Host Review: Stop Messing Around with Spirits Already

In the supernatural horror movie Host, six friends, during quarantine, hire a medium to take part in a seance over a Zoom call. However, what starts off as fun and games soon turn very sinister.

Host Review: Don’t F Around With Spirits

Host is a satisfying, very short horror movie that is a treat to watch. It starts off innocently – six friends joking around, planning on downing shots whenever the medium says “astral plane”, you know, the usual. However, unlike usual seances, this one’s taking place over a Zoom call. So, you don’t have the luxury of actually being there with each other. This also gives way to internet disruptions, and we all know how undependable that can be.

The medium tells them what to do, and they comply. Until Jemma fakes an encounter and Seylan, the medium, goes off the call. The girls, left to their own devices, face something they are absolutely not ready to face.

Host features the usual tropes of horror movies. There are plenty of jumpscares and spooky noises. But even if it lacks the innovation, it makes up for it with the execution. There’s something about this movie that absolutely terrified me. Maybe it’s the great use of the present situation and the grainy picture quality, but the movie does a great job of doing what it’s supposed to do. However, be warned, everything that you see here has been pretty much done to death previously, so don’t expect any surprises.

In spite of the sheer number of jumpscares, they mesh well with the overall theme of the movie. The anticipation of something about to happen in the background when no one notices makes you wait and watch with bated breath. Host also makes good use of the technology that we spend time with day in and day out during the quarantine.

I think the best thing that the movie did was keep its runtime short. With movies like these, there’s only so much you can do. Stretching it for too long usually takes away the tension. So, at just 56 minutes, it’s packed with enough scares to make it a thrilling watch throughout.

However, my biggest, and only, problem with Host is the demonic entity. I loved it when the group was haunted by something they couldn’t see, which I expect a demon to do. Why would I show myself when I can just be invisible and toy with someone? The CGI demon totally took away from the suspense, and it wasn’t just one time – it made an appearance one too many times. The horrors of the unknown and unseen are probably more than CGI demons can even provide, and that’s something most movies don’t keep in mind.

Host Review: Final Thoughts

Regardless of the demon though, there are some cool-yet-simple kills in the movie that are delightful to watch. Host’s 56-minutes runtime makes for an entertaining and mostly horrifying watch. The good casting and their honest performances add to the thrill of watching the movie.

Read our other reviews here.