Review of The Guest (2014) by Thomas L — 10 Jan 2015

As long as you are able to disregard the plethora of gaping plot holes in The Guest, you may find that there is some fun to be had. I actually wasn't a fan of director Adam Wingard's critically acclaimed Your Next, I found it to be a bit of a snooze with a ridiculous twist.

However, The Guest is a success due in large part to Dan Stevens, who is infinitely creepy as David. The grieving Peterson family seems to warm to David all too easily, perhaps it is because they so long to have their son back, or maybe it's because they are gullible.

Before you know it David is picking the younger brother up from school and accompanying the daughter to a party, for which he so helpfully provides the alcohol. You'd think these people would catch on that something is definitely rotten in Denmark.

Turns out... this guy isn't exactly who he says he is. I loved the 80's era throwback vibe of the score, in fact the film in general is a bit of an homage to classic thrillers of decades past that were so effective in their simplicity.

There were moments in which I was taken aback by the shameless lack of logic and or authenticity in certain scenes, but all one needs is a short term memory, and these things are moot. The government heavies that show up are pretty laughable, but they usually are in these types of films.

Most of what transpires here is typical of the genre, but it's stylish and enthusiastic, even if it ultimately leads to an underwhelming final showdown.