Host (film)

Host
Release poster
Directed byRob Savage
Written by
  • Gemma Hurley
  • Rob Savage
  • Jed Shepherd
Produced by
  • Douglas Cox
  • Craig Engler
  • Emily Gotto
  • Samuel Zimmerman
Starring
  • Haley Bishop
  • Jemma Moore
  • Emma Louise Webb
  • Radina Drandova
  • Caroline Ward
  • Edward Linard
  • Seylan Baxter
Edited byBrenna Rangott
Production
companies
  • Shadowhouse Films
  • BOO-URNS
Distributed byShudder (international)
Vertigo Releasing (United Kingdom)
Release dates
  • 30 July 2020 (2020-07-30)
(United States)
  • 4 December 2020 (2020-12-04)
(United Kingdom)
Running time
56 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Budget$100,000
Box office$443,807

Host is a 2020 British independent supernatural horror film directed by Rob Savage and written by Savage, Gemma Hurley, and Jed Shepherd. A computer screen film that takes place entirely on a Zoom video call, it follows a group of friends who attempt to escape from a demon they inadvertently summoned during an online séance.

After a short prank video by Savage which featured a handful of the film's cast went viral, 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 members were in charge of their own cameras, sound, makeup, lighting, and stunts, with Savage directing them remotely from his own home. The film was released via the American streaming platform Shudder on 30 July 2020, with a British release date of 4 December 2020 being arranged by Vertigo Releasing. It received positive reviews from critics, who praised its themes of social anxiety, its use of jump scares, and the cast's chemistry.