film with little or no prior knowledge about what to expect. What makes things even better is if the film is so good that it knocks you back.
Adam Wingard accomplished that feat.
Since being released in 2014,
The Guest has become a bonafide cult-classic because it's such a brilliant homage to the films that we all adored in the '80s, especially the work of John Carpenter.
If you haven't seen the thriller-horror then you're in luck.
The plot revolves around a soldier (Dan Stevens) that returns from war and 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.
We're not going to ruin the film for you but Dan Stevens' performance is so good that you'll genuinely think he's the perfect mix of Jason Bourne, The Terminator, and Halloween's Michael Myers. That might sound weird but after seeing it you'll know why that description fits.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cv70SzAa9zw
Clip via - Picturehouse
The Guest isn't the most original film you'll see but its brilliance stems from the fact that you feel like you're watching something familiar and yet, you're still utterly gripped by what's in store. It also helps that the violence is brutal and it also features one of the most unnerving close-up shots in recent memory.
Special praise goes to the wonderful synth-heavy soundtrack and
Maika Monroe's badass performance as the film's heroine, Anna.
With an 89% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and 76% on the more reliable Metacritic, it's clear that The Guest really resonated with film critics. This being said, it's not the only great film from Adam Wingard that's on TV later.
Variety - "The ultimate genre movie love letter."
Philadelphia Inquirer- "The Guest borrows from other genre pictures with such intelligence and clarity of purpose, it manages to feel fresh, exciting."
Empire - "Mainstream audiences may find this too oddball to appreciate as a straight thriller. But tune into its strange frequency and there is much to enjoy - perhaps even adore."
Slate - "The Guest isn't here to deliver an earnest social message about the state of veterans' affairs. Instead, the way good horror movies do, it channels our collective fear, guilt, and rage by creating a monster."
The Guest is on Film 4 on Friday night - 6 July - at 12:40am
