October means it's time for Halloween Moviefest 2020! I will be watching one horror movie per day to celebrate this spooky season!
Watched: 10/1/2020
Streaming Platform: Amazon Prime Rental
Note: This review is spoiler free, but a spoiler section follows after the warning.
There was a lot of buzz about this film when it first came out. I was already planning my Halloween Moviefest, so I decided to wait to watch this film. I knew it was a short film (under an hour) that was filmed during quarantine. Some research revealed that Zoom was not only used as a storytelling device, but the director used it to direct the film. The actors were also instructed on how to do their own practical effects.
The story is simple. A group of friends gather on Zoom for a séance. A medium joins them, gives very specific instructions on what to do, and guides them. When the group breaks the rules, they summon something terrifying and deadly. What follows is scary AF.
Yeah, I said it.
This movie is SCARY AF. It literally gave me chills. I rarely watch movies with demons, but this one paid off in spades. I loved the tension that builds as the séance goes awry and tensions flare. I also love all the stuff that is happening in the background that you might miss.
The cast are the real life friends of the director and it shows. The camaraderie and tension is pitch perfect. I read where the director gave loose instructions and the actors improvised. The drinking game was the result, which was amusing.
I watched Host with one eye peeking out from behind the blanket I was swathed in while curled up on my sofa. Kody Boye, my BFF, watched it on the other sofa with a pillow clutched in his arms. It’s that kind of movie.
I really loved it. It was fun, SCARY AF, and the perfect way to start off the Halloween Moviefest.
Host is a Shudder original. You can download the app and register for a free trial.
Spoiler Section . . . . . . . . . . . We know that Jemma made up Jack, but gave very specific details of his existence and suicide by hanging. This allows the demonic presence drawn to the séance to pretend to be Jack. Hanging is a big factor in the demon’s appearances and kills. Frankly, the scariest one to me was when one of the friends is walking to the back of her apartment to find her boyfriend and over her shoulder you see his arms dangling above her as he’s hoisted upward.
The practical effects are really well done. There’s a touch of CGI on the demon at the end as he sheds his Jack disguise, but it was perfect and scary.
I definitely believe Jack killed the medium first. The voice on the phone was him luring them into opening themselves up even more so he could attack them. Things get really damn crazy after that point.
Also, I wonder if there is a chance Jemma made it out alive. She technically created Jack. So would he give her a pass? Or keep her for last?
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