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The Host, Movie

The Host 2013

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Choose to believe, choose to fight, choose to love.

Romantic, sci-fi thriller adapted from the novel by Twilight author Stephenie Meyer, starring Saoirse Ronan and directed by Andrew Niccol (Gattaca). The world has been taken over by parasitic, but peace-loving, invisible aliens called Souls. Humans become hosts for these invaders, their minds taken over while their bodies remain intact. While most of humanity has succumbed, Melanie (Ronan) - host of an experienced Soul named Wanderer - resists. 

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164 votes / 57 comments The Talk

  • 75 %

    Want to See it

    What say you?

    • lol

      interesting...

    • Billy

      Looks like more pushing the New World Order agenda again from yours truly, occult Hollywood!

    • Mark

      We've got a year to forget that this ever existed.

    • Kylie

      Freaky.. A bit more information about the plot would be good..

    • Bob

      I like Andrew Niccol's take on the future eg Gattaca, In Time so looking forward to this one.

    • Kelvin

      I couldn't put this book down...I hope they do it justice

    • Kevin

      didnt like the book so i doubt this movie will be any good

    • Emily

      Fantastic. This book is great. Stephanie wrote this before Twilight became more frenzied. Love this book Cant wait to see it

    • raul

      looks exactly like invasion of the body snatchers so not very original

    • Paul

      Don't like this trailer. A collection of photos of people with the same eye colour.... ooohh, interesting... *sarcasm*

    • Paul

      Don't like this trailer. A collection of photos of people with the same eye colour.... ooohh, interesting... *sarcasm*

    • Kate

      Dumb trailer....

    • D F Stuckey

      Nice to see a trailer that doesn't give away 3/4 of the story to entertain the halfwits - The book was pretty good, so hopes are up :)

    • Edward

      Sparkle sparkle!

    • Ashlee

      not gonna see! not my cuppa tea

    • Bexy

      was an amazing book; hope they do it justice but still manage to keep the rating down :)

    • Ash

      not sioban or what ever her name is

    • Namebleh

      Sick of this twilightesk love story crap.

    • the movie master

      great movie

    • movie master

      cool movie

    • alex

      At least Saoirse Ronan is a good actress and can, you know, evoke emotion and depth. Has potential, book was better than Twilight

    • Karren

      Looks good

    • bryce

      yeah right its just "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" updated

    • Raul

      The so called author has just ripped invasion of the body snatchers and turned it into some poorly written love story. LLLame

    • RexH

      TWILIGHT meets INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS... NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

    • Tracey

      The book had some great original ideas. Will view the movie with trepidation.

    • Andrew

      With Niccol as director and screenwriter this could actually be quite good, as long as it isn't too respectful of it's source material.

    • Andrew

      But then again, with Meyers as a major producer on this, and Niccol already getting canned once during production, that doesn't seem likely.

    • LeeW

      Hmmm, the book was boring as heck, so I can only hope its not like watching The Stand...

    • Tim

      "From the author of the Twilight Saga". That would be a No.

    • Hopefull

      At least its not got another 'Kristen Stewart' as the main character... H

    • Mibellule

      Doesn't look to cheesy....why not.

    • JAYJAY

      I hope they can do the book justice.Really like the feel of the trailers so far.

    • Bex

      must see this movie an amazing book the movie had better be good

    • Emma

      luv it

    • happy

      really happy to see this book turned into a movie!

    • emily

      a good read. amazed how stephanie myers can write something so different after twilight. Loved the book. cant wait see this

    • slychick

      It looks okay. too much of a chick flick for me lol

    • Matt

      Kind of a bubble gum movie but worth a look

    • richard

      I loved her in Hanna so definitly worth a look

    • Rhys

      To think this is from the writer of twilight o.0

    • emma8

      hekterrrkkkk

    • ashly

      i hope its good better than the other movies she has help made

    • ScaryMinds

      Has Stephenie Myers ever had an original thought?

