The Host Movie Review

By: Lynn Barker

Rebel Melanie Stryder (Saoirse Ronan) died. Now she’s a captive of a resistance movement against invading aliens and two guys are in love with her. Huh? Leave it to the creator of the Twilight series to create another super complicated love story.

Not Our Earth

In The Host, Earth has been all but conquered by aliens who are inserted inside human “Hosts”. Only a few still human rebels remain to fight back.  Yes, the aliens have cleaned up our polluted world and they are against violence. Only problem is that the “humans” we see still enjoying the new world.. aren’t human.

Among the resistance is feisty teen Melanie Stryder (Saoirse Ronan), her hot boyfriend Jared (Max Irons) and little bro Jamie (Chandler Canterbury) who have been living in hiding.

Dead and Alive

When Melanie sacrifices herself to save her little bro while on a raid for supplies, her body is repaired and implanted with a “Soul” named Wanderer. Only problem for the invaders is that Melanie’s spirit and will is still alive and kicking inside her occupied body! When the new Melanie/Wanderer combo decides to run away, alien Seeker (Diane Kruger) realizes that Wanderer isn’t in control of her body and the still remaining Melanie might lead Seeker to a rebel stronghold.

Seeker Diane with one of the chrome cars

The Desert Stronghold

Melanie ends up stranded in the New Mexico desert but she’s rescued by Uncle Jeb (William Hurt) a feisty old-timer and leader of a group of cave-living rebels. Guess who is among them? Jared and Jamie. Melanie wants her man back. Wanderer, dubbed “Wanda” by Jeb doesn’t even know him!

Enter Ian

Attracted to the Soul that is Wanda, is hunky rebel Ian and a love-quadrangle develops. As the Seekers close in, Melanie/Wanda is accepted by the rebels and is able to help them on raids. When Jamie is injured, it is Wanda who gets medical help and steals supplies from the invading Souls.

Solving the Quadrangle

After teaching the rebels how to remove invader Souls from human bodies and tortured by her love for Ian, Wanda decides to leave Melanie’s body and return to the stars. When a young implanted woman (a surprise Emily Browning) can’t survive when her alien is removed, Wanda is implanted and, together, Melanie, Jared, Ian and the new Wanda find others of their kind, including friendly alien Souls, who are taking back our planet.

Wrapping Up

The Host film would have benefitted from zero comparisons to the Twilight saga. Such a comparison ticks off the Twihards and makes those who don’t like that series want to avoid the film. Yeah, there is a young girl in love with two guys but that’s about where the similarities end. The interesting concept and sci-fi story in The Host is dumbed down by the sappy on film love complications and dialogue that read okay in a novel (Yes, I read it) but come off unintentionally funny on film. For example “It’s not really me you like, it’s this body,” “Kiss me like you want to get slapped” and more.  But, if any young actress can pull off talking to herself on screen while portraying two separate beings in one bod, it’s the super talented Saoirse Ronan. 

Two love interests Max Irons and Jake Abel are hot and convincing as their characters and gorgeous-in-white Diane Kruger gives a good combo of menace and confusion as the Seeker. William Hurt is totally believable as Uncle Jeb.

Jake, Diane, Saoirse and Max at a premiere

The movie looks great. The majestic and worshiped Shiprock in New Mexico is stunning and, for action and hot car buffs, the film boasts a fleet of cool chrome sports cars driven by the Seeker baddies.

The ending of The Host sets us up for a continuing story which Stephenie Meyer is currently writing (as the second novel in the series) but success or failure of The Host as a film might rest on the talents of Saoirse and a willingness of fans to ignore some of the more corny when spoken lines. If sci-fi fans can latch onto the interesting story of invading beings who improve our planet while destroying its current inhabitants, they might come onboard too. As for us, we’ll go 3 stars.

The Host Movie Rating:

Max, Saoirse and Jake poster