The Guest [DVD]

Fantastic Film from the beginning to the end

I had heard of this film when it got released thank to a positive review by film critic Mark Kermode but like a lot of films it seemed to not really get much of run at the local cinemas but it certainly got a lot of attention for Dan Stevens who plays its main antagonist and is previously known for a role in the soapy period drama Downtown Abbey, a series that I have managed to avoid so far.Apart from Mark Kermode’s review I was also interested in this film because the director Adam Windgard and writer Simon Barrett had worked together on the film You’re Next as well as the VHS anthology films and that interested me enough to make curious about this film.The Peterson family are still grieving the death of their eldest son while he was serving in the army in the Middle East and out of the blue they are visited by David who claims to have trained and served with their son. David easily charms his way into the family but he may not be who he claims to be.I enjoyed this film even if I didn’t rate it as highly as BBC’s Mark Kermode. The story kept me wanting to continue watching as events unfolded and I was left satisfied by the end. It isn’t original but seems to be an amalgamation of elements of many films but I still a feel that this film is more than just a sum of its influences. The cast were all good but Dan Stevens stands out playing David with genuine charm and menace. Maika Munroe was pretty good as Anna Peterson the rebellious teenage daughter and I noticed Chase Williamson from John Dies at the End playing another character as Anna’s musician boyfriend and also spotted Lance Reddick playing Broyles from FringeMusic is an important part of this film and it reminded me of the electronic music previously used in films like Drive, Maniac and You’re Next which are all similarly influenced by violent thrillers from the 70s & 80s.

Great film! Not the most complex plot, the acting is good (not great) but the piece de resistance is the synthwave soundtrack. Absolutely brilliant. Nice twist at the end as well.

Its okay I watched it through but the story is pretty weak and far fetched and the last 30 minutes gets a bit silly

Dan Stevens takes sheer ownership of Adam Wingard's 'The Guest' in his Hollywood debut, with the kind of charming self-assurance that screams 'natural star'. As 'David', he turns up on the doorstep of a recently bereaved family and explains that he was good friends with their deceased son and served with him in the military. His charm and sincerity win them over, and soon he's involved in every aspect of their lives, soothing grief, fixing problems, and generally sorting their lives out. But surely he's too good to be true? The Guest might be paced too lugubriously for some viewers, especially if they've been sold on the 'Bourne Identity meets the Terminator' nonsense on the cover, which is highly inaccurate marketing. Wingard's films rely on the indulgence of the audience to give them time, to soak up the story and character moments before anything meaningful is given away, and this one is no different. I adored it, as the writing and pacing always leave you with something interesting going on, and some degree of intrigue about possible hidden motives. When revelations occur in the plot, they start off as brief, sharp moments of confusion, and then begin to fit together into something far more compelling and exciting, until the film picks up pace into a thoroughly well earned final third of excitement. All of the cast are great, the plot moments that you expect don't always happen in the manner you assume (if at all) and the filming is gorgeous. 'David' is one of the best film characters of the last year, and The Guest one of the best thrillers.

You know exactly what is going to happen in this film. If you have seen the poster or the trailer you know where it is going. Even if you go into the film blind, the synth soundtrack tells you where the film is going.But it's all done so well!This is very much a film of two halves. The first sets everything up and develops things nicely through Stevens' charming and likeable performance and the slow menacing soundtrack.Then about an hour in character development and set up is done and the soundtrack tells you it is a sprint to the finish. With increasingly stylised scenes and lighting and the volume of the soundtrack being progressively cranked.This film has been described as "The Bourne Identity crossed with the Terminator", and this is pretty accurate. Chances are you have seen many of these parts before, but the overall execution brings it all together nicely.I enjoyed it, as did the wife; a rare thing indeed.

This is unexpectedly good and often gives the vibes of an early 80s horror B-movie. The soundtrack certainly pushes it in this direction. Dan Stevens, although on paper seems an odd choice (at the time), turns out to be a genius decision on his and the producers' part. It just works, and he elevates the film beyond being just a solid, low(ish) budget, but ultimately basic movie, to something very watchable. If they ever decide to go sociopathic and dark with James Bond (highly unlikely), this is an excellent showcase for Stevens being a contender.

Worth all the money

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

waow, Adam Wingard, réalisateur du l'excellent "you're next" livre ici un film d'action au suspens et au rythme trèpidants. Dan Stevens (découvert dans "downton abbey" à 1000 km de "the guest") est absolument impeccable en psychopathe de service. Seul petit bemol, l'"explication" de la dernière demi heure n'est pas à la hauteur du reste. Mais on ne va pas faire la fine bouche, j'ai passé 1h40 de très haut niveau et je ne comprends absolument pas pour quelle raison ce film est sorti à l'époque directement en DVD. 5/5 le top

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

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!

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.