Your Host Review (Film, 2025)
Your Host hits on some unique subject matter for a hybrid revenge/deadly games film.
content warning: blood, gore, violence against women, sexual harassment, sexual assault (discussed), foul language, medical/surgical (discussed), mental wellness
Your Host is a mean little film. Director DW Medoff and first time screenwriter Joey Miller craft an interesting hybrid of revenge film and deadly game film. It's brutal, with a tormenting villain turn by Jackie Earle Haley (Oscar nominee for Little Children, Freddy Krueger in the A Nightmare on Elm Street remake) that you won't shake off any time soon.
Four friends find themselves chained by the neck in a rundown TV studio filled with an audience of mannequins. The lights come on and Your Host arrives, announcing the friends are trapped in a game show where the prize is the chance for one person to escape. There is much more going on beneath the surface, which certainly elevates Your Host above similar Saw-clones more concerned with clever traps than intention.
Your Host is a narrative about putting on the show. Without going into spoilers, the true reason for these deadly games is behind the scenes drama on a major network game show. Lies that seemed innocent enough destroyed lives, leading everyone connected to their inevitable fates.
This is a far more ambitious film that it initially appears to be. That is probably its biggest weakness. The cold open with the final round of another game is a great start, but the character development for our four unwitting contestants isn't as interesting. We learn little facts about each--Anita's mother is very sick, James has rich parents, Melissa rescues pit bulls, Matthew is nerdy--but the friendship doesn't feel real. We see them argue more than get along, which doesn't exactly make for likable survivors you want to root for. This is the first film for the Your Host character and I wanted him to win from the start.
The film gets significantly better once the second game begins. We start to get a lot more context for what is happening, the relationship between the contestants starts to feel a lot more organic, and the stakes become so much clearer. Your Host isn't just a half-masked weirdo in a rainbow-suit; he's an unhinged threat willing to strike against anyone who doesn't fall in line and follow the rules.
Fans of revenge films wanting something different and deadly games enthusiasts alike will find some value in Your Host. There are some cool concepts at play that add a lot of depth not often seen in deadly games films. Jackie Earle Hailey is so good at playing this villain that it's worth watching for him alone if you can handle revenge plots and lots of gore. Otherwise, just be aware that this film is cruel with a capital C. There's nothing network TV-friendly about this gameshow.
Your Host is available to rent or purchase on all digital platforms.