In SUPERHOST, Teddy and Claire are travel vloggers who run a channel called “SUPERHOST” where they travel and share their experiences in and around vacation homes, and until recently, had become successful doing it. With a dwindling subscriber count, they find the perfect opportunity to create content that people want to see when they meet Rebecca, the host of their most recent trip. Slowly they start to realize that something isn’t right with Rebecca, and as they investigate it further, they unlock a horrifying truth. She doesn’t just want a great review, she wants something far worse.
For thoughts on Superhost, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic here.
Video Quality
The film debuts on Blu-Ray with a 1080p presentation in its original aspect ratio that mostly captures the film well. The movie itself has a muted color palette that does not consistently pop off the screen, but there is a great amount of detail and clarity. The splashes of blood that pop up provide some impressive moments that bring with them a nice vibrancy. There is slight loss of detail in fast panning shots, but it is not pervasive throughout. For a movie that relies on darkness to build tension at various points, it is important to have deep black levels, which this thankfully does. Objects hold up pretty well in the shadows and retain their depth. There is no damage or digital noise detectable in this transfer. There are not very many moments that are going to jump off the screen, but this is a solid video presentation overall.
Audio Quality
Superhost comes to Blu-Ray with a commendable DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track. The movie does not provide the most intense workout, but the environmental sounds provide a very immersive atmosphere for the story. The low end of the track is especially active during moments of violence with a bit of wall shaking happening. The dialogue and sound effects are appropriately balanced with the music where nothing gets lost in the track. Surround channels get some nice activity during the nature scenes and with the house ambiance during any lead up to an unsettling reveal. This track is quite precise and effective, and will be appreciated by horror fans who pick up this disc.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Writer/Director Brandon Christensen provides a pretty solid commentary track in which he takes you through the development of the narrative, the awkward inspiration for the story, the duality of your online and offline personality, the act of rooting for a villain, the performance, persistent questions he gets about the film and more that makes for a good time.
- Behind-The-Scenes of Superhost: A nearly 11-minute featurette in which the cast and crew discuss the narrative, finding the right shooting location, the bare bones nature of the shoot, the special effects and more.
- Shooting In A Pandemic: A seven-minute video shot for the Nightmares Film Festival in which Christensen shows off what it is like filming during a pandemic and how much it differs from “normal” times.
- Bloopers: A four-minute collection of flubbed lines, laughing fits, missed cues, malfunctioning props and more that make for an amusing time.
- Superhost Visual FX: A three-minute breakdown of the subtle and not-so-subtle visual effects that were implemented in this feature. There are way more instances than you would even imagine which makes what they pulled off so seamlessly all the more impressive.
- Behind-The-Scenes Photo Gallery: A minute-and-a-half collection of photos from the production.
- Scaredycats Episodes 1 & 2 (1:21 and 2:39): Two brief videos that show two young brothers getting quite a fright as they try to slumber at night. These are really fun additions to the release.
Final Thoughts
Superhost is a pretty engaging horror thriller that takes aim at the strange place we find ourselves in with how readily we relinquish control over to virtual strangers in the name of comfort. The pacing of the feature can be a bit uneven as the peak comes a bit too early, but overall the tone is effective and the performances are mostly solid for what is trying to be accomplished. RLJE Films has released a Blu-Ray featuring a strong A/V presentation and a pretty great assortment of special features. This may not go down as an undisputed classic, but it provides a good time for horror fans looking for something new. Recommended
Superhost is currently available to purchase on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: RLJE Films has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
