Movie Review: “The Guest” (2014)
This is one of those movies that I went into knowing nothing about. I knew that Dan Stevens, the charming Brit who plays Matthew on “Downton Abbey” had made his Hollywood debut playing a Southern boy. I think it’s best to know as little as possible going into this movie, so as far as plot goes all I feel I need to say is that Dan Steven’s plays a soldier returned from war, and that he just so happens to be “the guest” that the title is referring to. You can guess by his intense stare and the ominous looking text on the movie poster that all is not quite well with our leading man. Beyond that, I would say it’s best to go into the movie without any additional knowledge, which is why I’m not putting a trailer in this post, as I think it gives away more than it needs to.
Music
FThe music is incredibly important to setting the tone to this film. I’m a sucker for a soundtrack that picks a unique theme and sticks to it. The dark synth sound of the “Drive” soundtrack made it one of my favorite in recent memory. While not quite at “Drive” levels, this film does a great job owning an 80’s sound that sets an ominous and retro sound, without doing so ironically. The film takes place around Halloween, which makes the slightly dark and brooding sound even more relevant and appropriate. The aesthetics of the film itself have a bit of an 80’s feel to them as well, and while the cinematography is not necessarily challenging in any way, it is at least cohesive and fits in with the overall retro mood created by the fantastic soundtrack.
Dan Stevens
Dan Stevens has always been one of the highlights to “Downton Abbey” for me. He has the ability to play a character that is generally charming, but with layers of nuance that make him feel like one of the most real and complicated characters on the show. While I’m not saying he was unattractive on Downton, it was still a bit of the shock to see the Hollywood transition he made. While he was a handsome Brit before, he’s basically Ryan Gosling now. I’d say it’s a safe assumption that he might have spent some time at a gym recently.
I think this role was an amazing one for him, as it is basically the most dramatically different role from “Downton Abbey’s” Matthew that he could have chosen. From period piece to modern thriller, well mannered British aristocrat to Southern soldier, it is fascinating to see as good of an actor as Dan Stevens make such a dramatic shift in his career trajectory. He plays his role brilliantly, though I have to say his southern accent was not always the most convincing, especially faltering and drifting towards a generic Midwest accent during the most dramatic scenes.
This film was released on September 17th, 2014
Overall: A fantastic soundtrack and a great performance by Dan Stevens make this an enjoyable film. While the cinematography is a bit bland at times, and some of the plot wears a little thin, this is still worth watching.
My Rating: 7.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 92%
Directed by: Adam Wingard
Starring: Dan Stevens, Maika Monroe, Leland Orser and Lance Reddick
Rated R
