---
title: "The Guest: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-guest/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-guest"
critics_score: 73
critics_reviews: 23
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# The Guest (2014): what the critics said

Critics' score 73 from 23 reviews: 18 positive, 3 mixed, 2 negative.

Most critics enjoy The Guest, and they agree on why. Nearly every review singles out Dan Stevens as the mysterious soldier: charming, controlled and quietly wrong, a long way from his respectable image, and the thing that holds the film’s mix of tones together. The other recurring pleasure is the debt to 1980s genre cinema, John Carpenter in particular, and the synth score that goes with it. Dark comedy, pulpy violence and knowing pastiche are the words that keep coming up.

The reservations cluster around the final act. Several otherwise warm reviews find the climax runs too long, loses its logic or lands as an afterthought. The spread is narrow, with only a handful of dissenters: Little White Lies calls it a hollow mash-up with thin characters, Vulture finds the twists predictable and poorly handled, and The Hollywood Reporter says the tension falters. Maika Monroe gets less attention than she might, though Digital Spy makes her the film’s emotional centre.

## Los Angeles Times — Robert Abele

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 15 September 2014. 

Abele finds the thriller a tough, fun homage to 1980s genre cinema, with cheeky craft and potent thrills. He especially praises Dan Stevens’ mesmerizing, psychotically charming performance as the mysterious soldier.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-guest-movie-review-20140917-story.html)

## The AV Club — A.A. Dowd

Rating B+. 16 September 2014. 

Dowd finds the film wickedly entertaining, praising its blend of ruthless action, dark comedy, and genre pastiche. Dan Stevens is singled out for making David an indelible villain who holds the mix of tones together.

[Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/the-guest-expertly-blends-everything-from-the-terminato-1798181321)

## Radio Times — Damon Wise

Rating 4/5. 

The critic regards the film as a tense throwback thriller. He singles out its pulpy 1980s influences and Dan Stevens’s departure from his respectable image.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-yygdxs/the-guest/)

## Time Out — Guy Lodge

Rating 4/5. 1 September 2014. 

The visible description suggests a qualified view of the film’s marketing hook. It singles out Dan Stevens’s casting as the angle under discussion.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-guest)

## Total Film — Matt Glasby

Rating 4/5. 1 September 2014. 

Glasby finds the film an entertaining, over-the-top action-horror, though its third act lasts too long. He particularly praises the performances, sharp dialogue, humor, and pulsing synth score.

[Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/the-guest-review/)

## IndieWire — Cory Everett

Rating B. 16 September 2014. Festival review. 

The critic calls the film a fast-paced, entertaining genre throwback, despite a weaker, illogical third act. They praise Dan Stevens’s magnetic performance and the film’s Carpenter-inspired synth score.

[Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/review-adam-wingards-the-guest-starring-dan-stevens-is-a-damn-good-time-272228/)

## Empire — David Hughes

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 12 August 2014. 

Hughes finds the film an unusually clever, entertaining thriller that rewards viewers who tune into its oddball tone. He particularly praises Dan Stevens’ mesmerising performance and the film’s well-judged music score.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/guest-review/)

## Evening Standard — Charlotte O'Sullivan

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2014. 

O'Sullivan finds the film compelling and playfully unsettling, though its twists keep the viewer unsure whose side to take. She singles out Dan Stevens's intelligence and charisma as crucial to its success.

[Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/the-guest-film-review-dan-stevens-is-crucial-to-the-films-success-9713574.html)

## Slant Magazine — Ed Gonzalez

Rating 3/4. 13 September 2014. 

Gonzalez finds the film a stylish, entertaining piece of pulp, though it lacks depth and its finale feels like an afterthought. He praises Wingard’s audiovisual flair, especially the way the soundtrack is synchronized with the characters’ shifting emotions.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-guest/)

## Variety — Dennis Harvey

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 20 January 2014. Festival review. 

Harvey calls the film a giddily violent, high-grade treat for genre fans, though its climax and final twist disappoint. He especially praises Dan Stevens’s performance and the film’s cheesy synth-driven grindhouse style.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/2014/film/markets-festivals/sundance-film-review-the-guest-1201065179/)

## The Guardian — Anna Smith

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 4 September 2014. 

