The Guest: Movie Review

I loved Adam Wingard’s 2011 horror flick “You’re Next”, so I was quite frustrated when I didn’t make it to the premiere of his latest offering “The Guest” at SXSW last March. My frustration grew when I heard from multiple sources how awesome it was. Well, seven months later, I have now had the chance to see it with my own eyes and I must say, “The Guest” is a whole lot of fun. It is not a horror film exactly, but I am sure horror fans will have as much enjoyment with this one as they did with “You’re Next”, thanks in no small part to returning screenwriter Simon Barrett.

Laura (Sheila Kelly) and Spencer Peterson (Leland Oser) have been grieving over the loss of their son Caleb, who died during combat. Caleb also left behind siblings Luke (Brendan Meyer) and Anna (Maika Monroe). Arriving on the Peterson’s doorstep one afternoon is David (Dan Stevens), who claims to have been very close with Caleb while in the military. David has arrived to deliver a message to the family, letting them know that Caleb was thinking of them in his final moments and that he loved them very much.

It is clear to the audience pretty quickly that there is something not quite right with David, but he hides it well from the family. This is why they welcome the stranger into their home. David begins to spend some time with each family member, but it is the youngest sibling Luke, who David grows on the most. Kicking the asses of all the kids that picked on Luke in high school will do that. Anna finds herself attracted to David, but the relationship between the two doesn’t actually go where I thought it would and that is a good thing. “The Guest” does not fall into cliché trappings, at least not all of them.

The best part of “The Guest” is Dan Stevens, who is able to make David charming, disturbing, and funny all at the same time. He is absolutely fantastic. As the story progresses it takes interesting turns, though it reminds me most of the 1980’s version of “The Stepfather” at times. There is also a wicked soundtrack that adds to the film’s vibe.

Make sure to check out “The Guest” this weekend. It is not showing on a massive amount of screens, so you might have to look to see if it is playing anywhere around you.

By: Marc Ferman