View source for Host (film)


{{Use British English|date=September 2025}}

{{for|other similarly titled films|The Host (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Host
| image          = Host (film).jpg
| alt            = 
| caption        = Release poster
| director       = [[Rob Savage]]
| writer         = {{plainlist|
* Jed Shepherd
* Gemma Hurley
* Rob Savage
}}
| producer       = {{plainlist|
* Douglas Cox
* Craig Engler
* Emily Gotto
* Samuel Zimmerman
}}
| starring       = {{plainlist|<!-- Per poster billing block -->
* [[Haley Bishop]]
* Radina Drandova
* [[Jemma Moore]]
* Caroline Ward
* Emma Webb
* Edward Linard
}}
| editing        = Brenna Rangott
| studio         = {{plainlist|
* Shadowhouse Films
* BOO-URNS
}}
| distributor    = {{plainlist|
* [[Shudder (streaming service)|Shudder]]
* [[Vertigo Releasing]]
}}
| released       = {{Film date|df=y|2020|07|30|Shudder|2020|12|04|United Kingdom}}
| runtime        = 56 minutes
| country        = United Kingdom
| language       = English
| budget         = $100,000
| gross          = $443,807
}}
'''''Host''''' is a 2020 British [[independent film|independent]] [[supernatural horror film|screenlife supernatural horror]] film directed by [[Rob Savage]], who co-wrote it with Gemma Hurley and Jed Shepherd. A [[screenlife]] film that takes place entirely on a [[Zoom (software)|Zoom]] video call, it follows a group of friends who inadvertently summon a demon during an online [[séance]].

After the [[Viral video|viral]] success of a short prank video by Savage featuring a handful of the film's cast, he developed the concept into a feature-length film, which was shot over 12 weeks directly on the Zoom software during the [[COVID-19 pandemic]]. The cast members were in charge of their own cameras, sound, makeup, lighting, and stunts, with Savage directing them remotely from his home.

''Host'' debuted on [[Shudder (streaming service)|Shudder]] on 30 July 2020, and was released in cinemas and digital platforms by [[Vertigo Releasing]] on 4 December 2020. The film received positive reviews from critics, who praised its themes of [[social anxiety]], its use of [[jump scare]]s, and the cast's chemistry.

==Plot==
During a July 2020 [[COVID-19 pandemic in London|COVID-19 lockdown in London]], friends Haley, Jemma, Radina, Emma, Caroline, and Teddy join the weekly [[Zoom (software)|Zoom]] call they have been using to stay in touch. Haley has arranged for them to partake in a virtual [[séance]] led by the [[Mediumship|medium]] Seylan, who emphasises that they should not disrespect the spirits, though only Haley takes it seriously. 

Teddy is forced to leave the call when his girlfriend Jinny disconnects him. Jemma claims to feel intense tension around her neck and begins to cry, explaining that she feels the presence of a school friend who killed himself by hanging. Seylan's internet cuts out and disconnects her from the call, prompting a laughing Jemma to admit that she made the story up because she was bored, which angers Haley. 

The remaining members begin to experience terrifying phenomena: Haley's chair is violently pulled backwards by an unseen force; the legs of a hanging corpse briefly appear in Caroline's attic when she goes to investigate a noise; when Haley points her [[instant camera]] down the hallway to take a  photo of her living room, it shows a ghostly figure hanging from the ceiling; and Emma's wine glass shatters untouched.

As the girls panic, Haley gets back in touch with Seylan and explain the situation. Asking the spirit a series of yes or no questions, Seylan quickly confirms that it is not friendly. Seylan explains that Jemma's prank, fabricating a deceased person, may have led a [[tulpa]] to take on the guise of the deceased person and the identity like a mask, allowing the demon to pass into the living's world. She instructs them to close the séance, but the demon interrupts her and she is disconnected again before the girls attempt to close the circle following her instructions.

Relieved that the ordeal seems to be over, the group members begin leaving the call. Radina leaves the room, unaware of her boyfriend Alan's body hanging behind her. Caroline's Zoom [[Wallpaper (computing)|background]], which shows a looping video of her doing chores, continues playing as the real Caroline suddenly has her face smashed into the camera. Forgetting to switch off a [[Filter (social media)|filter]] that superimposes masks and face paint onto her, Emma turns her camera towards her living room, where the filter places a [[mask]] on the face of an invisible figure which then turns to look at her. She runs away and scatters flour on the floor, in which the footprints of the demon approaching her appear. Her kitchen cupboards burst open before the demon attacks her, but she escapes into her bedroom.

