The Guest, 2014.
Directed by Adam Wingard.
Starring Dan Stevens, Maika Monroe, Brenden Meyer, Sheila Kelley, Leland Orser, Lance Reddick, Joel David Moore, and Chase Williamson.
SYNOPSIS:
A soldier introduces himself to the Peterson family, claiming to be a friend of their son who died in action. After the young man is welcomed into their home, a series of accidental deaths seem to be connected to his presence.
Following on from their home invasion genre masher, the brutally brilliant You’re Next, director Adam Wingard and writer Simon Barrett return with The Guest, a thriller that recalls and recaptures the VHS heyday of the 80’s in all of its glory. Staying true to Wingard and Barrett’s style, they take another convention, here it’s the stranger with a mysterious background, then deconstruct it and turn it on its head so the viewer is never quite sure where the story will go next. The result is one of the most riotously enjoyable trips you’ll have to the cinema this year.
Out of the blue, David Collins (Dan Stevens) shows up on the doorstep of The Peterson family having recently been discharged from the military. Claiming to be stopping by the residence on nothing more than keeping a promise to their fallen son to check in on the family, he’s quickly accepted into the household by grief stricken mom, Laura (Sheila Kelley), anguished Dad, Spencer (Leland Orser), outcast son, Luke (Brendan Meyer) and rebellious teen daughter, Anna (Maika Monroe).
David is charm personified, friendly and helpful, he quickly finds himself as a surrogate son to Laura, a kindly ear to Spencer who has turned to drink, and pillar of strength to Luke who is bullied by his classmates. At first, things are great, David is all ‘sirs’ and ‘ma’ams’, there’s a picture of him with their son, Caleb, on the mantelpiece, he’s helping Luke with his homework and sharing beers with Spencer. Try as he might though, David just can’t seem to win Anna over who remains suspicious of their new guest, and as the family’s problems start to disappear and bodies start piling up around town, it would appear that David is not really who he claims to be. Why does David never sleep? Why does he just stare out of the window when he’s on his own? Why does he possess so much money? How is he so good in combat? Who is after him and why? And just how can he hold so much alcohol without feeling any of its effects? To say anything more would spoil The Guest but Wingard and Barrett throw enough scenarios at David for the viewer to feel that though he may be the coolest guy in town, he’s never anything less than a threat in disguise.
The cast are surprisingly great, though I guess surprised is the wrong term given that Wingard coaxed great performances out of his cast in You’re Next. Leland Orser and Sheila Kelly are reliably solid and totally believable as the grieving parents quick to accept David into their household while Brendan Meyer plays well against Dan Stevens, the two of them sharing many of the films funniest scenes and it’s easy to see why Luke would look up to David, but it’s Maika Monroe who stands out among the supporting cast. Anna is spiky yet vulnerable, and she’s fun to watch as she attempts to resist David’s all out charm offensive while digging around into his past. Much in the same way that Sharni Vinson turned her role on its head in You’re Next, Monroe never feels like a damsel in distress in need of anyone to save her, making her a heroine you can root for. In a rare moment of restraint for this type of film, Wingard and Barrett give their cast enough time to be with David and be won over in various ways that allows their arcs to play out with maximum impact when the film takes a hard left and the final act rolls into town.
The real revelation here is Downton Abbey’s Dan Stevens, shedding his cut glass, upper class English accent for a southern drawl that doesn’t falter once. Giving Chris Pratt’s Star Lord a serious run for his leading man money, Stevens gives one of the coolest performances since Ryan Gosling slipped on that scorpion backed silver jacket and got behind the wheel in Drive. Stevens exhibits a measured control over David, there’s restraint that gives unease, David may be everybody’s friend but there’s still something not quite right behind those eyes, something sinister just below the surface and it’s great fun to watch. Dan Stevens is clearly having a great time in the role of David, relishing shedding his posh Downton image and the The Guest wouldn’t be half as good as it is without him. With roles in A Walk Among the Tombstones and Night at the Museum 3 already in the bag, you can expect to see his star rise meteorically .
Special mention needs to go to the score by Steven Moore, a wildly inventive throwback to 80’s synth that sounds like vintage John Carpenter scoring some serious VHS dreams. It’s one of those great scores that is just as much a character as anything in the film and perfectly compliments the on screen action, simmering with tension during the quieter moments and swelling with dread whenever the chaos behind David’s gaze threatens to break free.
There’s really nothing negative that I can say about The Guest, it’s one of the most ridiculously enjoyable films I’ve seen at the cinema with one of the most fun leading performances in recent memory, it’s one of those films that just seems to exude cool from every part and leaves you grinning from ear to ear. Based on the strength of this and You’re Next, I can’t wait to see what Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett come up with next and it should launch Dan Stevens into the big leagues. Come the end of the year, The Guest will gladly be invited into my films of the year.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Kris Wall
