Tuesday, November 30, 2021

Delayed Reaction: Host

Premise: A group of friends summon a malevolent spirit during a zoom call.

 


Is this the first good COVID-inspired movie? It came out July 2020, exists because of COVID, and is very good. So, I think it has to be.

 

It's pretty obvious that I would love this movie. I'm one of the people who saw Unfriended opening weekend. Searching remains one of my favorite movies of the last decade. I eat up any found-footage movies almost regardless of quality. Better yet, this movie is lean and effectively made.

 

It's structured around the length of a standard free zoom call. These friends are trying to come up with remote activities to pass the time, so they try a virtual seance. A prank gone wrong actually summons an evil spirit. Then, one by one, everyone on the chat is picked off by it. It uses all the found footage tricks of moving furniture, unreliable feeds, and objects appearing under sheets. I can't say that all the ways the spirit attacks the characters make sense, but it's fun to watch. That's all that really matters. And did I mention it's short? That can't be praised enough.

 

Verdict: Strongly Recommend

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