    • Courtney

      It's so not a chick flick. The book is amazing. completely different from Twilight but still awesome. Cant wait to see the movie!

    • prue81

      this looks amazing cant wait

    • jennytoso

      The book was brilliant - movie better be as good!

    • Beth

      Looks amazing! they didnt give everything away in the trailer, so all those people saying they think its bad , just wait for the movie!

    • dome

      i would shin kick that hoe to the dome

    • deecrolla

      twilight was good i hope this is just as good

    • Berta

      looks like a cool movie

    • Brie

      I read the book and I'm so flippen excited

    • Amber

      Worst movie ever.

    • rachael

      really terrible, didn't walk out but was very close to it

    • Emily

      looks absolutely wonderful! The themes portrayed are relevant to today teens :)

    • Ruby

      I heard the book is pretty good...

    • Glen3

      this is just ok and thats all i can say it need a lot more

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Flicks.co.nz Review

Rating:

  • AGREE? DISAGREE?...

  • lilvv

    your comments are sadistl! As an older reviewer your ideas are biased and can't understand the films take on love and romance!

comment / reply
James Croot Flicks Writer

Come back Bella and Edward - all is forgiven. Yes, anyone who thought the Twilight quintology represented a low-tide mark in 21st century cinematic storytelling (and let’s be honest, Eclipse was pretty awful), prepare to be shocked by this empty-headed sci-fi shocker. More

Not only does author Meyer revisit Twilight themes (Sparkly creatures? Check. Girl caught between two worlds and two boys? You betcha), but Ronan essentially finds herself replaying her Hanna role (with Diane Kruger replacing Cate Blanchett as the Terminatrix determined to capture her) and Niccol seems attempting to remake Gattaca as a teen romance with added soft focus.

However, if the deja vu don’t get you (it feels like elements of Falling Skies, Starman, The Island and This is Not My Life have been put in a blender and mulched into a schmaltzy, sappy pulp) then the portentous and pretentious dialogue, the worst use of voice-over since Jason Statham in Revolver and the repeated slapping of Ronan will.

Seriously creepy (and not in a thrilling way), Meyer’s foray into alien invasion reminds one of a sub-par original Star Trek episode. Most chillingly, there’s talk of sequels, which in a world where I Am Number Four and Tomorrow, When The War Began have been denied such opportunities, would appear horrifically unjust. Only you have the power to stop this. Hide

The People's Reviews

Rating:

5 ratings and 6 reviews

All reviews (6)

  • AGREE? DISAGREE?...

comment / reply

Still unsure

Candi-Fletcher B-Grader (?)

I walked out of the cinema, not really sure how I felt about the movie. A few days on, and I still can't decide. I have no doubt that the book would be more enjoyable. The actors picked seemed to do a job with the material they had. The story had some good elements, but also feel flat on others.

  • AGREE? DISAGREE?...

comment / reply

I found myself wishing I was reading the book again

calal_k Nobody (?)

I never thought I would ever read a Stephanie Meyer book but found myself doing just that while travelling about a year ago. The book gave me this image of a much heavier, angrier and more character driven story but after watching the first wave of previews I knew this film would be far from that. I suppose my imagining of the story was always going to be hard to beat. The film also managed to rush through and even miss some of the better parts of the book. Ultimately I am unhappy with the lazy interpretation of what was a very good read.

  • AGREE? DISAGREE?...

  • lilvv

    you are wrong! This movie is amazing! it's more of a philosophical story about life! not all movies have to be about action!!

comment / reply

I MADE AN ACCOUNT JUST TO SAY - DON'T SEE IT!!

Kieran21 Nobody (?)

Don't waste your time! Had high expectations with having really enjoyed some of Andrew Niccols work like Gattaca and In Time. Things have gone way down hill and I have now developed a bitter hate towards Meyer for turning sci-fi into such chick-flick trash! Honestly, I should have come here first to read the reviews, I was lured by the sci-fi action packed trailer.

