THE GUEST (R)
Review by Adam Mast
Director Adam Wingard and screenwriter Simon Barrett caught a lot of buzz for their 2011 home invasion thriller, YOU’RE NEXT. Personally, I found that movie slightly overrated but I’m still incredibly grateful that it was successful because if it hadn’t been, Wingard and Barrett might not have been given the opportunity to follow it up with THE GUEST, an 80’s throwback that doesn’t so much feel like an homage milkshake, as it does an actual product of that specific time period.
In THE GUEST, a charismatic Dan Stevens stars as David– a war veteran who returns home to pay his respects to the family of a fallen comrade. Once David arrives at the Peterson household, he is welcome with open arms and before long, matriarch Laura (Sheila Kelley) is treating him just like a member of the family. Shortly after however, strange happenings have other members of the family questioning whether or not David really is who he says he is.
Dan Stevens is an electrifying force to be reckoned with in THE GUEST and he’s so commanding in this role, that it didn’t even occur to me that this was the same actor who plays Matthew Crawley on DOWNTON ABBEY. As David, Stevens has swagger, confidence, and an aura of mystery about him. In short, he completely owns THE GUEST and I suspect this performance will push him into a new stratosphere.
As great as Stevens is, he’s surrounded by a solid supporting cast. Sheila Kelley is sad and vulnerable as a woman mourning the loss of her son while the great Leland Orser is appropriately clueless as Laura’s alcoholic husband, Spencer.
As the Peterson teens, Maika Monroe and Brendan Meyer are terrific.
Monroe is cautious and strong willed as inquisitive Anna while sweet natured Meyer (who resembles a young Jason Presson from 1985’s EXPLORERS) is perfectly relatable as Luke, a picked on teen who gets a new lease on life after David teaches him the importance of standing up for himself.
Wingard and Barrett channel the best of John Carpenter here and for fans of that master film-maker, you know that’s a good thing. There are wonderfully unexpected tonal shifts in this picture (drama, comedy, action, horror, etc.–it’s all in there) and while some might argue that the plot does get a bit silly, there’s a real edgy sensibility at play here. Simply put, the final act of THE GUEST has balls! Of course, it helps that Wingard and crew have an actor like Stevens selling this movie every step of the way. THE GUEST is a blast from start to finish.
THE GUEST opens in limited release in the U.S. on September 17th. Look for it to expand to more cities between now and Halloween.
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