The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in many of us having to work from home, with usual meetings in the boardroom now relegated to video calls over Google Meet or Zoom. Now, if you never found holding Zoom calls to be scary, you just might reconsider after watching Shudder’s newest Zoom-based horror movie, Host.
Host tells the tale of six friends who decide to hold a seance over the teleconferencing service Zoom while on quarantine. Only things quickly go south when an evil spirit starts invading their homes.
The film is directed by Rob Savage (Dawn of the Deaf) and was shot remotely in the actors’ homes, with the cast and crew all following social distancing guidelines. According to Deadline, all the actors in the movie are also their very own one-man crew with them having to operate their own cameras and doing their own stunts, practical effects and lighting, while Savage guided them remotely.
“I’m a certified Shudder obsessive,” said Savage. “When lockdown began, I spent week’s bingeing everything on Shudder, so to find myself premiering a new film on the platform only a few months later is incredible. Shudder understood the potential of this mad little film from day one and totally supported us making it in our own way. It was such a rewarding process and the final product is something we’re all so proud of. I hope this is the first of many collaborations!”
Host will premiere on Shudder, the streaming service for all horror, thriller, and suspense-related shows, on 30 July. It stars Haley Bishop (Deep State), Radina Drandova (Dawn of the Deaf), Edward Linard (The Rebels), Jemma Moore (Doom: Annihilation), Caroline Ward (Stalling It) and Emma Louise Webb (The Crown).