It's hardly surprising how much fun The Guest is, considering it was made by the same people behind the carousel ride that was You're Next. What is surprising, however, is just how few people actually went to the cinema to see the film. The film's box-office stands at just over £1.5m for the US and UK combined. Well, those people who didn't go and see it in the cinema certainly missed out. In making the film, Wingard said that he wanted to make a film like one of John Carpenter's 80's efforts, where it's like Halloween every day of the year. That tone is captured perfectly here and you can see the influence of not only Carpenter, but also of Dario Argento, Brian De Palma, Wes Craven and other genre stalwarts. The Guest does not have an especially ambitious plot - it is about a former soldier who helps the grieving family of a dead friend (with sinister results, obviously) - but it is the film's style and the tension it creates that are its greatest strengths. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0E2Qh6wLS4 Featuring a very creepy performance from Downton Abbey's Dan Stevens as the titular guest and a pulsating 80's synth score, The Guest is a film that really deserves to be seen by more people, especially by fans of eighties horror and action. Just make sure that when you watch it your tongue is planted firmly in your cheek.
