The Perfect Host

Magnolia Pictures | Release Date: July 1, 2011

6.7	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 28 Ratings

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TheMudDoctorSep 12, 2011

Nick Tomnayâ

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Filmcritic4artAug 24, 2016

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This movie was disappointing precisely because it could have been superb. Anyone who remembers the hysterically funny antics of Frasier's brother Niles, played by David Hyde Pierce, will wish Frasier's writing staff had helped the director out with the "comedy"this movie was attempting to portray...

When a bank robber (John) who's day has gone horribly wrong shows up posing as a friend of a friend at Warwick's immaculate home dripping blood from a gunshot (onto his impeccably stylish wood floors), one has the feeling that all the ingredients are ready for a black comedy. Especially when the news accidentally comes (out on the radio) and the robber threatens Warwick's life with a knife. How does Warwick respond? "But you can't kill me. I'm having a dinner party!" "Yes!" I thought,"That is the start of all sorts of Niles-like antics bantered back by doomed John, the bank robber who clearly thinks he's an annoying stuffy twerp." But no, it was not. Instead, that was the last truly funny thing in the movie, at least for me.

After that, the "Niles" character becomes a partly devious (but actually insane) stalker, who makes us think he's something like Jeffrey Dahmer, and there are plenty of us who are not entertained by the antics of actual serial killers! By the time we find John drugged and tied up in Warwick's tub while Warwick "pleasures himself," I felt sick and fast forwarded my way out of the embarrassment. Poor actors! Who made them appear like that?

It turns out that Warwick didn't kill John after all, that: he just used makeup to feign the slashed throat, and that he happens to be a policeman, who happens to be on the bank robbery... Really. Really?? Then, instead of capturing the robber, he makes certain to intercept him just as his attempt to leave with the cash was underway. Threatening to shoot John unless he hands over the cash, he tosses back $2,000 because "customs will be rough in Mexico." Whereupon he walks the rest of the loot back to his posh apartment.

Sometime later, Warwick's partner at the police station gets a polaroid photo of the robber with Warwick (that was taken at the "party"). His partner confronts him and says they will need to "see his apartment." Guess what? Warwick talks him out of a formal investigation, instead asking him to "come to dinner." Where one supposes the entire movie would be repeated with a new victim...but without me.

Someone should have made this movie go in a better direction, or put a stop to it before it went too far!… Expand

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CaptainHowdyApr 14, 2020

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. For all the attempted twists and turns, this film doesn't really work. During the central story of the plot, there's a lot going on, but nothing actually happens most of the time. The big plot twist is given away far too early, so the audience never gets a chance to puzzle over the situation and eventually put the pieces together.

When the main plot falls flat, they tack on a secondary plot as so many poorly made movies do, leading to an ending that is both cliched and preposterous at the same time. David Hyde Pierce tries to work with what he's given, but he really isn't up to the task. For all his flamboyance, Hyde's acting is still stuck in sitcom mode. What emerges is a slightly below average movie that could have been better if it wasn't basically just doing a low budget chapter in the Hannibal Lecter series.… Expand

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