Whether we like or not, the coronavirus has established a new normal for the foreseeable future. Though, case continue to rise, some of us are coming back to life as we knew it before all of this craziness happened. Though, the new normal welcomes masks and social distancing. This is our we do life. If it means that we can save a few lives in the process, I personally welcome it. I will admit it was kind of hard to adjust, and a bit terrifying to navigate in the early days`. My wife and I moved a few weeks after the pandemic really started to hit our country. I was terrified that the job I had lined up was going be deemed as a non-essential. Thank God, it was the opposite.

Even still, I’m a social guy by nature. It was a bummer to follow the social distancing guidelines. But hey, what are you going to do? What’s a little sacrifice in the grand scheme of making it through a pandemic? To me, not being able to attend the movie theater was among the worst. I know, there are worse off situations. The movies have always been my escape away; my mental health resort. With the introduction of the theater experienced introduced into homes with The Invisible Man, Emma & Trolls: World Tour. It really began to feel like movies were gonna be deeply impacted by the coronavirus. Movies found new homes with other release dates at the tail end of this year. Some of them even jumped ship to next year.

Left the question, how would the movie making experience change moving forward? Director and co-writer, Rob Savage, had an idea on how to capitalize upon our quarantine season. Along with co-writers, Gemma Hurley and Jed Shepherd, comes Host. Do you remember at the beginning of quarantine, when all of our social interactions transitioned to video chatting through Zoom? Like I said, earlier, welcome to the new normal. Host is a one of kind movie that films itself entirely through the platform of Zoom when five friends come together to perform a séance. When one friend doesn’t respect the rules of the séance; they are subjected to a truly unique haunting experience. In 1978, Halloween became groundbreaking for the slasher genre. In 1999, The Blair Witch Project became groundbreaking for the legendary marketing and the introduction of the found footage genre.

In 2011, Paranormal Activity reinvented that same genre. Here in 2020, Host has done the same thing. You get the same feeling as the first viewing of Halloween or Paranormal Activity. There is something special about it and Host has that. In its’ brisk runtime of 57 minutes, Savage, manages to take viewers on an unforgettable ride fueled by both scares and laughs. For as much as I love the horror genre, I don’t get unnerved or scared very easily. The imagery that Savage and his visual effects team are beautifully unsetting. With that imagery, the film sets up an environment of terror and suspense with ease. It’s very purposeful shots. One scene in particular just fixates the screen on a refrigerator for a minute or two. It doesn’t sound super terrifying but the way Savage manages to brings it to life within the narrative is what makes it suspenseful.

Overall, Host may earn the title as of 2020’s best horror film. If not, one of this year’s best films. A simple plot that moves quickly with genuine tension, great acting and truly unsettling imagery makes Host an incredibly impactful horror. I don’t remember the last time I’ve experienced genuine terror of this caliber. Director and co-writer, Rob Savage, picks imagery that will unnerve audiences to the edge of their seat. Only to scare them right onto the floor. This is groundbreaking horror being made right before our very eyes the same way that Halloween, The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity did as well. Sleep with the lights open, Host will leave an impression and never leave you.

RORSCHACH RATING:

If you or someone you know is reading this right now and you are struggling with suicide, depression, addiction, or self-harm - please reach out. Comment, message or tweet to us. Go to victimsandvillains.net/hope for more resources. Call the suicide lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Text "HELP" to 741-741. There is hope & you DO have so much value and worth!

Victims and Villains is written Josh "Captain Nostalgia" Burkey (and produced by), Caless Davis, Dan Rockwood, & Brandon Miller. Music by Mallory Johnson and others. This post was edited by Cam Smith. Host is property of Shudder. We do not own nor claim any rights. Host is now streaming exclusively on Shudder.

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