Hosts

Film: Hosts

Year: 2020

Directors: Richard Oakes and Adam Leader

Writer: Adam Leader and Richard Oakes

Starring: Neal Ward, Samantha Loxley and Frank Jakeman

Review:

This was a film that I found when searching for horror films that were set around Christmas. I feel like I heard about this one, but I’m not entirely sure. There was a stretch where multiple movies came out with similar titles. I do believe that I had this on my list of ones to check out at some point. It does double as a Journey through the Aughts watch as well.

Synopsis: on Christmas Eve, an innocent couple become hosts to a malicious entity. They go to their neighbors for dinner which turns into a night of terror in unimaginably violent and disturbing ways.

We start this at the bottom of a hole and rise toward the sky as we get the opening credits. It then cuts over to an empty train. The driver moves through the first car as he walks toward home. His name is Jack (Neal Ward). He heads through a field and we see him walking toward Michael (Frank Jakeman). What we’ll learn is that they’re neighbors. Michael has killed birds for dinner that night. Michael and his partner, Lucy (Samantha Loxley) are coming over.

Like the synopsis said, it is Christmas Eve. Jack and Lucy share gifts. His is heartfelt and it makes her question what she got for him. This moment is broken when she thinks she sees a light in the garden. He goes out to look. That’s when he hears something coming from inside their house. He sees the door is open and Lucy is missing. There are noises coming from upstairs. What he sees is shocking.

That’s when we shift over to Michael’s home. His wife is Cassie (Jennifer K Preston). She is preparing dinner and wants him to help her. They have three children. Lauren (Nadia Lamin) is playing a game with Ben (Buddy Skelton). She’s not paying attention as she’s having issues with her boyfriend, Matt (Adam Leader). Eric (Lee Hunter) is the older son.

Jack and Lucy show up, but they’re acting odd. Michael and Jack go out to the garage, where Lucy just randomly moves about the house. She also goes out to the garage, where we see her grab a hammer. Dinner is served and there is a message that Cassie finally wants to share with her family. It brings everyone to tears. This begins the nightmare though as Lucy does the unspeakable. Jack demands that everyone eat. This is the first insane thing that happens as things continue to escalate.

That is where I’ll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. Where I want to start is that this reminds me of other similar films. This has its own take on it, which is good. It did remind me of something like Await Further Instructions. I do think most of that is a family getting together and what should be a good time during a holiday turn into a horrific event. Something else I’ll include here is that I love how the title is a double entendre. These events play out at the house of the hosts. Characters are also a host for something that changes them.

Now that I’ve set that up, let me delve a bit more into what we’re getting here. I’m going to try not to spoil things. I’ll be honest, that would be difficult to do since we don’t truly know what is taking people over. I love what they do with characters who are being taken over where a light is shining out from their mouth. There is a glowing effect that their eyes do as well. That makes it eerie, especially with the use of shadows. That is something I’ll give credit to the filmmaking. The cinematography and framing build the atmosphere through visuals.

Bringing back up this entity, since we aren’t given the explanation, it allows the viewer to piece together what we think. It is possible that whatever is doing this comes from the Earth. My first thought was aliens. I do like the ambiguous nature where they don’t overexplain it. We don’t necessarily need to know either. It is a narrative where we don’t get an expert. It is more seeing these characters trying to survive the night. Seeing the scope of what is happening continues to grow, ramping up tension.

Where I want to then shift would have to deal with the family dynamics. Michael harbors a secret he struggles to reveal. Cassie is hiding a medical issue from everyone except her husband. Lauren is initially self-absorbed, ignoring her game with Ben. Their seemingly normal, loving baseline is tested when they are tortured and forced into unspeakable acts, an aspect that successfully assesses their relationship. There’s an added element with how Jack factors in.

Then to just finish out with themes that I notice is that we’re getting a subversion of the Christian ideal. Part of that could be that this is a tradition, bringing people together and it turns into a nightmare of violence. That could also be an allegory for how capitalism destroyed the holiday with consumerism. That’s a bit far-fetched though and reaching. This is a variation on home invasion. You could also see what happens throughout this night as a series of betrayal and elements of neglect.

Let’s move then to the acting, which does carry this film. Ward and Loxley's initial performance provides a solid baseline before they’re taken over. Intriguingly, the family notes their odd behavior but adheres to societal norms by ignoring it. Jakeman, as the father, has a good dynamic with Preston. A depraved event breaks Michael, and his reaction is excellent. Hunter and Skelton work well as brothers. Lamin is given more depth, portrayed as selfish, making a harsh, potentially irreparable decision. Leader and the rest of the cast capably round out the needed roles.

All that is left then will be the filmmaking aspects. The cinematography and framing were good. It is able to capture the claustrophobic feeling when it gets contained to this house. There are a few reveals that help build on this as well. I love the effect of someone who is possessed, from the light coming out of their mouth to their glowing eyes. We also get brutal effects throughout this. That was a good touch. It looks like those were all done practically. I also thought that the music and sound design fit what was needed, building tension as needed.

In conclusion, this is a memorable Christmas horror film that cleverly uses its title as a double entendre for the setting and the core possession. Directors Richard Oakes and Leader craft a tense, claustrophobic atmosphere with strong practical effects, atmospheric cinematography, and committed performances, especially from Ward, Loxley, and Jakeman. Maintaining engaging ambiguity about the entity, the film subverts holiday cheer, turning a family gathering into a night of extreme psychological and physical terror. For fans of home invasion and body horror with a festive twist, Hosts delivers a brutal, unsettling, and surprisingly thoughtful genre entry.

My Rating: 7 out of 10