Socializing in the time of COVID-19 has meant becoming increasingly more dependent on screens. Video conference platforms such as Zoom and Google Hangouts have become the only place where we can achieve any sort of personal connection outside of risking our lives for a brief social-distanced picnic. We are more isolated than ever, but also more connected than ever, an oxymoron that is captured beautifully in Rob Savage’s Zoom-based horror film, Host.
Host’s premise is a simple one: six friends get together for some socially-distanced fun. But instead of a Netflix party, they’ve decided to hold a seance. Haley (Haley Bishop), who organized the gathering and found the medium, warns all of her friends to be respectful and to take this seriously. Medium Seylan (Seylan Baxter) emphasizes this point before starting, making sure that they all understand the rules of the spirit world. But, being 20-somethings with access to alcohol, no one else takes it seriously; it’s just a little fun after all. But these friends quickly realize they’ve made a huge mistake as things start going wrong at each of their apartments.
From the very beginning, you feel as if you are part of this group. The laidback conversation about who is quarantining with who and the playful banter makes this feel like a genuine Zoom call between a close knit circle of friends. That authenticity is compounded if you happen to watch (and you really should) Host on your laptop with headphones. The line between the film and the real world become increasingly blurred, which makes the film all the more terrifying.
To put it simply, Host has reclaimed the jump scare. The technique so often used to cheaply illicit screams and gasps from the audience is nowhere in sight. Instead, Savage expertly pairs these scares with a satisfying break of tension. These moments feel earned, not just a way to get someone to jolt in their seat. They are crucial to Host’s narrative and the emotional investment already established through its characters and aesthetic.
Found footage horror is often at the forefront of integrating new technologies into its storytelling. With small budgets and scrappy filmmakers, these types of horror films aren’t afraid to innovate and try new things. Host is the perfect example of that creative spirit as Savage directed the entire thing remotely. Instead of seeing the webcam as a limitation, it is seen as full of possibility, allowing entities to lurk out of frame. Grainy images help hide horrors in the shadows and keep the viewer in the dark, both literally and figuratively. Host also goes as far as to incorporate changing your Zoom background as a centerpiece for horror. Nothing is sacred and all these methods of entertainment and attempts of social connection are rendered into objects of terror. Savage is able to weaponize a sole source of comfort and turn it against us.
This is also a perfectly-paced film that never tries to overstay its welcome. At 56 minutes, Savage is able to build personal connections with his characters and a solid system of rules and lore without over-explaining anything. Often with found footage horror, there seems to be an anxiety around being too short, which leads to repetitive kills and too much exposition. However, Host has established that a film does not need to be 90 minutes to be incredibly effective. Savage has confidently displayed a mastery over his material that proves less is definitely more.
Zoom calls during the pandemic may seem like low-hanging fruit, but Savage handles the subject matter carefully so the film never veers into exploitation. COVID-19 is never the focus of the film; rather, it is just the setting that lets the scares unfold. By adapting to current world events and the popular technology that goes with it, Host further proves how crucial found footage is in capturing social fears. If Host is foreshadowing what is to come for the world of horror, then I cannot wait to see what’s up next.
Host is currently streaming on Shudder.
