The Guest (2014) ***1/2

The Guest (2014) successfully mashes Halloween (1978) (my review here) and The Terminator (1984)— along with other 80s and 90s influences such as Universal Soldier (1992) and John Woo films—to create a fun and subversively funny action/thriller/horror hybrid. This highly stylized low budget cult favorite features charming and charismatic lead performances from Dan Stevens and Maika Monroe, eye-popping cinematography by Robby Baumgartner, a fantastic, pulsing score from Steve Moore, and an absolutely killer goth/synthwave/industrial soundtrack.

The Guest isn't quite a slam dunk for me—while I do appreciate the fact that there is a level of mystery to the titular character's origin, other characters and themes (such as PTSD) feel underdeveloped, and at times the lack of resources shows (particularly in the climax). But there is an undeniable charm to this indie—I appreciate its simplicity and efficiency, I like that it never drowns in its nostalgia, and the film holds up really well on revisits (this was the third time I've watched the movie).