An Ideal Host (2020)
8/10
The hostess with the mostest.
30 May 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Having only found out about the Soho Horror Film Festival during the last two weeks it was run, I was thrilled to discover shortly after it had wrapped,a repeat screening/stream of the title that had won the Audience Award for best feature film,which I had missed,leading to me meeting the host.

View on the film:

Laying out the foundation of the house across the screen, debut producer/director/ cinematographer Robert Woods (who after composing the scores and editing a handful of shorts, scores & edits his first movie here) brings out a humorous mood to Liz's dinner party hosting skills, with screen-wipes presenting each attempt Liz (played by an excellent Nadia Collins in her film debut,who dual welds dead-pan comedy with a fight or flight action urgency) makes to present the most refine surroundings to her guests.

Sitting the viewer at the table with the guests, Woods serves up a stunning long panning shots, which crosses close-up on the snappy exchanges shared by the guests, with a lingering in the air stillness, as the dinner party takes a turn.

Initially appearing to be a comedy of manners, the screenplay by Woods takes a startling left-field turn into Ozploitation Sci-Fi Horror, with Woods fabulously taking the caricaturization of the first half,and folding it into the jet-black gory Horror ,as each guests reveal their true body snatching intentions to Liz,as she attempts to remain an ideal host.
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