Alan's body drops down behind Radina, prompting her to flee, but the demon kills her by throwing her into the wall. Noticing that Caroline is typing gibberish in the chat, Haley and Jemma watch as her camera turns back on to show the demon smashing her head into her keyboard while she pleads for help. Haley and Jemma argue and blame each other before Haley is pulled backward through the door of her room. Jemma, who lives around the corner from Haley, rushes over. Teddy returns to the call to see that only Emma remains, and a warning pops up to remind the group that the call will end in 10 minutes unless they upgrade to the premium version of Zoom. Unaware of everything that has occurred, Teddy believes Emma is playing a prank on him, but he is attacked by the demon after it takes the form of a horrifying humanoid figure. He is chased into his garden, where he sees Jinny being lifted into the air before her neck is snapped and her body falls into the swimming pool. He runs away and hides, using a lighter to see where he is going, but the demon distracts him with an eerie [[music box]] his brother used to scare him with as a child. The demon knocks him down and he drops the lighter, causing a fire that burns him to death.

Emma, now the only person still active in the call, fearfully turns her camera towards the door of her room after it opens. She throws a blanket, which drapes itself over an invisible human shape. She opens her window to escape, but trips and falls to her death. Jemma breaks into Haley's home and checks the Zoom call on Haley's laptop to see that Emma and Teddy are dead. The demon smashes a bottle against her head and starts to destroy the kitchen, but Jemma recovers and finds Haley hiding under her desk. They attempt to escape the house using the flash from Haley's camera to light the way. The demon appears in the final flash of light, taking the form of a mutilated human, and rushes at them as the Zoom call timer expires.

==Cast==
* [[Haley Bishop]] as Haley
* [[Jemma Moore]] as Jemma
* Emma Louise Webb as Emma
* Radina Drandova as Radina
* Caroline Ward as Caroline
* Edward Linard as Teddy
* Seylan Baxter as Seylan
* Jinny Lofthouse as Jinny
* Alan Emrys as Alan
* Patrick Ward as Caroline's dad
* James Swanton as Jack the Spirit

==Production==
The film traces back to a prank video created by Savage in early 2020, which featured him investigating strange sounds in his attic while on a group video chat with the subjects of the prank, some of whom would later star in ''Host''. The participants of the call were unaware that the video was leading up to a [[jump scare]] of a zombie child, which Savage created by splicing a clip from the Spanish horror film ''[[Rec (film)|Rec]]'' (2007) with footage of himself climbing up to the attic and subsequently falling down "dead" after the zombie attacks him. Savage placed the video online, where it went [[Viral video|viral]].<ref name=":0">{{cite web|last=Munday|first=Rob|date=31 July 2020|title=From Zoom prank to feature: The story of Rob Savage's 'Host'|url=https://www.shortoftheweek.com/news/the-story-of-rob-savages-host|access-date=2020-08-06|website=Short of the Week|archive-date=2024-05-31|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240531023625/https://www.shortoftheweek.com/news/the-story-of-rob-savages-host|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Tilly|first=Chris|date=31 July 2020|title=How new horror film 'Host' was made on Zoom in lockdown|url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/horror-film-host-zoom-lockdown-070100304.html|access-date=2020-08-06|website=[[Yahoo! Movies]] UK|archive-date=2020-11-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124191724/https://finance.yahoo.com/news/horror-film-host-zoom-lockdown-070100304.html|url-status=live}}</ref> He found the format easy to watch and chose to apply it to a feature-length film. He has stated that the prank's success enabled him to create ''Host'',<ref name=":0" /> after producers contacted him about making a longer film upon seeing the viral video.<ref name=telegraph>{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/zoom-horror-movie-brits-behind-host-made-chilling-lockdown-masterpiece/ |title=Zoom, the horror movie: how the Brits behind Host made a chilling lockdown masterpiece |last=Fordy |first=Tom |date=16 August 2020 |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |access-date=8 January 2022 |archive-date=8 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220108194050/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/zoom-horror-movie-brits-behind-host-made-chilling-lockdown-masterpiece/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

''Host'' was filmed while [[Social distancing measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic|quarantine restrictions were in place]] due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]]; Savage directed the actors remotely while they were in charge of their own cameras, lighting, sound, makeup, and stunts.<ref>{{cite web|last=Ramos|first=Dino-Ray|date=2020-07-07|title=Shudder Invokes Quarantine Spirits With Remotely Filmed Horror Film 'Host'|url=https://deadline.com/2020/07/shudder-host-rob-savage-quarantine-zoom-remotely-filmed-1202978631/|access-date=2020-08-06|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|archive-date=2020-11-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201104193743/https://deadline.com/2020/07/shudder-host-rob-savage-quarantine-zoom-remotely-filmed-1202978631/|url-status=live}}</ref> According to Savage, "old school" technology was often used for special effects, with fishing wire being sent to the actors' homes "so they could practice pulling things off shelves".<ref name=telegraph/> Practical effects were also handled by the actors and a virtual workshop was held on how to set up effects such as "moving doors [and] making things fly off shelves". Savage stated that the film took 12 weeks to complete, from the initial idea to its delivery to streaming platform [[Shudder (streaming service)|Shudder]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Johnson|first=G. Allen|date=29 July 2020|title=Behind the scenes of 'Host,' a British horror film shot on Zoom|url=https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/movies-tv/behind-the-scenes-of-host-a-british-horror-film-shot-on-zoom|access-date=2020-08-06|department=Datebook|newspaper=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]|archive-date=2020-11-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127040942/https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/movies-tv/behind-the-scenes-of-host-a-british-horror-film-shot-on-zoom|url-status=live}}</ref>