Smith finds the film muddled at times but consistently entertaining. She praises its gleeful, knowing throwback to 1980s horror-thrillers.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/sep/04/the-guest-review-dan-stevens)

## RogerEbert.com

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 

The URL identifies a review of the specified film, but the page content is unavailable. The browser verification screen provides no critic verdict or praise to summarize.

[Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-guest-2014)

## The Hollywood Reporter — Justin Lowe

Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). 18 January 2014. Festival review. 

Lowe finds the thriller mixed, with tension that falters and plot strands that feel underdeveloped. He praises Wingard’s controlled visual direction and the filmmakers’ ironic humor.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/guest-sundance-review-672275/)

## Little White Lies — David Jenkins

Rating 4/2/2. 4 September 2014. 

Jenkins finds the film an underwhelming, hollow genre mash-up that squanders its potential. He criticizes its thin characters and lack of meaningful metaphor, despite the intriguing setup.

[Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/the-guest)

## Vulture — Bilge Ebiri

Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 17 September 2014. 

Ebiri finds the film entertaining in stretches but ultimately undermined by predictable plotting and poorly executed twists. He praises Dan Stevens’s compellingly insincere performance and the film’s atmospheric aesthetic, especially its Halloween-tunnel setpiece and synth-heavy soundtrack.

[Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2014/09/movie-review-the-guest.html)

## Consequence — Randall Colburn

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 17 September 2014. 

Colburn gives the film a strongly positive verdict, calling it a genre masterpiece. He particularly praises Dan Stevens’s disciplined, nuanced performance and the film’s deft balance of nostalgic influences with a modern feel.

[Read the review](https://consequence.net/2014/09/film-review-the-guest/)

## Digital Spy — Ben Rawson-Jones

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 5 September 2014. 

The critic calls the film a hugely enjoyable, gripping thriller with strong cult-classic potential. Maika Monroe is singled out for bringing emotional depth and empathy to the story.

[Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a593895/the-guest-review-a-hugely-entertaining-and-gripping-thriller/)

## Eye for Film — Owen Van Spall

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 24 August 2014. Festival review. 

The critic finds the film slick, tense, funny and technically sharp, and says Frightfest chose its launch film well. He particularly praises Dan Stevens’s charismatic performance and the inventive, tightly staged action sequences.

[Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-guest-2014-film-review-by-owen-van-spall)

## Collider — Matt Goldberg

Rating B+. 19 January 2014. Festival review. 

Goldberg finds the film an entertaining, gleefully dark Carpenter-style thriller, though its later shift in tone becomes too dark and silly. He singles out Dan Stevens’s charismatic, carefully balanced performance as the film’s greatest strength.

[Read the review](https://collider.com/the-guest-review/)

## Den of Geek — Don Kaye

Rating 4/5. 17 September 2014. 

The critic calls the film fun, entertaining, smart, and Wingard and Barrett’s most accomplished effort yet. He especially praises Dan Stevens’s performance and the well-crafted relationships that keep the familiar thriller gripping.

[Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-guest-review/)

## /Film — Germain Lussier

Rating 8 out of 10. 18 September 2014. Festival review. 

The critic finds the film fresh, fun, and highly entertaining despite a brief loss of playful momentum. They praise its tight script and editing, along with Steve Moore’s catchy synthesizer score.

[Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/529949/the-guest-is-a-fun-80s-throwback-with-sci-fi-and-stalker-sprinkles-on-top-sundance-14-review/)

## NME

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 

The review is enthusiastic, though it finds the film’s knowing archness occasionally too forced. It especially praises Dan Stevens’s performance and the film’s playful, inventive use of horror conventions.

[Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews-various-artists-15605-325427)

## The Skinny — Chris Fyvie

Rating ★★★. 4 September 2014. 

Fyvie calls it a slight but highly entertaining ride. He praises Dan Stevens’s wry performance and the film’s cheeky wit.

[Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/the-guest)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-guest.md