Directed by Adam Wingard
Produced by Jessica Calder, Keith Calder
Screenplay by Simon Barrett
Starring Dan Stevens, Maika Monroe, Brendan Meyer, Sheila Kelley, Lance Reddick, Leland Orser
The Guest may not be the most tonally consistent of action thrillers (the climax, for instance, is a trippy, ‘80s vibe lightshow in stark contrast to the somber, disquieting mood of the opening scene), but it’s a taut, well-edited film nevertheless. (The bar fight alone is one of the best edited sequences I’ve seen from a low-budget film.) There are opportunities to delve into greater social issues involving the military—the effect PTSD has on returning service members, the corporatization of soldier divisions, the proliferation of army-grade weapons, to name a couple—but these are only touched upon and largely eschewed in favor of more tender tropes, like family bonds and teenage soundtracks, along with softcore gore. The highlight here is Dan Stevens, who plays a deranged American soldier so deftly and disturbingly that it’s nigh-impossible to imagine anyone else in the central role.
About the Reviewer
Charles SanCheese is an avid reader, student of literature, and pop-culture vulture. He works as a copy editor in Mandaue City and has lived in Cebu his whole life.
He has authored several essays, short stories, and lengthier works of fiction, all of which can be found in the grand annals of his personal hard drive. Follow him on Twitter at @charlesancheese.
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