Monsters
It's been a long time since I've seen a monster movie - as distinct from the overall horror genre, where the monsters is us - as good as The Host. The monster itself doesn't occupy nearly as much screen time as we've been led to expect over the years, so, like the Alien franchise, we get more of what makes a monster movie so good: pure tension, of course, but also, the characterizations, the why, why we ever battle against even things we cannot hope to overcome. The tension is unrelenting, even though there are many light moments. I found myself gripping the arms of my chair, and having to consciously relax, poised with a forward lean and searching the screen for a clue of what might come next. Yes, there were the usual shocks, though only one or two, but more often the most affecting moments were the ones you didn't see, but had to come to grips with afterwards, especially at the end. I've been an afficiando of the genre for many years now, and this is the kind of movie that reminds you of why the genre exists. I've also espoused the idea that this was a format that America did better than anyone else, but having long ago ceded the horror ground to slasher flicks and the like, The Host takes on Hollywood and wins.