The Host

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Kimberly C Why??? What's the point of this movie? Take all money vie cliches and put it in one movie. That s what this is. Rated 0.5/5 Stars •  Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 07/18/23 Full Review Audience Member It starts into the weekend & seems to enjoy staying throughout the leisure & mysterious getaway. It's all over the place & really need some jarring switches. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/03/23 Full Review Audience Member Very slow beginning with the constant thought of when is it going to get interesting/scary. The ending in its own right doesn't make sense with their efforts of leaving some sort of an ambiguous cliff hanger. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/25/23 Full Review Audience Member In an age of genre tagging and inevitable spoilers, it is nice to occasionally get surprised when watching a film. Its fair to say that Pearl films debut offering, The Host has elements of horror and thriller in its plot, but also entertains with character development that twists and turns as it progresses. Adapted by Zachary Weckstein from a story by Laurence Lamers, the plot follows Robert Atkinson, a London banker who risks someone else's money to leave his mundane existence behind and start a new life. Unfortunately, Robert makes several bad decisions which lead him on a path to transport a briefcase to Amsterdam for a Chinese cartel in order to settle a debt. Robert's destiny takes another serious twist when he arrives in the city and meets Vera, the attractive young host of the residence he is staying, before transferring the briefcase to its destination. The Host moves along at a good pace over its 1 hour, 42 minutes balancing strong characterisation with beautifully angled locations between London and Amsterdam adding a sense of depth and substance. With nods to earthy thrillers and Hammer Horrors of the 1960s and 70s, The Host weaves and twists the destinies of its central characters, siblings Robert (Mike Beckingham) and Steve (Dougie Pointer) and the seemingly delectable Vera (Maryam Hassouni) whom the brothers subsequently encounter in Amsterdam. Beckingham and Pointer both work well as brothers whose relationship is evidently strained as their lives take different paths. Whereas Beckingham's chancer, Robert becomes the prominent figure in the first half of the film it is Pointer's Steve who gains in prominence as the story unfolds due to his call to action of events. Maryam Hassouni's Vera is a femme fatale for the 21st Century. Undoubtedly in control from start to finish by purely oozing warmth with vulnerability to throw her prey and (also) the audience off guard. In fact, its Vera who takes The Host and its characters on a further journey adding a wonderful twisty Hammer Horror edge to the unfolding story. Suan-Li Ong adds mystery to her character Jun Hui, while sharing some atmospheric moments with Nigel Barber's seasoned investigator Herbert Summers and Togo Igawa's sinister cartel leader, Lau Hoi Ho. Director, Andy Newbery ‘s carefully placed appearances from Sir Derek Jacobi, Daniël Boissevain and Ruby Turner add further to The Host's dramatic stance, but never pull the viewer away from its growing edge-of-the-seat thrill factor. http://entertainmentsouthwales.com/entertainmentsouthwales/2020/4/28/film-review-the-host-pearl-pictures-productions Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/13/23 Full Review Audience Member Great thriller with a fantastic twist! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Audience Member The Host is the name of a couple of different films, so when I got the chance to watch this one, I wasn't sure if it was a remake of some kind or an entirely original flick. Turns out it's neither. The Host, directed by Andy Newberry, borrows from some of the most iconic films in the mystery/thriller category and creates an intriguing modern tale of misadventure and murder. I admit, I was sceptical when I saw Dougie from McFly in the trailer, but it turns out he's one of the best parts of The Host. Dougie plays Steve Atkinson, the younger brother of Robert - also Atkinson. Robert is a serial f*#k up, who just can't seem to catch a break. And following a string of consecutive missteps, Robert finds himself forced to run an errand to Amsterdam for a Chinese Mafia boss. And it quickly becomes apparent that this might not go so smoothly for him. On arrival to his international destination, Robert finds his hotel is double booked. Of course it is. He's then ushered into another movie as the hotel owner suggests he can stay at another place he knows. Turns out it's the Town House home of "creepy-hot" Vera Tribbe (Maryam Hassouni). Despite being a member of one of the most powerful families in Amsterdam, Vera lives with her "sick" Father as a recluse. To all intents and purposes, Vera inhabits and maintains the huge place all by herself. The sequences shot of her townhouse are some of the most cinematic and attractive moments of The Host. And as the film shifts gears it's easy to forget its opening premise. As it morphs into an eerie thriller, The Host flirts with greatness, and I found myself willing it deliver. Unfortunately it resisted my pleas. Before I get into the verdict, I want to make it clear, I enjoyed this film. But it frustrated me. It doesn't fully commit to any of the moments that it dips into. If it did, it could have made this film a breakout success. The Host - Verdict So how do we rate it? Given the frustrations, The Host is actually an entertaining film if you can forgive its obvious flaws. Not everything you watch needs to be Sixth Sense or The Shining. Some films are just neatly self-contained stories that don't need a sequel and don't need to leave a big impact. The Host is that. I didn't like Robert, the film's protagonist, not at all. But I found myself invested in the other characters, even the Chinese gangsters. And I wanted to know how its oddball twists would be concluded. The Host is a perfect film for an evening in, and we have a lot of those right now. It's meandering and mysterious and surprisingly watchable. I just wish it hit went for it in the parts that mattered. The Host doesn't give you the most, but it's glad you came and wants to freak you out! Rating 6.5 out of 10 Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/19/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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