Dan Stevens is a relatively new face in Hollywood, but one folks will likely soon know well. After leaving DOWNTON ABBEY, a move that left many fans upset, Stevens has been pursuing film roles to break away from his TV persona. Two of those movies open this week, A WALK AMONG THE TOMBSTONES (in which he has a prominent supporting role) and of course THE GUEST. This film is the brainchild of Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett, who not long ago gave us YOU’RE NEXT, a wild variation on the home invasion thriller. This production also explores familiar territory, but includes just enough twists and turns to keep the audience guessing.

The story opens as a mysterious man knocks on the door of The Peterson house, which contains a family grieving over the loss of their oldest son Caleb in military battle. The mother Laura (Sheila Kelley) opens the door and meets David (Stevens), who claims he served with Caleb and was even with him when he died. David states he promised his friend he would check in on the family when all was said and done. Laura invites him in and even thinks his presence could be a good thing for the shattered family, which prompts her to ask him if he’d stay. David reluctantly accepts, and we see the rest of the family one by one react to this unexpected visitor. The daughter Anna (Maika Monroe) seems a little surprised by her mother’s actions, but also somewhat indifferent. The younger son Luke (Brendan Meyer) is more concerned about getting his butt kicked in school. The father Spencer (Leland Orser) is a bit perturbed by this turn of events, but is too busy drowning his work woes in booze to really care. What we learn is this fractured household already has its share of problems.

At first it seems like David may be the answer to everyone’s prayers. He helps Luke deal with bullies at school by giving the punks a taste of their own medicine in a big way. He escorts Anna to a party where he deals with some unwelcome attendees. Then certain deadly events begin to happen that make David a bit of a suspect. While the family has welcomed their new friend with open arms, Anna begins to wonder who exactly this man really is, and why is he there so unexpectedly.

It’s hard to talk at length about THE GUEST without giving away some major plot points, particularly things that happen in the third art of the film. As hinted at before, a lot of this is familiar territory – mysterious stranger comes to visit, things about him are revealed, certain people are more trusting of the guy than others… yeah, we’ve seen all that. But this story ends up going into so very unusual areas you might not see coming, and there’s a definite turning point in the film where the entire dynamic changes, and we’re suddenly watching a very different movie. While that shift is something I found to be fun and dynamic, it’s also the kind of thing that will undoubtedly be polarizing to audiences. I’ve already heard several people complain about the third act and how it changes the experience, regardless of whether or not they saw it coming – and isn’t that the bigger point here? When a film can find new ways to surprise you in this day and age, isn’t that a good thing??

Perhaps the best reason to see THE GUEST, despite how you end up feeling about the material, is the star-making performance given by Dan Stevens. He’s cold and calculated, but with an undeniable charm that has even us second guessing how we should feel about the character. Wingard and Barrett have created a character that is engaging and charismatic, while never giving us all the information we desperately desire to know about him. Stevens saw the potential in that structure and really ran with it, and the end result is a cult classic film icon. The movie also boasts a strong reading from Maika Monroe as Anna, the girl who doubts the motives of our lead. She play equal parts frustrated teenager unhappy with life, and heroine with a purpose who has to step up and do something. Like Stevens, she takes the material given and makes it shine, in what could have been a rather thankless role. Leland Orser also has brief moments of greatness as the drunken father mad at the world, and plays “drunk” in one of the more realistic ways committed to film in recent years. I would have liked to see more of Shiela Kelley as the heartbroken mother, as the few moments she does have make you wonder about how she’s dealt with her tragic loss, and what her family must have been like before it happened. Brendan Meyer is used rather sparingly as the younger son, but it’s likely for the best, as the real story here keeps focus on Stevens and Monroe for the most part.

The other big star of the movie is the music, which is a iTunes-worthy mix of 1980s sounding goth and punk fare, giving the film an intentional throwback feel that matches the horror and action flicks from 30 years ago. At a recent press interview with Stevens, someone mentioned how this felt a lot like Nicolas Winding Refn’s DRIVE, and I can certainly see that, only with more intentional humor thrown in. THE GUEST is a small film that feels like a big one, shot beautifully and editing in smart fashion. It holds your attention and keeps things boiling from start to finish. It may not be the absolute best of these kinds of films, but it’s definitely one of the most fun moviegoing experiences I’ve had this year.

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