The Guest (2014) - Adam Wingard

After the sudden death of their son who was serving in the military, the Peterson family struggles to move forward with their lives.  One afternoon, David arrives, an ex-soldier who claims to be a close friend of their son who died in action.  Welcomed into their home with open arms, the family is able to find solace in the stories David is able to share but soon enough it becomes apparent that David isn't exactly who he appears to be.  Adam Wingard's The Guest is a sadistically twisted action-horror film that effectively balances its various genre elements, delivering a fast-paced thriller that's full of demented violence, thrills, and laughs.  Like Adam Wingard's other work, The Guest is a film that defies classification, being a hybrid of many genres that manages to bring it all together in one of the most enjoyable experiences of the year.  The character of David, played by Dan Stevens, is a great character to watch, being someone that is both terrifying and hysterical at the same time.  Dan Stevens plays this character with such mystery, giving the character an eerily calm demeanor that just seems to be on the verge of exploding into violence at every turn.  While I found the actual narrative of The Guest to be a little convoluted, the film delivers a fast-paced, thrillingly demented experience, using its blissfully self-aware approach to create a film that's a blast from start to finish.

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