The Host
2013 · Directed by Andrew Niccol
Original language: English
- action
- adventure
- science fiction
The story
A parasitic alien soul is injected into the body of Melanie Stryder. Instead of carrying out her race's mission of taking over the Earth, "Wanda" (as she comes to be called) forms a bond with her host and sets out to aid other free humans.
What it’s like
Wide, sun-bleached desert vistas give way to dim, candlelit caves where warm amber lamplight pools against rough stone, and the contrast between the two is the film's visual heartbeat. Sterile white alien interiors and cool, clinical blues mark the invaders' world, while the human rebels live in earthy browns and dusty golds. Camera work is steady and unhurried, with long held shots of faces and landscapes, and the orchestral score swells warmly in the emotional passages. The mood is earnest, romantic and quietly melancholy, a sun-baked dystopia that suits a rainy afternoon or a comfort watch with a cup of tea. Its pace is steady rather than frantic, and its emotional arc follows an alien consciousness and its unwilling human host slowly learning to share a body and a cause. Violence is present but restrained: gunfire, a few tense confrontations and references to mass killing, with no gore and little graphic cruelty. A light, chaste romance runs throughout. It is for viewers who want sincere young-adult sci-fi with lush scenery and a tender central relationship.
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