This meant the cast had to learn how to be their own camera and sound operator and their own VFX specialists, stunts were shot at entirely different locations and seamlessly integrated into the film with invisible cuts.Īs a result, Host is more than just a film it’s a stunning example of what can be achieved with a little ingenuity and a lot of talent in extremely limited circumstances. It was also shot completely during the quarantine, which meant that everything had to be filmed in isolation. Host was conceived, shot and edited in a mere 12 weeks period on a shoe-string budget, with a group of relatively unproven actors in the cast and a relatively unproven director.
One element that has been talked about extensively is the story behind its production. So why then has it taken the world by storm, achieving a rare 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, being labelled by Dread Central as the scariest horror film of the last decade and gettng so much buzz that the cast and crew are being interviewed by national television broadcasters? What’s the secret behind its success? On the surface it’s a crisp, to-the-point and extremely well executed horror film, which comes in at just under an hour in length. Host focuses on six friends, who are unable to meet up in person because of the quarantine procedures in place as a result of the pandemic, so they get together for an online séance via Zoom that ultimately goes disastrously wrong when they inadvertently anger a malicious spirit.
One of the biggest stories about the summer of 2020 will undoubtedly be the unexpected breakout of horror film Host.