HOST (2020)
8/2/20 - Host (2020) - 6/10
A charming and effective “movie of the moment”, as friends get together for a seance over Zoom during COVID quarantine. It is somewhat generic and expected, but despite its closed environment & gimmick, it works pretty well.Similar to Paranormal Activity and Unfriended, it blends the found footage p.o.v. with the dark digital ether of the computer screen - and it works.
Being in the trapping of a Zoom meeting, this is a speedy “get in and get it done” 59 min. That is a definite plus, as the waiting is abandoned and after a brief set up, the creeps begin. Perhaps not as definitively terrifying as the original Paranormal Activity, I enjoyed the buildups and paranormal jump scares.
Its bare-bones, its fast paced, and inventive, capitalizing on the time we are stuck in to isolate and imprison these doomed LCD screen faces. It works.
(ALSO: Great credits. Nice job.)