YouTube celebrities are a dime a dozen anymore. Whether they’re playing video games, reviewing beauty products, or anything in between, they all have one common goal: to gain new followers. Sometimes in this attempt, they try something new and their mission goes awry, which is exactly what we see in writer/director Brandon Christensen’s Superhost.
In this film, we follow Claire (Sara Canning) and Teddy (Osric Chau), a starry-eyed Millennial couple who have gained internet fame from their popular travel vlog. They recently had an influx of unsubscribes, and are desperate for new followers. They decide to stay at a remote Airbnb in the woods for their next vlog, and are soon met by the home’s eccentric owner, Rebecca (Gracie Gillam). At first, she seems innocent enough, but as time progresses, her presence seems increasingly insidious, ranging from intrusive surveillance cam spying to unexpected visits to the house at inopportune times. This trip might help Claire and Teddy gain new followers, but at what cost?
Several elements of Superhost are notable, namely the lead actors and backdrop. Supernatural veteran Osric Chau has a knack for being in dark, suspenseful media and does a great job in this film playing a heartfelt character with whom the audience can empathize when things take a turn for the worse. Less fame-hungry than Claire, he loves his girlfriend, but struggles with the overbearing direction she constantly gives him. Sara Canning succeeds at playing the fame-loving Claire, who prioritizes her YouTube channel over her relationship, and has a presence on camera that will seem all-too-familiar for anyone who’s watched a trendy vlog before. The choice of house for this film also works well, not only on an aesthetic level, but also because it emphasizes how middle-of-nowhere they are in a home with plenty of nooks and crannies for secrets to hide.
What fails in Superhost fails hard — most notably the direction Gracie Gillam was given for her character. Rebecca is portrayed as a crazed, overly enthusiastic host hellbent on positive reviews to the point where she is cartoonish. After a few scenes with her, she becomes so grating that it’s difficult to take the film seriously at all, which is unfortunate since it wants to be a dark thriller otherwise. The threat her obnoxious character is to the protagonists seems trivial no matter how real the conflict gets because she never acts “real.” Her downright comedic caricature in contrast to the mostly normal-seeming Claire and Teddy feels tonally off and almost single-handedly sullies the film. Combined with the fact that most of the horror and gore underwhelmingly take place in the broad daylight, most horror fans will be disappointed by this film if they’re looking for straightforward suspense. There are some films that can handle over-the-top villains and daytime horror, but this is simply not one of them.
While there’s plenty to say about the vapid nature of YouTube celebrity culture, at this point it’s been explored to death in popular media — and done profoundly better than what Superhost accomplishes. By the climax, we’re beaten over the head with the film’s mission statement and none the wiser for it. Do yourself a favor and sit this one out. It has some redeeming qualities, but the main antagonist will likely ruin it for you.
--Andrea Riley
