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I have a burning need to know stuff and I love asking awkward questions.

Monday, July 27, 2015


My Favourite Movies: The Guest (2014)

I was turned on to this superior B movie by my friend and fellow gamer Mr Ali P. I’s seen a brief trailer at the movies but the film itself seemed to pass me by. I regret not seeing it on the big screen.

The storyline (such as it is) starts with an unexpected visitor to a family still grieving at the loss of their eldest boy in Afghanistan/Iraq. Identifying himself as ‘David’ (and played superbly by Dan Stevens – previously of Downton Abbey if you can believe that!) he claims, with some justification, to be a close friend of the deceased and to be there to pass on his last message. Invited to stay ‘for a few days’ he becomes a rather awkward houseguest who listens to the husband bitch about being passed over for promotion, the son being bullied in school and the daughter secretly seeing her drug dealing boyfriend. In fact just another normal family in small town America. ‘David’ however is not the kind of person to stand idly by when he can help the family of his dead friend. Within days the husbands boss if found after an apparent suicide and the young boys problems with the bullies have been resolved by the private application of some rather brutal unarmed force. The daughter (again played brilliantly by Maika Monroe) is a tougher nut to crack. Initially suspicious of David, despite being attracted to him, she begins investigating his story and quickly finds holes in his background. She also alerts a private security company to his location and a hastily thrown together hit team led by Maj Carver (a rather understated Lance Reddick of Fringe fame) are immediately sent to ‘tie up loose ends’. Now ‘outed’ by the family he tried to protect David must now revert to protecting his own identity by erasing anyone who potentially knows the truth of his existence.


As things go this really shouldn’t have been anything special. After all we’ve seen this sort of low-budget stuff time and time again. What raises it far above the average B-Movie competition (for me at least) are two things – or rather two actors. Dan Stevens is quite simply superb and the every polite, ever calm David who even apologises to people he’s just killed unless that is they really piss him off – there’s no apology then, just a bullet in the head. Described as a psychopath (actually more likely a high functioning sociopath) and, rather ironically, as a perfect soldier he is very creepy and extremely scary to get on the wrong side of. It’s his ever calm demeanour that is really, really effective. No one normal is ever that calm! Likewise Maika Monroe is brilliant as the teenage (almost 20 she yells at her father) waitress who needs to grow up really fast if she and her younger brother are to survive David covering his tracks before moving on. Sassy, sexy and obviously very clever she proves more than capable of staying alive – though only just.


Oh, and then there’s the much talked about soundtrack that helps hold the whole thing together. It’s kind of an 80’s techno-goth pastiche thing that really, really works. I check for the CD version but couldn’t find anything until today. It appears to be available on MP3 download or vinyl. Go figure! Now the warnings: It’s quite violent in places and they don’t skimp on the blood. There’s one short sex scene and a bit of female nudity plus the occasional F word. In other words not much to take it into the 15 certificate category. Not exactly family friendly viewing but nothing the average teenager would have a problem with. Switch off your brain and enjoy 96 minutes of superior B-movie fun.

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