Host

Host is a 2020 British screenlife supernatural horror film directed by Rob Savage. Host takes place on a screencast of a video call on Zoom, and is presented as a computer screen film. Starring Haley Bishop, Jemma Moore, Emma Louise Webb, Radina Drandova and Caroline Ward, it features a group of friends who attempt to escape a deadly supernatural force inadvertently spawned during a séance. After a short prank skit by Savage which featured a handful of the Host cast went viral across social media, 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 and crew set up their own cameras, lighting, and stunts. An independent film, Host was released exclusively through Shudder on July 30, 2020. It received positive reviews from critics, who praised its themes of social anxiety, its jump scares, and the chemistry of its acting ensemble. It was included on Time magazine's 2020 list of the "17 Great Movies You May Have Missed This Summer". Plot On July 30, 2020, while the United Kingdom is under COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, a group of friends (Haley, Jemma, Emma, Caroline, Radina & Teddy) have decided to hold weekly Zoom calls to stay in touch. For this week's call Haley has hired a medium, Seylan, to lead them in a virtual séance. Teddy is forced to leave the chat by his girlfriend, Jinny, who unintentionally disconnects him. During the séance, one of the members, Jemma, claims to feel intense tension around her neck. Overcome with fear, she says that somebody called "Jack" is with her, a friend who committed suicide in her school by hanging himself. Seylan's internet cuts out, disconnecting her from the chat. During this time, Jemma informs the group that she made "Jack" up because the silence was getting awkward, which angers Haley. The remaining members of the group begin to experience strange, terrifying phenomena: Haley's chair is pulled by an unseen force, a hanging corpse can be seen in Caroline's attic when she goes to investigate noises, and Emma's glass spontaneously breaks. Haley uses her Polaroid camera to snap a photo of her living room, where a ghostly hanging figure appears on the print.