According to star [[Jemma Moore]], the actors used a [[film treatment]] rather than a finished screenplay as the basis for their performances, as well as improvising and taking live feedback from Savage during their takes: "It had all the points, they were really fleshed out and detailed, but we improvised around a lot of stuff. And Rob would be typing on Zoom while we're in the middle of a scene, telling us what to say—it was like live scripting{{emdash}}or he'd private message me." In an attempt to encourage authentic responses by the cast to the film's events, the cast participated in a séance over Zoom prior to filming; the actors were also only given details of their own characters, with the fates of the other characters being withheld from them. Savage and Shepherd have mentioned several influences on the film, including ''[[The Blair Witch Project]]'', ''[[Paranormal Activity]]'', ''[[Lake Mungo (film)|Lake Mungo]]'', and ''[[Ghostwatch]]'', noting that ''Host'' contains references to a number of these.<ref name=telegraph />

==Release==
''Host'' debuted on the streaming platform [[Shudder (streaming service)|Shudder]] in the United Kingdom and North America on 30 July 2020. The film was released in cinemas and on digital platforms in the UK and Ireland on 4 December 2020 by [[Vertigo Releasing]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Rosser|first=Michael|url=https://www.screendaily.com/news/shudder-vertigo-to-release-host-in-uk-and-ireland-cinemas-exclusive/5153298.article|title=Shudder, Vertigo to release 'Host' in UK and Ireland cinemas (exclusive)|website=[[Screen Daily]]|date=21 September 2020|access-date=1 September 2025|url-access=limited|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020223051/https://www.screendaily.com/news/shudder-vertigo-to-release-host-in-uk-and-ireland-cinemas-exclusive/5153298.article|archive-date=20 October 2020|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Reception==
===Box office===
''Host'' grossed $443,807 worldwide against a budget of $100,000.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt12749596/ |title=Host (2020) |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=1 September 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Ritman |first=Alex |date=October 14, 2021 |title=From Prank Zoom Video to Blumhouse Deal: How 'Host' and 'Dashcam' Director Became a "Pandemic Profiteer" |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/host-director-rob-savage-interview-blumhouse-dashcam-1235031295/ |magazine=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |access-date=November 6, 2022 |quote=he was given a budget of around $100,000 |archive-date=November 1, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221101011147/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/host-director-rob-savage-interview-blumhouse-dashcam-1235031295/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Critical response===
On the [[review aggregator]] website [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film holds an approval rating of {{RT data|score}} based on 98 reviews, with an average rating of {{RT data|average}}. The website's critics consensus reads, "Lean, suspenseful, and scary, ''Host'' uses its timely premise to deliver a nastily effective treat for horror enthusiasts."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/host_2020|title=Host|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|access-date=2023-08-01}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], which assigns a [[weighted average]] score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the film received an average score of 73, based on seven critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.<ref>{{cite web |title=Host |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/host |website=[[Metacritic]] |access-date=2023-08-01}}</ref>

