Perhaps the most rewarding aspect of Host is the premise itself. While none of the characters stand out, they still work cohesively to portray the horrific situation. We get the one who takes it all seriously, perhaps to a fault (Haley), the one who doesn’t take the seance seriously at all and possibly instigates the whole conflict (Jemma), the gruff man who proves useless (Teddy), the wise spiritual expert who is also useless (Seylan), the innocent one (Emma), and the rest. Instead of trying to shove in backstory and growth, the writers embrace the audience’s expectations of stock characters. Such a short runtime doesn’t allow for much character development. But when they do start, oh boy, they just keep going.

The story and scares don’t pick up until roughly halfway through the film. There are also a few fake-outs, such as a knocking that is not from the astral plane but instead from a delivery person.

A couple hints are shown of what is to come, but overall, the beginning is a bit tiresome. We have about ten minutes of exposition, which is a decent chunk of time for a screenplay that doesn’t even last a full hour. Why should a spirit be barred from contacting us just because we’re connected online? Evidently, there is no reason. Set during the COVID pandemic, a group of friends decide to have a seance over Zoom. Host (2020) is a delightfully modern take on the seance film.

Host zoom horror movie 2020