The Guest is the greatest spectacle of film making anyone will see this year, and perhaps ever. It is a throwback to a different era of film that is so bad ass, so invigorating, so suspenseful, so edge of your seat and so damn entertaining that it's almost hard to think a film this great could still be made. It's not surprising to report that the film comes courtesy of director Adam Wingard and writer Simon Barrett, the team behind last year's stunning horror flick You're Next. As they did in that film, here they combine two seemingly impossible to mix, completely tired genres and bash them together in a way that would not be expected of anyone walking into the theater. In You're Next, they combined the standard home invasion thriller and the dysfunctional family comedy (it's a great combo even though it suggests The Strangers meets Four Christmases.) Here, Wingard and Barrett take the "you never know who's under your own roof" thriller and the conspiracy thriller genres and make a combination so incredible that it literally sent me into a state of shock leaving the auditorium. A lot of the film's success is due to star Dan Stevens, however, who takes an easily tedious and unbelievable characters and plays both ends of the spectrum exceptionally well.
Stevens plays David, a man who mysteriously shows up on the doorstep of the Peterson household. Their son has died in service and David claims to have been on his squad and says they were really close. Mother Laura (Sheila Kelley) buys into it, if not just to have a memory of her son. However, daughter Anna (Maika Monroe,) son Luke (Brendan Meyer) and father Spencer (Leland Orser) are much more skeptical. They wonder why this man just decided to come to their home out of nowhere. Couldn't he have called to see if it was alright? Why did their son never mention this man? That all changes, however, when David proves to be a compassionate and fun friend to all of them. I choose to end the synopsis here because the less one knows going into this film, the more incredible of a ride it will prove to be.
This is the kind of film that revels in the idea that the audience will be nervous about what will happen next. Another great thriller from this year, Enemy, did this almost as well. This film works brilliantly at keeping the audience on edge about why David is there and what his end goal is. Stevens manages to play David with an increasingly large amount of coolness and relaxation, which makes the suspicious aspect of his visit even more effective. He never tries hard to be cool, which makes the end product of his ease and swagger something of a miracle.
The supporting cast is also great, creating characters that are shockingly sympathetic. These characters are not just people who are there to run around and scream. Rather, these are actually people with jobs, aspirations and lives. While the end may leave some cold due to the current nature of the characters, it is no doubt a fascinating conclusion to behold. The film makes use of its setting, as well. Not only does the middle of nowhere dwelling make the ambiguous nature of David more thrilling but such settings as a pre-Halloween dance decorated gymnasium and an off the beaten path bar are used to great effect.
The Guest will certainly not be for everyone. Its concept may be too broad and loosely threaded for some while others may find the nervousness that comes from watching Stevens too much to handle. However, it is an exceptional piece of film making for anyone looking for a classic throwback to horror films from the 80's that directors and screenwriters seem incapable of producing any more. In other words, if you think you're excited to see this film, then by all means see it.
(5 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated R for strong violence, language, some drug use and a scene of sexuality)
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