Host (2020) is a delightfully modern take on the seance film. Set during the COVID pandemic, a group of friends decide to have a seance over Zoom. Why should a spirit be barred from contacting us just because we’re connected online? Evidently, there is no reason.
The movie is slow-going at first. We have about ten minutes of exposition, which is a decent chunk of time for a screenplay that doesn’t even last a full hour. A couple hints are shown of what is to come, but overall, the beginning is a bit tiresome. There are also a few fake-outs, such as a knocking that is not from the astral plane but instead from a delivery person. The story and scares don’t pick up until roughly halfway through the film. But when they do start, oh boy, they just keep going.
Such a short runtime doesn’t allow for much character development. Instead of trying to shove in backstory and growth, the writers embrace the audience’s expectations of stock characters. We get the one who takes it all seriously, perhaps to a fault (Haley), the one who doesn’t take the seance seriously at all and possibly instigates the whole conflict (Jemma), the gruff man who proves useless (Teddy), the wise spiritual expert who is also useless (Seylan), the innocent one (Emma), and the rest. While none of the characters stand out, they still work cohesively to portray the horrific situation.
Perhaps the most rewarding aspect of Host is the premise itself. A horror movie incorporating technology is nothing new, but a horror movie firmly planted in our disconnected, digital pandemic world is innovative. Host combines tried-and-true tropes with modernity to great success. In terms of tropes, we get fake-out scares, jump scares, interpersonal drama, naivete, etc. Then we see typical Zoom annoyances, like lagging, freezing, noise feedback, background distractions (mostly in the form of Teddy’s and Radina’s partners), and obnoxious filters. These all make the experience feel real. Add in the time limit on Zoom calls, and there’s your sense of urgency that is often shed with conventional film. In fact, the only scene that is drawn out is the final one, but it doesn’t feel tedious. The timer in the corner, ticking down until the call is forced to end, adds tension. The audience knows that something will happen in those 60 seconds, yet the suspense does not fade.
As the years wear on, how will this flick fare? Will it lose its punch and become “cringe”? I think, and hope, that Host will become a relic of its time. If/When we move past the pandemic and Zoom calls acting as the only source of connection are a phenomenon of the past, it’s likely that future viewers won’t feel the same sense of unease and dread that current ones do. Because the story is so firmly rooted in the present, it’s probable that the terror will fade in the future. Just as some viewers today laugh at anxieties of the past, so too will the next generations laugh at Zoom. I hope so, at least.
An internet-based scary movie may seem gimmicky, and it is, but there is enjoyment to be had nonetheless. Director Rob Savage skillfully takes our mundane, modern reality and adds supernatural terror to the mix. I won’t say that Host is a masterpiece. I will, however, appreciate the innovation and look forward to Savage’s next endeavors.
Host is streaming on Shudder.