Fantastic Fest ’14 Review: THE GUEST (2014)

This year, Fantastic Fest has a couple of constant themes running through the films, but an unspoken one is a throwback vibe. Quite a few films have nods to the 80s in mind, and Adam Wingard’s follow up to You’re Next, The Guest, has it’s feet firmly rooted in that era. Everything from the look to the soundtrack makes the film feel dated in the best way possible. While it feels like a departure from Wingard’s horror roots by description, this is an action movie that isn’t too far off the beaten path.

A man named David (Dan Stevens) shows up unannounced at a woman’s front door claiming to be a squad member of their son who was killed in action. The mother and father welcome him into their home, but their kids Anna (Maika Monroe) and Luke (Brendan Meyer) are a tad skeptical. David helps Luke stand up to bullies with an amazing scene in a bar that serves underage kids, and he attends a party with Anna where he temporarily wins her over. All seems well until the next morning when Anna gets a hint that David isn’t who he claims to be, and the more she digs the more paranoid she becomes. Indeed David is not exactly who he claims to be, and his danger is far more than what Anna had ever anticipated.

I was particularly impressed with Dan Stevens, who even at his most menacing is still ridiculously likable. Also really appreciated Maika Monroe, a relative newcomer who also stars in It Follows. She’s adorable and sexy and natural, which I everything I look for in a young 20s actress. Her interaction with Dan’s character is palpably tense and subtly flirty. Most of the actors know what kind of movie they’re in, which is a throwback to the killing machines of the 80s, the drifter who rolls into town and starts raking up a body count. However there’s simply not enough action until the last half hour to feel like a movie with a strong pace. It’s lean at around 90 minutes, but there are portions that feel slow. The script isn’t perfect by any means, and we’re never given quite enough information about who David really is rather than just being dangerous, but there’s a knowing tongue in cheek quality that I liked a lot and it functions rather well within the low budget constraints.

Adam Wingard is definitely well on his way to being a top name in genre filmmaking after years ob obscurity. You’re Next was a bold voice cutting through, and The Guest is the echo. His style is influenced heavily but is absolutely his own. He’s essentially crafted a really fun but flawed riff on The Terminator, but rather than an emotionless android killing machine there’s a charming, southern gentleman with no soul. It’s not anywhere near as memorable and enjoyable as You’re Next, but neither were any of the other films Wingard did previously, and it’s certainly better than all of those combined. We’re watching a director come into his own and discover himself, and I can’t wait for the secret next project he’s currently working on that prevented him from being at Fantastic Fest this year. Bring it on.