With creative ideas and a unique take on a dinner party, The Perfect Host is a little uneven, but also very entertaining. Worth a watch!
Dinner parties are usually static occasions. You show up at someone’s house, maybe bring a gift, wine, or food, eat, socialize, and go home. You know what to expect when you get there. But then, there are times where it’s entirely different.
The Perfect Host is about John, a man who has just committed a crime, is bleeding, and needs somewhere to hide out. After attempting to address his situation a few different ways, he ends up looking through the mail and then knocking on the door of Warwick. John pretends to know a friend of Warwick (whose postcard he has just read) and Warwick invites him in to stay for the dinner party he is having. From there, the evening does not go as John has planned it, as Warwick’s definition of an entertaining evening is not what anyone would expect.
This psychological thriller has a number of creative ideas all thrown together into one film. Some of them work brilliantly and others fall a little flat, where a bit more fleshing out may have helped. In the end, though, the creativity wins out over the odd lackluster moment.
There are some incredibly bizarre things in this film that had me laughing out loud. They are completely unexpected and off in left field (in the best of ways). There are other moments that had me smiling and bulging my eyes out at what I was seeing and there are a few where it felt as if more editing was needed because the dialogue was unnecessary and clunky.
The second act is the strongest of the three. The two main characters (Clayne Crawford is John and David Hyde Pierce is Warwick) are each incredibly enjoyable to watch, and at times, magnetic. You want to know what is happening, and with a film that isn’t interested in explaining anything until later in the movie, it is a lot of fun trying to figure out where everything is going.
There is a great ambiance about this movie, with some excellent music choices and sound effects that help to keep your interests piqued and your eyes trained at the screen. They also do a nice job keeping the camerawork and choreography nuanced inside of the house, where most of the movie is set.
As you begin to understand what you are seeing and why things play out the way they do, a bit of a mess begins to unfold. When you are watching the two stars, everything gels. When the police officers or the girlfriend show up in the third act, it begins to feel like the script was rushed and the actors cast last-minute. It just doesn’t click the way that it did earlier. That said, it does end with a nice button that leaves you smiling.
All of this said, I am glad I watched this movie. It is unlike others that you may find streaming and a little indie film is always a good time investment. Check it out and let me know what you think. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Runtime: 92 minutes
Motion Picture Rating: R
Languages Spoken In The Film: English
Should You Watch It? Yes, it’s a ride
Did I Cry? Nope
My Rating: 3.25/5 Stars
Available: Free on Tubi, to rent on Prime Video, or may be available for free on other streaming platforms
Dinner parties are usually static occasions. You show up at someone’s house, maybe bring a gift, wine, or food, eat, socialize, and go home. You know what to expect when you get there. But then, there are times where it’s entirely different.
