Host (2020)
86%RT Audience Score: 72%
Awards & Nominations: 2 wins & 8 nominations
Lean, suspenseful, and scary, Host uses its timely premise to deliver a nastily effective treat for horror enthusiasts
If you’re looking for a movie that will make you jump out of your seat and scream, “Why did I watch this alone?!” then Host is the perfect choice. This movie takes place entirely on Zoom, which is both genius and terrifying. The characters are relatable and the scares are well-timed. Just make sure you have all the lights on and a friend to watch it with, because you won’t want to be alone after this one.
Production Company(ies)
micro_scope T S Productions, Phi Group
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
2020
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:1.78 : 1
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Runtime:NA
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Streaming): Jul 30, 2020
Genre(s)
Horror
Keyword(s)
horror, online séance, demonic presence, suspenseful, scary, quarantine times, lean, effective, timely premise, nastily effective treat, Rob Savage, Gemma Hurley, Jed Shepherd, Haley Bishop, Jemma Moore, Emma Louise Webb, Radina Drandova, Caroline Ward, Edward Linard, directed by Rob Savage, written by Rob Savage, Gemma Hurley, Jed Shepherd, reviewed by Randy Myers, Adam Nayman, Philip De Semlyen, David Jenkins, Kevin Maher, Stephen Romei, Brian Eggert, Jorge Loser, Jorge Ignacio Castillo, Jenna Stoeber, Jason Shawhan, starring Haley Bishop, Jemma Moore, Emma Louise Webb, Radina Drandova, Caroline Ward, Edward Linard, produced by Douglas Cox, MPAA rating R, box office performance, budget
Worldwide gross: $443,807
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $506,457
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,738
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 55,230
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Jemma Moore – Jemma
Emma Louise Webb – Emma
Radina Drandova – Radina
Caroline Ward – Caroline
Edward Linard – Teddy
Director(s)
Rob Savage
Writer(s)
Rob Savage, Gemma Hurley, Jed Shepherd
Producer(s)
NA
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
2 wins & 8 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (94) | Top Critics (14) | Fresh (94)
An effective shocker for our quarantine times.
February 7, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
Randy Myers
San Jose Mercury News
TOP CRITIC
For what it is, it works.
February 7, 2021
Adam Nayman
Sight & Sound
TOP CRITIC
Until someone makes a film about a haunted sourdough starter, this ingenious horror movie will remain the zeitgeistiest thing to emerge from lockdown.
December 5, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
Philip De Semlyen
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
Good directors embrace limitations, and Rob Savage has more than proven his worth on this front.
December 4, 2020 | Rating: 3/5
David Jenkins
Little White Lies
TOP CRITIC
It’s still rubbish – you’ll be constantly yelling, “Just turn on the bloody lights!” – but a good kind of rubbish.
December 4, 2020 | Rating: 3/5
Kevin Maher
Times (UK)
TOP CRITIC
There are well-placed jump scares, ones made all the more impressive by the fact we are seeing them via webcam.
August 31, 2020 | Rating: 3/5
Stephen Romei
The Australian
TOP CRITIC
Host may go down as a rare anthropological document of what life was like for a relatively brief (and also excruciatingly long) period of time.
February 17, 2022 | Rating: 3/4
Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review
Cinema made by fans for fans… devastatingly identifiable. [Full review in Spanish]
November 15, 2021
Jorge Loser
Espinof
Host has no fat and makes great use of personal screens’ negative space and the social dynamics that unfold on Zoom.
October 25, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Jorge Ignacio Castillo
Planet S Magazine
It’s deeply clever, playing off familiar aspects of video call technology and not at all skimping on the stunts.
October 22, 2021
Jenna Stoeber
Polygon
There will be a lot of people saying they could have done it better, and if so, I’ll happily watch their movie too if it’s this effective.
September 10, 2021
Jason Shawhan
Nashville Scene
Sinisterly unsettling, expertly playing with where we are looking when
July 8, 2021
Jason Adams
My New Plaid Pants…
Plot
Six friends hire a medium to hold a seance via Zoom during lockdown, but they get far more than they bargained for as things quickly go wrong. When an evil spirit starts invading their homes, they begin to realize they might not survive the night.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels doesn’t provide any goofy or funny comments about the film Host, but it does mention the cast members, including Haley Bishop, Jemma Moore, Emma Louise Webb, Radina Drandova, Caroline Ward, and Edward Linard.
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