The Guest

Initially I wasn’t too excited about checking out The Guest after finding out that it was directed by Adam Wingard, who directed the terribly overrated You’re Next a few years back. Thankfully, The Guest is much, much, better.

Release Date: Sept. 17, 2014
Runtime: 99 minutes

Dan Stevens plays a solider named David who abruptly shows up at the family house of his friend, Caleb, who died in combat. He knew Caleb well (at least he says) and promised him that he would tell his family that he loved them. David fulfills his promise—and more.

What is great about the film is that it works on many levels, mainly as a keep-you-guessing thriller, as it poses the question: who is David really—and what’s his true purpose injecting himself into the Peterson family? Dan Stevens is great as David, all at once polite, warm, cold, and calculating, so much so that we’re never quite sure of his true motives. Is he truly who he claims to be—just a family friend, looking to relay a message? Or is he hiding something, a secret of some kind, and looking to use the family for something sinister? With all of the Halloween visuals, could it be something supernatural? The fun of the film is trying to figure it out since so many conclusions seem possible. Unfortunately, the reveal isn’t quite as interesting or creative as some of those that viewers will no doubt come up with in their minds.

The actors that make up the Petersons are also solid as well (though Sheila Kelley as the mother is a little distracting with her constant state of surprise) and Wingard manages to give us insights into their personalities with a few scenes. The always reliable Lance Reddick also has a role as someone who crosses paths with the family.

Though the majority of the film is a solid thriller, where it falls short is its fairly abrupt transition from tense and suspenseful to scenes of all-out action. Tonally, it doesn’t seem to fit with the rest of the film and cheapens the preceding scenes of well-crafted uncertainty and dread. The film’s cat-and-mouse climax also drags on for a little too long and runs the risk of being something out of a generic slasher film. The same goes for the techno music that plays throughout the film. It’s annoying at first, but works to the film’s advantage—heightening the sense of dread—when utilized in small doses. As for the ending, I would have preferred a real conclusion rather than one that’s open ended. There are some stories that benefit from having a little ambiguity, but this isn’t one of them. It’s frustrating rather than artsy.

In the end, The Guest is a solid, intriguing, and (for the most part) well-paced thriller. It keeps you guessing until the end and although the reveal of David’s background isn’t as satisfying as the buildup, it deserves credit for making the journey getting there so much fun.

8/10