Written Review by John Delia
Very different and incredibly psychotic the movie Superhost does a good job to entertain their fan base. The film features very good acting, interesting direction and a crew that’s phenomenal. Now that said, is the film perfect for at least 50% of mainstream audiences? My take is probably, especially those that need thrills and are not bothered by the gruesome scenes. Thrill seekers want to get an unexpected scare now and then to keep them glued to the screen and this film has several.
Claire (Sara Canning) and Teddy (Osric Chau) are vloggers for their own show called “Superhost”. They specialize in travel to out of the way vacation spots that have superior accommodations. Being the stars of their show they get to stay at the estates that they will be evaluating and talk about all the amenities. However, their show has become stagnant, even dropping in subscribers lately. If they don’t produce a good show soon, they may have to call it quits.
Having received an invitation from a fabulous estate in a wooded area on a mountainside, they think they may have a winner. They arrive at the huge mansion and are greeted by Rebecca (Gracie Gillam), the owner and proprietor. A bit over the top lively and gregarious however, Claire and Teddy are quite wary about the woman.
Brandon Christensen, writer, director and producer of the film doesn’t waste any time getting into the storyline that becomes a paradigm of what good horror films are made. And he does it on a low budget and a small, but extremely capable crew. Using only one cinematographer, (Clayton Moore), a sound recordist (Scottie Minshall), a make-up artist (Jenny Egidio), and a wardrobe designer (Alissa Christensen), his production looks like it had a full blown Warner Bros. crew. The visual effects are amazing with seamless editing and the location is perfect.
Christensen’s cast is superb putting together amazing performances by the four players. And especially Gracie Gillam as Rebecca. After a few revealing scenes of her personality and demands by her to be included in the evaluation of her property, you’ll get the idea of how her character will play out. And, it’s one memorable role that won’t be easy to forget. This could be Gracie’s ticket to a larger pay check if she can get producers to see her acting skills in Superhost.
BONUS FEATURES
“Director Commentary” with Director and writer Brandon Christensen
“Shooting in the Pandemic”
“Bloopers”
“Superhost” visual FX
“Behind-the-Scenes” Photo Gallery
“Scaredycats” Episode 1
“Scaredycats” Episode 2
Superhost has not been rated by the MPAA but does contain language, extreme violence, gore, disturbing, images. The film lasts a nice hour and a half and is jammed with some very nice special effects, a lot of gory bloody scenes and some wicked twists. (4 out of 5 stars for its fan base)
Specifications and additional video information:
Cast: Sara Canning, Osric Chau, Gracie Gillam, and Barbara Crampton
Directed and Written by: Brandon Christensen
Genre: Horror, Thriller
MPAA Rating: Not Rated, contains language, extreme violence, gore, gross images
Running Time: 1 hr. 24 min.
Video Release Date: February 1, 2022
Language: English
Reviewed Format: DVD
Audio: 5.1 Surround
Video: Aspect Ratio 2.35:1 widescreen
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
Distributed by: Shudder/RLJE Films
Released on: DVD