It's hard to believe that the 1980's could be considered
a 'golden age' of movie making, but perhaps due to the people who grew up or
came of age during that decade, there is no small amount of nostalgia for the
era of the video nasty, Spielberg-Amblin Blockbuster, and the synth-driven
soundtrack. This is at its most evident
in 'The Guest', from up-and-coming cult genre director Adam Wingard (director
of fun slasher-horror satire 'You're Next'); it has the synth-driven score,
some lo-fi and neon lit scenes, and - on occasion - the same wryly gleeful
approach to sex, violence and blood that most straight to video b-movies from
that era did. I'm going to be straight
to the point here - how taken you are with this movie will, for a large part,
be down to how much you subscribe to this overt '80's vibe. If you appreciate the style the director is
deliberately evoking here, then there's very good chance you will have a lot of
fun with this film.
'The Guest' of the title is David (played by Dan Stevens,
who Downton Abbey fans will recognise straight away), who visits the home of a
family who have lost their eldest son in the war. Telling them he was a close friend of their
loved-one, he is welcomed in, and very quickly gains the trust of each family
member in turn. But not long after we
first meet him a single shot of David sat on his own, silent, a menacing look
on his face, tells us that this man is not quite what he appears. To say more would give too much away, but if
you're clued up on '80's genre films - the director admitted the inspiration for this came after viewing Friday the 13th and The Terminator back-to-back - and those
films especially - you might be able to guess where the story is heading.
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| Stevens said he wanted to move away from the 'nice-guy' image of his Downton role; he does this in menacing, anti-heroic style in 'The Guest' |
But before the plot takes these twists, the opening act
presents a marvellous turn from Stevens as David - he is charming, and when it
comes to dealing with anyone threatening to cause trouble for his dead
comrade's families (such as the bullies targeting his kid brother at high
school), he is quite the bad-ass. Often
in the same scene he can suddenly become menacing and threatening - even only
for an instance. Stevens' portrayal of David
makes for a memorable anti-hero, to the extent that big things have been predicted for this actor in future. It's
just as well his performance is so good, as the film is anchored upon it;
without such a memorable turn, this film would be far less effective.
The supporting cast are by no means poor in contrast -
indeed, their turns are spot on: Sheila Kelley as grieving mother Laura, Leland 'that guy from that thing!' Orser as border-line alcoholic father spencer,
Brendan Meyer as the bright but bullied teenage son Luke, and Maika Monroe as resourceful older sister Anna. I liked that this
film doesn't dwell upon the effect that the loss of their son and brother has
had, but economically - through the script and performances - there are
suggestions of how the family is fraying, and each member has dealt with their
grief in their own way in almost isolation from each other. This also feeds in to the set up - this makes
it easier for David to get alongside each member of the family in turn, gaining
their trust and opening up to him.
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| Siblings Luke (Brendan Meyer) and Anna (Maika Monroe) are won over by David, but suspicions soon arise, and Anna proves resourceful... |
But once the plot begins to expand, and we learn the
truth about David, the film very much steps up to the '80's genre mark. Whilst there is fun to be had with this, the cinematography
- which never really captures the grit and grime of those low budget straight-to-video
B-movies from the era this film is trying to evoke - seems too polished in
places. Ironically, despite that the
final act tips a respectful wink to '80's slasher-horrors, I had the feeling
that in reaching this point there was a compromise made - either because the
premise was running out of steam whilst the script was being written, or
because budget limitations held it back; either way, this seems at odds with
the feel of many '80's cult classics that seemed to achieve a lot more story-wise
whilst relishing in their low-budgeted shortcomings. Also, it is possible to argue that this film could have done more with some of the ideas underlying the story - the impact of war and loss on families left behind, combat-stress related disorders - but this film doesn't aspire to be anything other than a celebration of genre movies; something that a few viewers might find a bit disappointing, perhaps.
Whilst there are few who would argue that a whole-scale 1980's movie revival is required, if Wingard's intention was to celebrate the
films of this era that influenced him and many other film-makers - as well as
being highly regarded by those who grew up watching them - then 'The Guest' achieves
this. It is helped in no small part by a
magnetic and memorable turn by Dan Stevens - who seems set for some big roles after this - that, for once, actually leaves the audience wanting to see more. Buoyed along by great supporting turns,
and one of this year's coolest soundtracks, 'The Guest' is guaranteed a devoted
cult following. If you're on the same
wave-length, you'll be happy to join these ranks...
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