Superhost (2021) #505

"Superhost", a Shudder Original Film, was a delightful surprise that I completely love. I had heard a few rumors about the film before I saw it for the first time, and I'm so happy that I followed their advice. The film has a simple straight forward story that has a flawless execution, a topical and well used premise, and a stellar cast. Filmed during the height Covid, the cast of five prove to be more than enough to keep the story moving and the movie entertaining. The photography is crystal clear, the background music supports the scenes without ever overwhelming the moment, and the pacing is perfect. I highly recommend this film for this Halloween season and beyond.

Claire and Teddy are the hosts of a once popular Vlog dedicated to reviewing Airbnb's and other lodgings. They're losing subscribers, so their next review is extremely important, as Claire does not want to rely on her parents for any kind of financial support. They arrive at a remote house that appears gorgeous on the outside, but that's all they can see when the security code they've been provided fails. Trying to call the hosts prove fruitless to the spotty phone reception in the mountains. While recording a scene for the Vlog, Rebecca shows up, the supposed owner of the house, and lets them in. Rebecca seems a little odd but harmless, and once she leaves, Clair and Teddy begin recording their review. They love most of the house but find the overabundance of security cameras all throughout the house concerning.

Tension begin to simmer, first when Claire becomes frustrated with the quality of their first upload and the possibility that their Vlog channel has peaked, and then when Teddy sees a person standing outside at night, starring at the house. During the next day during a walk, Claire suggests they make videos like they used to, videos that had friction with the hosts, but Teddy disagrees by saying that those felt like click-bait; click-bait or not, those videos brought in clicks. This comes back to haunt them when Vera, a previous host tracks them done and confronts them in the driveway. When Rebecca shows up to see what the disturbance is all about, Vera tells her how they gave her a horrible review that ruined her business to the point that she has to sell her house. Rebecca tells Vera to leave or she'll call the cops, but when Vera tries to persuade Rebecca to be careful with the vloggers, Rebecca screams that she'll cut Vera open. Vera speeds away and Rebecca is back to her happy self, saying that she's ready for her super host interview. During the recording, Rebecca's behavior slowly becomes odd and erratic but ends when Rebecca recovers from a trance and announces that she is a super host!

The next day while hiking through the rails, Claire takes the opportunity to record their experience with Vera much to Teddy's chagrin. When they reach a gorgeous lookout point, Teddy sets the camera up and proposes to Claire, something that he had been planning to do from the start of the trip. She acts excited and says yes, only to tell Teddy that he was a genius for such a gimmick, breaking his heart. Seeing how distraught he is, Claire tries to reassure him that they will talk about their future when they get home, and everything she does is for them. When they return to the house, they begin to find evidence that they home may not belong to Rebecca. They agree that they should leave, they pack up and try to drive away, only to be stopped by Rebecca who is standing in the road. Highly erratic, she makes them follow her into the woods where she leads them to Vera, who is tied up to a tree. 

Why is Vera here, tied to the tree? What happened to the original owners? Who really is Rebecca and what does she want with Claire and Teddy? And will Claire and Teddy make it home alive and safe?

The movie stars Sara Canning as Claire, Osric Chau as Teddy, and Gracie Gillam, (Fright Night), as Rebecca. Horror icon Barbara Crampton, (Re-Animator, From Beyond, and others) has a supporting role as Vera. As I mentioned, all four actors give a phenomenal performance that I really enjoyed. The story arc has the twist and turn in all the right places, keeping the film moving at a nice quick pace.

 

Jakob's Wife (2021) #498

Watch the trailer here

"Jakob's Wife" is so much more than just a well-made vampire movie, it offers a serious examination of the dynamics of a married woman working through the struggles that had slowly developed over the years. While the husband thinks everything is fine, she wife is living a life of regret and boredom. This is perhaps one of Barbara Crampton's finest performances, as this script gives her plenty of dynamics to work with. She gets to be quiet and demure and then sexy and commanding. This may also be the most screen time that she has in a single film. Co-starring Larry Fessenden, watching these two old friends on screen together again is a pure joy.

To say that Anne is a rut would be an understatement. She feels trapped, underappreciated, and that she's wasted her youth after she married Jakob, the minister in the small town that they live in. When her old high school crush takes the opportunity to work with her renovating the old mill, Anne's temptation flares in the moment. Unfortunately for her and her old flame, they are attacked by the Master, a Nosferatu/Barlow looking vampire that had made the abandoned mill it's new lair. 

Over the next few days, Jakob notices that his wife is acting different, and he naturally suspects that something happened between her and her ex. While Anne begins to experience life as a vampire as she slowly turns, Jakob finds the vampire nest when he is attacked by a former parishioner. He rushes home just in time to clean up the mess that Anne makes after devouring a curious neighbor. Jakob loves his wife, so together they try find a way to move forward and free Anne from the sway of the Master. Does she belong to Jakob or the Master ultimately, or does she become the master of her own destiny?

This film has fantastic makeup and practical visual effects. It also has some memorable body horror moments, something that is often skimmed over in monster movies when it's such an obvious choice. For example, Anne's bite puncture begins dripping blood while she is taking a bath, so heavily that you can hear the drops hitting the bath water. Another moment is when she is having her teeth bleached at the dentist office. Her sensitivity to bright UV lights causes her face to alit and scorch and blacken her skin. Once she feeds, a horrific body mutilated moment in itself, she heals back to her pale, pasty new normal.