Review of The Guest (2014) by Sue J — 11 Dec 2014

As is the case around Halloween, the movie community presents the audience with a new psychological action thriller with many dark and violent scenes to wet the genre lover's appetite. The film in question is The Guest, directed and edited by Adam Wingard and written directly for the screen by Simon Barrett. The movie stars Dan Stevens, late of Downton Abbey fame. The film deals with the Peterson family's struggle over the loss of their son Caleb, who was killed in Afghanistan and the visit by a former soldier, David Collins (played frightenly by Dan Stevens), who states to have been a friend of their son and is fulfilling a promise he made to Caleb to take care of his family. While appearing to be friendly and polite, he is asked to stay as long as he needs to with the Peterson family, but as the film progresses the audience discovers the very dark side of David Collins.

Much is happening to this family: Mr. Peterson is having trouble at work and Luke, the son, comes home with a black eye that he has obtained while being attacked by a group of students. David, with Luke's help, follows these students, humiliates and beats them in a fight while convincing the bartender to not tell anyone what has transpired. Being invited to attend a party with a very reluctant Anna, the sister, where he does manage to save Anna's friend Kristen from her ex-boyfriend, then has sex with her. He also finds out where to buy a gun from Anna's friend Craig. Anna then offers to make David a CD of music he has heard her play and accepts the offer. He teaches the son Luke some self-defense, giving Luke a knife as well, and then kills Craig and his friend, taking the guns and a few grenades with him that he went to buy from those two.

Anna, who has become suspicious of David, calls the military base inquiring about him, which alerts Major Carver, who puts together a team of Special Forces and goes looking for David. Anna learns that David has died in a fire about a week ago and becomes upset when she hears that Craig has been murdered and that her boyfriend Zeke is being blamed for it. Luke also finds out that his father's boss and girlfriend are dead as well. Arriving at school with Mrs. Peterson, David convinces the principal to let Luke off with detention for the fight he had with a fellow student. David also learns that Anna has become suspicious and that Luke believes that David is responsible for all the people who are dead recently. Major Carver and his forces try to kill David, but except for Carver himself, David kills all the others including Mrs. Peterson. While trying to escape, he also crashes into Mr. Peterson's car, killing him. The weird thing in all this is that David apologizes to the Petersons for what he has done.

It is here that we learn what is really wrong with David that he is a test subject for a military program and that he has been programmed to kill everyone who could possibly know about it if he feels his identity is comprised. Anna's friend Kristen is next on the hit list while David destroys the restaurant she worked in and then goes to the school to finish off Luke. The school gym is decorated like a haunted house for the Halloween dance where both Carver and Anna have gone to warn Luke and help him escape from David. Playing the CD that Anna made for him, David lets others know that he is there, killing a teacher and finally Carver. Anna, using Carver's gun, shoots David, but he manages to stab her while attempting t choke her. Luke stabs David with the knife David has given him and dies, complimenting Luke on doing the right thing by killing him.

The film ends with firefighters putting out the now burning building, while Anna and Luke, sitting outside the school see a firefighter leaving the building, and it appears that it is David, who seems to have survived. (The obvious set up for a sequel next Halloween!).

As already stated, Dan Stevens plays the role of David, ex-Marine who terrorizes a military family. Maika Monroe plays Anna, who becomes very suspicious of David and decides she must protect her younger brother Luke, played well by Brendan Meyer. Lance Reddick was Major Carver, Sheila Kelley as Laura Peterson and Leland Orser as the father Spencer. The supporting cast played their roles well and added to the suspense factor of the film.

Filmed in New Mexico, the area only added more to the dark thrills this movie evoked as well as the abilities of Dan Stevens as the violent psychopath to make his character appear eerily polite, calm and very placid, when in actuality, he is a threatened murderer. The acting was above par, as was the music, cinematography, and overall suspense. However, as much as this was supposed to be a "slasher" film, it fell way short. It was just not "scary enough," and was very reminiscent of the 1980s John Carpenter films and perhaps Hitchcock's Shadow of Doubt. Not enough clues sprinkled throughout the film to understand what was really going on and who was responsible for all the brutal murders. Plus, as good as Stevens is as an actor, he was much better in his role in Walk Among the Tombstones. The visual effects, especially of the haunted house motif in the school, were handled well, but the special effects were not very impressive. The story and dialog was also very weak and could have been handled much better.

Not recommended for those faint of heart. There was a lot of violence, blood, and gory, but if a fan of this genre, it is a film to be seen and for those who remember Stevens in Downton Abbey, this is a treat to see him in a very different performance. GRADE: 3 of 5 crowns.