One of the only films I had seriously considered walking out of. I only stayed because I didn't want my $16.50 to go to any more waste than it already had!

The amount of romance and kissing was unbearable, and the amount of fighting and actual things happening in the plot was few and far between.

I kept waiting for things to get bad, waiting for the plot to thicken, but it ended before it began.

I very, very rarely dislike a movie this much.

  • AGREE? DISAGREE?...

comment / reply

Just for the Twilight Drones

Sarah29 Flicks Superstar (?)

Sadly Kiwi director Andrew Niccol did this film an injustice. With such decent and original source material (that's right, the book is actually really good) this film could have been great! But instead they had to go and play up the lovey-dovey aspect and tone down the violence to appeal to the Twilight drones. They could have done a much better job with the talent they had and made this into a decent sci-fi entry.

  • AGREE? DISAGREE?...

comment / reply

It didn't feel anything

jaynine A-Lister (?)

It was very anti-climactic. The trailer looked epic but the movie overall wasn't. It had a light action, and the romance felt so bland. It didn't portray the strong idea of the alien being caught in between two worlds, and the idea of 'final human beings on earth' desperation. Definitely had Stephanie Meyers own plagiarism from Twilight on it. It's a very dragging film.

  • AGREE? DISAGREE?...

comment / reply

Unfortunately it's become fashionable to despise all Stephanie Meyers work.

HMJ B-Grader (?)

I enjoyed The Host novel more than the Twilight saga. Separating the book and movie is always tough. If I had been in a negative frame of mind when I saw The Host I'd subtract a star but as
I had few expectations, I was pleasantly surprised.

Much of the criticism I have read of Twilight and The Host appears to have sprung from those who decided they weren't going to like these movies before they had even seen them. This gives a certain lack of credibility to such reviewers.

I hope to hear more from fans and from reviewers who are capable of being objective.

The Host offers an excellent variation of a well worn SiFi theme. The alien invaders are genuinely nicer than humans. The aliens' one great flaw is a human one. The aliens believe good intentions them give the right to impose their morality.

Unfortunately, given such a long novel to distil into movie form, much had to be jettisoned. The choices made led to a movie blander than it could have been.

Wanderer's strength of character and will were hardly apparent. Leaving little reason for her romance with an (to her) alien. It also subtracted from the drama of the clash of wills between Host and Soul. The internal dialogue between the two was reasonably well realized. The interactions between Wanderer and the human community worked well. A pity that there was so much emphasis on the romantic aspects. Sacrificing suspense and action.

There was almost no sign of the impact the aliens had upon earth's environment and culture. Which was considerable, and well considered, in the book.

At heart this movie is a decent teen romance. Offering some action, some suspense, some drama and a dash of science in the fiction. A cast of largely unknowns showing talent and ability. Good production values. The Souls looked great. What the alien technology was shown looked good enough for a movie not focused on the special effects.

If you want a special effects movie, go see Oblivion

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Press Reviews

Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)

The Host is top-heavy with profound, sonorous conversations, all tending to sound like farewells. The movie is so consistently pitched at the same note, indeed, that the structure robs it of possibilities for dramatic tension. Full review.

Empire (UK)

Though it trips over ridiculous, earnest romantic scenes – which will provoke callous giggles – and has a plot which collapses during the many slow spots when you have time to think about it, The Host isn’t completely dreadful. Full review.

Entertainment Weekly (USA)

It's really a dramatic sinkhole. Full review.

Hollywood Reporter

There's something about novelist Stephenie Meyer that induces formerly interesting directors to suddenly make films that are slow, silly and soporific. Full review.

Time Out New York

An "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" retread told from a postoccupation vantage point, this adaptation of Stephenie Meyer’s YA romance novel unfolds in a dystopian future when alien parasites have nearly won the battle for Earth. Full review.

Variety (USA)

Extravagantly silly but undeniably entertaining sci-fi soap opera. Full review.