Common praise for ''Host'' centered around its themes of social separation and [[social anxiety]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Lee|first=Benjamin|date=2020-07-31|title=Host review – surprisingly effective Zoom-based horror|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/jul/31/host-film-review-zoom-seance-shudder-rob-savage|access-date=2020-08-06|archive-date=2020-11-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201125023743/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/jul/31/host-film-review-zoom-seance-shudder-rob-savage|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Whittaker|first=Richard|date=July 31, 2020|title=Movie Review: Host|url=https://www.austinchronicle.com/events/film/2020-07-31/host/|access-date=2020-08-06|newspaper=[[The Austin Chronicle]]|archive-date=2020-11-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201125023815/https://www.austinchronicle.com/events/film/2020-07-31/host/|url-status=live}}</ref> The ''[[New York Times]]'' and ''[[Rue Morgue (magazine)|Rue Morgue]]'' made comparisons between the film and ''[[Unfriended]]'' (2014), a horror film that also featured supernatural activity occurring during a group video chat.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Thompson|first=Rocco|date=31 July 2020|title=Review: "Host" Is The Socially-Distanced Séance Of Your Nightmares|url=https://rue-morgue.com/review-host-is-the-socially-distanced-seance-of-your-nightmares/|access-date=2020-08-06|magazine=[[Rue Morgue (magazine)|Rue Morgue]]|archive-date=2020-11-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127041008/https://rue-morgue.com/review-host-is-the-socially-distanced-seance-of-your-nightmares/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Turner|first=Kyle|date=2020-07-30|title='Host' Review: A Zoom Séance Channels Spirits and Melancholy|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/30/movies/host-review.html|access-date=2020-08-06|url-access=registration|archive-date=2020-10-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201014161759/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/30/movies/host-review.html|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine named it one of the "17 Great Movies You May Have Missed This Summer" and stated that it is "not only one of the best horror movies of the year, but also an intimate look at creativity, film production and a shared global culture in the throes of a rampaging virus".<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Berman|first=Judy|date=2 September 2020|title=17 Great Movies You May Have Missed This Summer|url=https://time.com/5881914/movies-you-missed-2020/|access-date=2020-09-02|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|archive-date=2020-11-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201125030552/https://time.com/5881914/movies-you-missed-2020/|url-status=live}}</ref> Referring to the film's novel portrayal of lockdown-induced paranoia, Elizabeth Horkley of ''[[The Atlantic]]'' called it "the first great entry in the new genre of 'quarantine horror'."<ref>{{cite web |last=Horkley |first=Elizabeth |date=2020-08-19 |title=The Movie That Will Change How You Look at Zoom Meetings |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2020/08/host-first-great-quarantine-horror-movie/615385/ |access-date=2022-08-29 |website=[[The Atlantic]] |archive-date=2022-08-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220829152923/https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2020/08/host-first-great-quarantine-horror-movie/615385/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Accolades===
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
! scope="col" |Award
! scope="col" |Year
! scope="col" |Nominated
! scope="col" |Category
! scope="col" |Result
! scope="col" class="unsortable" |{{Reference heading}}
|-
! rowspan="3" scope="row" |[[British Independent Film Awards]]
| rowspan="3" align="center" |2021
|Douglas Cox
|Breakthrough Producer
| data-sort-value="4" {{Nom}}
| rowspan="3" align="center" |<ref>{{cite web|date=2020-12-04|title=Winners and Nominations|work=BIFA · British Independent Film Awards |url=https://www.bifa.film/awards/2020/winners-nominations/|access-date=2021-05-21|publisher=[[British Independent Film Awards]]|archive-date=2021-05-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210502185525/https://www.bifa.film/awards/2020/winners-nominations|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
|Brenna Rangott
|Best Editing
| data-sort-value="4" {{Nom}}
|-
|Calum Sample
|Best Sound
| data-sort-value="4" {{Nom}}
|-
! scope="row" |[[Hollywood Critics Association]]
| align="center" |2021
|''Host''
|Best Horror Film
| data-sort-value="4" {{Nom}}
| align="center" |<ref>{{cite web |last=Neglia |first=Matt |date=February 2021 |title=The 2020 Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) Nominations |url=https://nextbestpicture.com/the-2020-hollywood-critics-association-hca-nominations/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220703143755/https://www.nextbestpicture.com/latest/the-2020-hollywood-critics-association-hca-nominations |archive-date=2022-07-03 |access-date=2021-05-21 |website=Next Best Picture}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" |[[Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards]]
| align="center" |2020
|[[Rob Savage]]
|Best Independent Film
| data-sort-value="4" {{Nom}}
| align="center" |<ref>{{cite web|title=The Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards – Honoring the best in classic horror research, creativity and film preservation|url=https://rondoaward.com/rondoaward.com/blog/|access-date=2021-05-21|publisher=[[Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards]]|archive-date=2021-05-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210504004029/https://rondoaward.com/rondoaward.com/blog/|url-status=live}}</ref>
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title}}
* {{YouTube|SNlKbqHqGcY|Trailer}}

{{Rob Savage}}
{{Shudder films and documentaries}}

[[Category:2020 films]]
[[Category:2020 horror films]]
[[Category:2020 independent films]]
[[Category:2020 British films]]
[[Category:2020 English-language films]]
[[Category:2020s supernatural horror films]]
[[Category:British films about the COVID-19 pandemic]]
[[Category:British independent films]]
[[Category:British supernatural horror films]]
[[Category:Demons in film]]
[[Category:English-language horror films]]
[[Category:English-language independent films]]
[[Category:Films about social media]]
[[Category:Films directed by Rob Savage]]
[[Category:Films set in 2020]]
[[Category:Films set in London]]
[[Category:Found footage horror films]]
[[Category:Screenlife films]]
[[Category:Shudder (streaming service) original programming]]
[[Category:Vertigo Films films]]

{{Wikipedia attribution|original_title=Host (film)|access_date=2026-03-03}}