Review by Alyn Darnay
Directed by: Adam Wingard
Screenplay by: Simon Barrett
Cast: : Dan Stevens, Joel David Moore, Brendan Meyer, Leland Orser, Maika Monroe, Sheila Kelley, and Lance Reddick
A star is born, and “The Guest†is the vehicle he arrives in. You may not see the fireworks, or hear a trumpet fanfare, or glance matching bands paying tribute, but you’ll know a star making turn when you see one. And that’s exactly what happens here for actor Dan Stevens. With his lanky muscular body, steely smiling eyes, and easygoing manner, he worms his way into your consciousness and trust, and then flips things around so masterfully, you want him to win, even as he does the most awful, cold-blooded things. It’s a compelling performance from beginning to end that will definitely leave a memorable impact on you.
Stevens who, believe it or not, is best known as Matthew Crawley in “Downton Abbey”, has substituted his defined English accent for a slow disarming Southern drawl. It helps define the character, the mood, and the mystery in this decidedly American psychological thriller that play’s homage to it’s roots, the films of the 70’s and 80’s, most particularly those of director John Carpenter. Even the stunning sound track by composer Stephan Moore brilliantly echoes those films. Yet, that being said, the film itself stands on it’s own as a transcendent thriller that never lowers itself to the level of parody.
Here’s the storyline, purposely vague:
A freshly discharged soldier (Stevens) unexpectedly shows up on the doorstep of the Peterson family claiming to be a close service friend of their son Caleb, who recently died in action. He immediately charms his way in and is invited to spend the night. Once he is welcomed into their family circle, this cool, calm, and collected stranger begins to take on the role of son and brother, slowly winning the family over as a sort of surrogate elder child. It’s all very warm and wonderful…until it’s not.
I found the film very reminiscent of 1987’s “The Stepfatherâ€, the film that introduced Terry O’Quinn to audiences for the first time. Now there’s Dan Stevens coming on the same way. My hat’s definitely off to director Adam Wingard and writer Simon Barrett, who after giving us the chilling “You’re Nextâ€, have created another engaging nuclear family to terrorize in this thoroughly transcendent thriller. They have the formula for great filmmaking and they play it to perfection.
The rest of the cast also delivers the goods, with some really great moments from Maika Monroe as Anna and Brendan Meyer as Luke, the dysfunctional siblings of the distressed Peterson family. I also found Lance Reddick, as Carver the Special Forces officer, fun to watch.
My take… it’s a B grade action thriller with a compelling theme, but one of the best and it contains something you rarely see in this type of film, quality. It’s a good entertainment choice, you’ll enjoy it, I promise.
“The Guestâ€. Rating: 4 Stars (out of 5) Rated-R 1hr. 37min.