The basic set-up is one familiar to most of us over the past few months-with a twist. The film was then edited and completed remotely. It's a found footage movie that plays out entirely on Zoom-writer/director Rob Savage and co-writers Gemma Hurley and Jed Shepherd never interacted in person with their actors, all of whom filmed their roles separately from their own homes. The new British horror film Host, which hits Shudder this week, was written, filmed, and finished during quarantine.

As with all times of crisis, the art produced during this time has started to reflect the situation-Shazam director David Sandberg made the impressive lockdown horror short Shadowed, while Michael Bay is producing a 'pandemic thriller' titled Songbird. Meanwhile, theater chains face huge financial problems as they sit empty. Movies that were finished and about to be released have been pushed back months or shifted to digital home release, while those that were already in production have been left in limbo as they wait to restart filming. Horror fans should really enjoy Host.The COVID-19 pandemic has caused the biggest disruption to the entertainment industry in decades. The tension builds well, and you find yourself looking beyond the characters, into the background of the scenes in case there is something demonic lurking there.Īpparently, it only took 12 weeks for Host to get to Shudder, and as quarantine was already in place, the cast had to perform many of the stunts and effects themselves, so you have to admire the production, and the challenge of getting the thing actually made. The scares are effective, and as a viewer, you are very quickly drawn into the meeting and the séance. If you enjoy these types of films, then I imagine you will get quite a lot from Host. The premise is topical and engaging, and the performances are actually really good, with the cast doing a great job with such a limited palate.

The story escalates from here, pretty much in the way you probably expect it should, and the shocks and jump scares build to a shocking final scene.

Zoom meeting horror movie