And while it isn’t an entirely original concept by any stretch of the imagination, it plays to its strengths to serve up a ghoulish ghost story. The film that captured the anxiety and claustrophobia of the pandemic, and was told entirely across Zoom screens, was for many audiences the film that put Shudder on the map as the go-to place for. Available on streaming service Shudder, Host has been a smash across social media since its debut in late July and has received rapturous praise from horror author Joe Hill, actor Elijah Wood, and. OK, so it has shades of Paranormal Activity, and Ghostwatch in its palette, but these are mild touches rather than sweeping brushstrokes. I can’t stress this enough Host is a great little horror. In fact, it uses the remote angle to its advantage, to highlight that while all the characters are able to connect through the internet, for the most part they are at home alone, in the middle of a pandemic, and vulnerable. This means making use of Zoom features to heighten tension, and playing up the frustrations of using this sometimes-problematic tech to put everyone on edge.Īnd speaking of tension, Host also manages to create a very tense atmosphere even though all of the characters are remote.

Sure, there are moments that feel a little reminiscent of standard horror films – including a scene in which one character goes to ‘explore the mysterious noise’ in her house – but for the most part, Host aims for something new.

Shudder zoom movie