The Guest

This is simply a great joy. A brutal film where people die who would usually not die. Yes, it's a B movie, but in the best sense. There is blood, violence, but above all, there is also a great story that you follow with bated breath. Surprises, for me out of the blue, even though the creators already have something good behind them. (2014.11.19)

A perfect B-movie. Actually, I almost want to describe it as a “trashy Drive”, with which The Guest shares a charismatic protagonist who’s never far from a hammer, and a great score. Plot-wise, The Guest feels like a dirt cheap direct-to-video action movie, but it doesn’t matter because whenever it is stupid, it’s fully aware of that. The character of the black policeman with bulging eyes is fun the moment he appears on the screen. And it’s actually the word fun what best describes this movie. By the way, after a long time there’s a film that has made me repeat the ending several times immediately after watching it. From the moment the CD player starts, it’s a great blend of image, music and colour. Just like You’re Next disappointed me last year, The Guest satisfied me. (2014.11.14)

This precisely tuned genre film for today’s overly sophisticated cinema rediscovers the power of basic concepts in the style of the 1980s and ’90s (the film refers to that era through the style of its music). The Guest doesn’t attempt to catch viewers off guard with unexpected twists or lead them by the nose with every possible references, but is rather built on the flawless fulfilment of expected formulas and genre attractions. The narrative relies primarily on the performances of the actors, where each of the main and supporting characters is superbly brought to life thanks precisely to the chosen actors. The highlight is the title character, captivatingly played by Dan Stevens, who proves to be an actor for whom Downton Abbey was too small and very restrictive. Through his performance, he wraps both the characters and the viewers around his finger, easily stepping out of the career shadow of the massively popular British series and leaving us in anxious anticipation of what he will do next. (2014.12.21)

I wasn’t really sure what I watched. And I’m really not sure about that even now. The Guest is perhaps the strangest film of this year. At the same time, however, it immediately ranks among the craziest and quite possibly the best. That is, if I’m taking b-movies into account. The story of The Guest is a complete bullshit, even though it is trying to look serious. But it comes with plot twists so insane that even Donald Trump’s speeches cannot hold a candle to this movie. On the other hand, I have to praise Dan Stevens’s performance as absolutely incredible. He reminds me of Ryan Gosling a lot. I was also exhilarated by the soundtrack, offering the best of contemporary electronic music, which is happily returning to the 1980s. So I understand that a lot of people were reminded of Drive by this movie. It happened to me, too. (2014.12.10)

A polished retro affair with a charismatic protagonist who has tremendous potential for the future. If Dan Stevens continues to work well and be involved in good projects, we have something to look forward to – in recent years, perhaps only Michael Fassbender has been as captivating and charismatic. Actually, Adam Wingard, a relatively unknown director, is very similar, packing his guilty pleasure with an intriguing atmosphere (the music mix is equally captivating, just like in Drive) and uncompromising action. It is a trash film that dominates its subgenre, which is no small feat, but over time, you will inevitably forget about it. Despite all the details and the effort put into it, it is still bollocks. (2015.06.30)