Host

 

Name: Host

Directed By: Rob Savage 

Subgenre: Supernatural Found Footage

Series: Spooktober 2020 entry #27; review #89

Review: Five gal pals and their asshole friend Teddy decide to host a séance via Zoom for shits and giggles because it's 2020 and the world was under quarantine, but when they decide to fuck around with spirits, they soon find out why that's a pretty stupid thing to do. Host was released in the height of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown and, despite what the teaser image below might seem, the entirely of the film is shot via Zoom conference. It is an incredibly lean horror film as well, clocking in at little under an hour long: Host sets up its premise and quickly ramps up its scares (with plenty of well-executed jump scares to boot) until its climactic conclusion. There is very little room to breathe in between scenes, and the film's medium only heightens audience engagement and suspension of disbelief: you don't even want to blink for fear that you'll miss something since Host is so tightly packed. Savage has masterfully cut out the unnecessary fat and created a simple but enthralling ghost story, which is impressive enough without factoring in the fact that it's constrained entirely by the limitations of Zoom. Host capitalizes on the uncertainty of quarantine life and rockets itself into the found footage (of a sort) pantheon. You won't want to remember life in 2020, but you certainly don't want to forget about this movie if you're a horror fiend. But, that's not the only quintessential COVID-19 pandemic film I've got in store. Just you wait...

Overall Score: 4.5 out of 5 Chads stuck buffering to death! Did Host scare you? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

IMDB: Here

How to Watch: Host is available on these platforms.

Official Trailer