"Superhost" had an interesting premise that could have used a lot more time to simmer, to develop, and to be really more impactful. This was a simple film with a simple take on a deep and relevant topic. Even with its problems, we won't deny that "Superhost" was super fun. Led by a vibrant and creepy performance from Gracie Gillam, this was a film that disappoints but pushes a lot more weight than it should have been able to.
Travel vloggers Teddy (Osric Chau) and Claire (Sara Canning) manage a channel called Superhost as they share and review vacation homes with their subscribers. This has led them to a moderate level of internet fame. But recently, their follower count has started to dwindle and Claire in particular wants to create viral but more controversial content. Just in time, their latest vacation home features a weird and creepy host named Rebecca (Gracie Gillam). Soon they realize that Rebecca really is authentically scary and they slowly start to realize that something isn’t right with her mind. How much more can the struggling influencers push their luck just to get the content that they want?
There comes a point in "Superhost" that you know that our vloggers deserve whatever fate awaits them. Not because our characters turned out to be bad people with dark motives with their online influence but because they kept making the same stupid costly mistakes again and again. If ever they won't survive the onslaught of Rebecca, it's their own fault. That's what we hated most about "Superhost". There was a lot of ways they could have made its story and its characters (especially our protagonists) a lot more interesting. But sadly, there aren't any huge surprises or social commentaries here. There will be tidbits of thought-provoking content but these are fleeting and few and far between. Additionally, we felt that while Osric Chau and Sara Canning provided good enough performances in "Superhost", their chemistry as a couple was just lacking. It also didn't help that their characters were under-developed with little background to who they really are outside the camera. It may sound that we didn't have a good time but surprisingly, we actually did. Bolstered by Gracie Gillam's lively and creepy take as Rebecca, she gave a very memorable performance as a psychotic superhost. Overall, "Superhost" just delivers a simple and fun film. It took the simplest and easiest narrative and we're okay with that fact. While it could have been a lot better, it could have been a lot worse also.
Rating: 3 and a half reels
Why you should watch it:
- Gracie Gillam indeed was a superhost that saves the film from utter ruin
Why you shouldn't watch it:
- the leads lacked chemistry
- the story was simple and a little bit too forced for our tastes
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