Host (2020)
Ania Twardowska
Writer and film enthusiast
Host cleverly eases the audience into a relatable lockdown world, where a group of six friends casually chats in a video call as they await the start of the shared online event. At this point in the pandemic, people have grown tired of cyber quizzes and playing pictionary games while drinking so, to keep things interesting, this group has decided to try a séance.
Despite medium’s cautions, not all participants respect the importance of connecting with the afterlife or trust its power. However, as they proceed with the session and everyone starts to witness strange occurrences within their isolated spaces, even the cynics become the believers. The cheerful atmosphere changes to an ominous one and brings a chilling realisation that they might have succeeded in summoning an evil spirit. Still connected via the Zoom meeting, the group watches in terror as each friend is tormented by an invisible intruder… looking over their shoulder, dreading their turn to be attacked.
You might also like: Ring (1998), Talk To Me (2022), The Conjuring (2013)