Parents' Guide to Host

A number of lockdown horrors made an impact in the early 2020s, but this clever Zoom-based chiller makes smart use of what became a very familiar medium during that time. Host uses all the quirks and frustrations of the video conferencing platform to build uncertainty and tension throughout its short runtime. Filters, feedback, glitches, WiFi struggles, the presence of partners and family members … they all play a part in creating a legitimately scary production here. Off-kilter angles and framing focus on doorways and eerily empty spaces that feel like they're just crying out for some kind of presence to appear. Clever techniques suggest rather than show for the most part, which further adds to the suspense. Viewers are left to question whether they saw what they think they did—is the floating mask a filter gone awry or something more sinister? The movie only lasts as long as the Zoom meeting allows, which adds a sense of real-time horror unfolding as it happens. Nerves build to a crescendo as it offers a 10-minute warning until the end of the call, and later counts down the final seconds, leaving viewers wondering if they'll even get to witness the outcome. It's a testament to the resourceful approach creatives were forced to take during the pandemic, and no doubt one of the most innovative films—horror or otherwise—to come out of that time.